PROPOSED WINDFARM - SOME MORE BACKGROUND

These provided some information but further investigation has unearthed the following facts:-

WHY WIND FARMS?

• The government aims for 10% of electricity production in the UK to be from renewable resources by the year 2010. These include water, wind and Solar energy.
• Part of our electricity bill includes a levy to fund developments of this kind.
• This Scottish Renewables Order (SRO) provides a guaranteed price to electricity producers for fifteen years, which is why RES and other companies are keen to win contracts.

WHY MEIKLE CAREWE?

• Because the wind speed is currently right.
• Because the landowner is understandably keen on the substantial annual rental.
• Because it is near to a road and power line, which minimises costs for the developer.

HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY

• Meikle Carewe is 800 feet above sea level and the Wind Farm site would cover nearly 2 miles right along the ridge.
• Each wind turbine would be 256 feet high , OVER 5 TIMES higher than Cookney Church
• Even the developer admits that the wind generators would be seen from well north of the upper parts of Aberdeen city, and much of Deeside, Kincardine and the Mearns.
• Anyone who can see this hill from their house would see these towers sticking up over 200 feet above the skyline.

PROXIMITY TO HOUSES

• There are proposals that wind generators must be at least 10 rotor diameters away from housing i.e. 610 yds (560m).
• The nearest home will be only just over this, with a substantial number within two miles.
• Consider this in comparison to existing and much smaller wind turbines at Hagshaw Hill in Lanarkshire and Novar above Conon Bridge, which are far from any dwellings.
• In Wales very strict noise limits are to be set for all houses within 1 mile of a site, as a result of past experience.
• Near one site, also in Wales, television reception was severely affected.

HOUSE VALUES

• Local surveyors state that radio masts and electricity pylons affect house prices substantially and in England there is evidence that wind farms have had the same effect.

NOISE

• There is no definitive method of predicting noise levels, as there are many variables to take into account.
• This noise can be a penetrating sound with regular thumps, it has been described elsewhere as sounding like an old boot in a tumble dryer. It could be present any of the 24 hours in a day, and which could start up at any time of the day or night.

ELECTRICTY OUTPUT

• These fourteen generators (at an estimated efficiency of 30%) will produce 37 million- kilowatt hours each year.
• RES state that this will supply Newtonhill, Portlethen, Stonehaven and Inverbervie, BUT that would be HOUSES ONLY not a single shop, office, factory, hospital, street light etc which could nearly treble the amount needed. Furthermore, wind generators do not operate in calm conditions and are shut down in high winds, so our guaranteed supply would still come from existing conventional power stations.
• In 1998 750 wind generators in the UK provided only 0.2% of our electricity supply, so between 15,000 and 20,000 wind turbines of this size would be needed to produce 10% of our electricity needs at present levels.
• Wind Farms will never replace large power stations, only supplement them in a very small way.
• SCOTLAND ALREADY PRODUCES MORE POWER THAN IT NEEDS AND CONTINUOUSLY EXPORTS POWER TO ENGLAND & WALES.
• Hydropower - a renewable - already accounts for about 18% of Scotland's electricity.
• PETERHEAD POWER STATION (MAINLY GAS FIRED) PRODUCES IN 3 ½ DAYS WHAT THE PROPOSED WIND FARM MIGHT PRODUCE IN A YEAR.

SAVINGS IN INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS

• RES estimate that this wind -farm would save about 31,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, comparing it to coal fired stations. (BUT gas fired power stations produce under half the emissions of coal fired).
• This amounts to a reduction of around 0.02% of total UK carbon dioxide emissions of 160 Million tonnes per year. On the other hand if each UK household replaced one ordinary light bulb with a low energy one, 1.6 million tonnes per year would be saved.

LOCAL BENEFIT

• After construction one person will be employed for maintenance, with others visiting (occasionally).
• This wind farm could not give a constant electricity supply.
• It would NOT reduce prices for local customers (or any others).

OVERSEAS

• Sweden, Holland and Germany - seen as 'green' nations - have either cut or eliminated their subsidy for wind and renewable energy.
• Wind generators in Europe (and America) have been abandoned due to mechanical failure, noise, cost of repairs etc.

WILDLIFE

• It is likely that there would be some displacement of deer, foxes, raptors etc. from the site, and operating wind farms certainly kill birds in flight.

This sheet was produced by the Meikle Carewe Windfarm Action Group. Information supplied by North Kincardineshire Rural Community Council, McWAG members and others for whose assistance we are very grateful.

Whilst every effort was made to ensure the accuracy and validity of information contained within the web site, it is possible for mistakes to have been made. We apologise if indeed there are any and please notify us with relevant details.