scud8

iTrader: (1)

Our local county council have applied to themselves for planning permission to erect a wind turbine in the school across the road from us. It is 24m high with a turbine diameter of 10m and they are planning 24x365 operation so they can sell surplus electricity back to the grid.

I've looked at the plans today and it looks like it will be at most 300m from us, but only just over 100m from some houses on our estate. Of course the CC have ignore the DTI and not provided any noise projections with the application, and the manufacturers web site does not quote figures, so I have chased to get some information. In the mean time, does anyone on here have any experience of noise nuisance from wind turbines?

From a bit of web browsing it sounds like 300m is the minimum distance before the noise levels are down to the DTI guidance of 35-40 dBA (based on 100+ dBA at source) - the DTI web site, a Danish department of Environment web site referenced by DTI (true - I had to do a double take!) and even the renewables industry association web-site (REF) all seem agreed on this. My rudimentary Physics says that a 60dBA drop would occur at 1024 times the distance - which implies their 'at source' measurement is taken at 25cm or so.

Crazy Chick

They're VERY big.

David Lock

Yes there are peeps on here who know about turbines. Not me but would be interested in outcome.

Example thread here but not noise related.

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...light=turbines

P1Fanatic

Theres a massive one gone up in reading right next to work. Massive thing but cant say Ive ever heard any noise from it and I must be closer than 300m.

Simon.

mart360

I used to go past sites in germany where they were prevalant.

they generate noise!

not a high harmonic, but a low pressure sweep, when sveral are running it gets noticeable.

ask your council what the output will be, where is it going, and what are the electricitys minimum take ups ..

a well known compny i used to work for did the same, using a fairly large turbine..

the local electricity company wouldnt take the stuff, as it wasnt enough!

also ask who is paying for it, maintinence and servicing costs, along with protection from local vandals.

raise an objection, for noise regs, cite there own noise abatement policys.

Mart

IWatkins

Problem with that one in Reading (drove past on M4 the other day and did double take, hadn't been down there for several months) is that it is right next to the motorway and in office/industrial space. You'll never hear it.

The problems many report with noise is in rural areas where you can hear a mouse fart at night. All sorts of stories of very low frequency rumbles that although not at all loud are bloody irritating nonetheless.

I remember some work done that thought this was due to vortex shedding from the blade tips. I see some of the more modern systems have blades with recurved tips. You'll also see new blades with small fins along the back of the blade near the hub, supposedly to reduce the risk of a stall at low wind speeds which is thought to be another source of low frequency noise, i.e. as the blade approaches stall speed near the hub but the outer blade is still "flying" OK.

Bottom line, you won't know if the noise will be a problem until it is installed, late at night when it is quiet and on a warm night when you have all the windows open. From the sound of what you are saying, I think it is a daft place to install a wind turbine, urban areas are terrible for good laminar wind flow, which you need for efficient turbine use.

Not much help, but I would oppose it. Much better places to install these things, and they should be built big and in farms. No point doing the "green" thing unless you are going to do it properly. IMHO of course.

Ian

willfal

we have a few....



heres one going up,



you might get some more info here, http://www.caithness.org/windfarms/causeymire/index.htm

there was alot of protest about these things where we live.

Will

willfal

btw, the guys in the local area that errected these things were being paid really silly money... i.e not short of 5K per week, also took along time to get them all up.

very dangerous job.

Will

Moral, accept it, get a job errecting them and buy yourself something silly like a r34 gtr.

Johnny E

Jeez, I never realised how big they are as have only seen them at a distance. Wouldn't want one (or more) of them big mutthas in my back garden.

bluenosewrx

iTrader: (2)

The only thing that i know about them is that i 'm sure i read somewhere that they need wind to operate, don't quote me on this though. Lol.

Mac

De Warrenne

we build them, you can make some good money if you've got £1m or so to spare. Noise shouldn't be a problem if you're more than 50m away with the new ones, and yes, the one on the m4 at reading is a whopper.

astraboy

The only problem with the one in reading is that everybody slows down on the M4 to look at it!
astraboy.

P1Fanatic

Especially when you see a large flock of birds heading for it when its on full pelt - evil I know

Simon.

Billbill

Doing the 500 feet tall versions in the States now. Midst the 30 metre towers.
Wish I had invested in Wind Generator companies now.

Billbill

Soon we will have wind generators on the magnetic elevator, anchored to the earth and extending up to a geosynchronous satellite. They will chase the jet stream around and produce immense amounts of power.

Technology is growing in leaps and bounds. Higher and higher!

Kevin Groat

Best place to stick them is a windy place - doesn't get much windier than here.

http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/pages...rld_record.htm

Forecast for tomorrow -

Outlook for 12 hours from 1800 on Tuesday 10 January 2006
Wind (KT): SSE 25 gusts 35-40 KT veering SSW 30-35 gusts 45-
50 KT by 2100 freshening 40-45 gusts 60 KT by midnight then
veering SW 30 gusts 45 KT by 0600.

And that's a fairly typical forecast for this time of year....

brihoppy

sounds interesting...this a product of your imagination or do you have some gen on it...?

brihoppy

btw...will these things become as common as electrickery pylons...?! weve lived with them for years now even though i know some people are still against them...especially if theyre being built in their back gardens...!!!

Mark Miwurdz

Interesting point. I once heard it said during a debate between the pros and antis that the CO2 produced during the manufacture of a wind turbine will never be offset by the same during its lifetime.

Urban myth or not?

Cheers
Kav

mart360

Quick way to focus interest locally,

ask your council where is the money comming from, and what other needs are been neglected.

Its the january -march splurge, councils have surplus cash from the gov, so rather than have there budget cut next year for being efficient (ha) they slurge money on uselles projects and all the minor repairs to blow away the cash. come april .. oh look weve run out of money, we need more ()

these things are seriously big, and generate a a serious wind sweep moise, wont belong before compo direct submit claims for noise stress...


in germany they paint them to blend with the natural landscape, green base, blending out to a sky blue,

what will the uk,s be ?? battleship grey ot graffiti to make it natural.

Mart