Wind Ventures Newsletter

Wind Ventures is a

Specialist Developer of Onshore Wind Projects

Illustration of Ha r

bourcross, taken from a viewin

r on Moo g point near the A39 at Bursd

Harbourcross

Wind Energy Proposal Welcome to our newsletter. As you know, Wind Ventures is extending the period of community consultation on our Harbourcross wind energy proposal, because we want to make sure that as many people as possible who live and/or work around the site have access to clear and factual information about the plans.

Over the next few weeks, we would like to discuss our proposals with as many local people as possible.

You may have attended one of our public exhibitions already, but our own research shows that some communities around the Harbourcross site still have a limited understanding of what the proposal involves. It’s not our role to try and persuade people to support wind energy – but as a responsible developer we are committed to making sure that everyone has enough information to draw their own conclusions.

Newsletter Winter 2012

Read on to find out more about the Harbourcross wind energy proposal, why we have chosen that site, and how wind energy can make a valuable contribution to both local and national targets for the production of renewable energy.

Who is Wind Ventures?

Wind Ventures is a responsible onshore wind farm developer, which is looking to develop small to medium sized wind farms in the UK. Our mission is to develop sustainable wind energy projects that benefit landowners and local communities while contributing towards the UK’s achievement of local and national renewable energy targets.

www.windventures.co.uk

Wind Harbourcross – what’s involved?

The proposal is for five wind turbines to the north east of Meddon, in the Torridge district of Devon.

A final decision on turbine choice has not yet been made, but it is likely that they would be up to126m to the tip of the blade at its highest point, with a hub height of up to 80m.

Wind power supplied an average of 5.3% of the UK’s demand for electricity for December 2011 and early January 2012, reaching a record share of 12.2% on 28th December. As a result, carbon emissions from the UK’s electricity generators were cut by over 750,000 tonnes, equivalent to taking over 300,000 cars off the road.

(Source: RenewableUK)

www.windventures.co.uk

The proposed wind farm at Harbourcross could generate enough electricity to power more than 5,500 homes, therefore making a contribution to renewable energy targets and helping to tackle climate change.

Once we have undertaken thorough consultation with the local community, we anticipate submitting a planning application to Torridge District Council in spring 2012.

Why Harbourcross?

The Harbourcross site was assessed for its suitability as a site for five wind turbines against a number of criteria, including:

• • • • • •

Wind resource Land availability Local planning policy Aviation Access and transport infrastructure Environmental impacts

No significant environmental impacts have been identified, and there is an extremely good wind resource at the site. A wind mast has been up on the site since spring 2011, with permission to remain up to December 2013, helping us to optimise our final turbine selection for the site.

Harbourcross

Energy Proposal Harbourcross and the local community Working in partnership with the communities that host our wind farms is crucial to us – we want to ensure that the communities we work with benefit from our developments.

If a successful planning decision is obtained at Harbourcross, we will set up a community benefit fund of around £20,000 to £30,000 per year, for the operational life of the wind farm (25 to 30 years). The community can manage this fund and decide exactly how it is spent so that it benefits all local people.

The UK has signed up to the EU Renewable Energy Directive which sets a target of 15% of energy consumption in 2020 to be from renewable sources.

The UK National Renewable Energy Action Plan estimates that in order to meet this target, 31% of electricity will have to be generated from renewable sources. Wind energy is a secure and reliable fuel source – making the UK less dependent on importing fuel from other countries, and it helps reduce the UK’s carbon emissions.

We are always open to and welcome constructive and realistic suggestions about how the fund could be spent. If you have any ideas, please do get in touch at harbourcross@windventures.co.uk.

Why do we need wind energy?

Across the globe it is widely acknowledged that we urgently need to tackle the causes of climate change.

One of the ways we can do this is by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels for energy production, because burning fossil fuels releases carbon which contributes to climate change. Wind energy cannot replace all of our energy needs – but it can be an important contributor.

Illustrative purposes only.

www.windventures.co.uk

Wind energy your questions answered Do wind turbines reduce nearby house prices?

There is no clear relationship between the proximity of wind turbines and property prices.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors conducted a survey in 2007 that looked at the potential impact of wind turbines on house prices. It concluded that “proximity to a wind farm simply was not an issue”. Similar results have been found in Scotland and in the USA. Are wind turbines noisy?

Wind turbines are not noisy. The evolution of wind farm technology over the past decade has rendered mechanical noise from turbines almost undetectable with the main sound being the aerodynamic swoosh of the blades passing the tower. There are strict guidelines on wind turbines and noise emissions to minimise noise impacts on communities hosting wind farms.

Why don’t we put all wind farms out to sea?

We will need a mix of both onshore and offshore wind energy to meet the UK’s challenging targets on climate change. At present, onshore wind is more economical than development offshore.

Furthermore, offshore wind farms take longer to develop and are more expensive to operate as the sea is inherently a more hostile environment.

How much of the time do wind turbines produce electricity? Are they efficient?

A modern wind turbine typically produces electricity 70-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs dependent on wind speed. Over the course of a year, it will generate about 30% of the theoretical maximum output. This is known as its load factor. Load factor is not a measure of efficiency. The load factor of conventional power stations is on average 50%. However, wind farms do not generate particulate or gaseous emissions, or waste during operations.

www.windventures.co.uk

Illustrative purposes only.

Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about the Harbourcross wind energy proposal, please do get in touch. You can contact us at: Email: harbourcross@windventures.co.uk Post: FREEPOST

Harbourcross Wind Energy Proposal Web: www.windventures.co.uk/projects harbourcross.html