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FAQs

Twenty frequently asked questions

1. What are wind turbines made of?
Wind turbines consist of a tower; a unit on top of the tower called a "nacelle", which contains the gearbox, the generator and the control systems; a rotor hub; and three blades.
2. Why are turbines white?
In bright sunshine, turbines appear white but are actually usually painted light grey because this colour is most inconspicuous in typical British daylight. The paint finish is matt to reduce the reflected light.
3. How do wind turbines work?
  • The rotor blades catch the wind’s energy, which makes the rotor turn.
  • The rotor’s energy is transferred to the generator via a gearbox, which increases the rotational speed.
  • In the generator, magnetic induction converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy.
  • Electricity is generated at 690 V. The transformer in the base of the tower transforms it up to 33 kV.
  • Electricity is distributed to the substation where it is transformed up to 132 kV before being put into the national grid for distribution to homes and businesses.
4. How strong does the wind have to be for the turbines to work?

Wind turbines start operating at wind speeds of around 3 m/s (around seven miles per hour) and reach maximum power output at 15 m/s (about 33 miles per hour). At wind speeds over 25 m/s (over 50 miles per hour or Beaufort force 10 – storm), they automatically shut down.

To be commercially viable, wind farms are generally required to be located in areas that have an average wind speed of at least 6.5 m/s.
5. Where does the electricity from wind farms go?
The electricity generated by the turbines is fed into the onsite substation and transformed for distribution on the local grid network. Once on the grid, the electricity is used in homes, factories and offices near the wind farm or further afield.
6. Does this mean you’ll build new power lines?
Wind farms in remote locations often require the erection of overhead power lines. At Broughton Lodge, this is not necessary. Connection to the local distribution network can be achieved through the installation of underground cables.
7. How many households’ demands for electricity can a wind turbine meet?
On average, a 2-MW wind turbine with a sufficient wind resource can generate enough electricity to meet the needs of up to 1000 households.
8. How long does it take to pay back the energy used for the production and installation of wind turbines?
Depending on factors such as the local wind resource and the type of turbine used, the typical payback period is 3–10 months
9. How many tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year are offset by a wind turbine?
Using a methodology prescribed by the British Wind Energy Association, it is calculated that the Broughton Lodge development will save between 8,751 and 20,719 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
10. Why can’t we put all turbines out at sea?
If the government’s targets are to be achieved, it is important that we secure a mix of renewable energy sources that include both onshore and offshore wind farms. Although several offshore projects have been completed and more are planned, building offshore is more difficult and expensive than building on land owing to the variable nature of the seabed and the volatile weather conditions at sea.
11. How noisy are wind turbines?
Virtually everything with moving parts creates sound, and wind turbines are no exception. Nevertheless, it is possible to stand underneath a wind turbine and conduct a normal conversation without raising your voice to be heard. At Broughton Lodge, the turbines have been sited so as to ensure that the noise produced by the turbines and experienced at nearby residential properties will be well within acceptable limits, as specified in national guidance and legislation. If we obtain planning permission, the local council will impose planning conditions that specify strict noise limits that cannot be exceeded.
12. What about the impact on my TV signal?
We consult with radio communication companies as part of the wind-farm design process to ensure that any possible difficulty relating to television reception is resolved as far as practicable before the wind farm becomes operable. Should television reception problems occur, these are usually easily and quickly rectified at our cost. The council can ensure that this happens through the imposition of a condition in the planning permission.
13. Are turbines safe?
Wind energy is one of the safest energy technologies. No member of the public has ever been injured by wind energy or wind turbines anywhere in the world – bearing in mind that there are now more than 50,000 turbines operational worldwide.
14. Do birds fly into them?
The danger to birds caused by wind turbines is not generally considered to be a major concern by the RSPB. The society generally supports the production of wind energy as part of tackling climate change. We have consulted with the RSPB and Natural England as part of this wind-farm design to minimise the risks to birds. Sadly, there may be isolated incidents, in a similar way that birds sometimes die from flying into power lines.
15. Do they frighten animals?
Livestock, including horses, graze quite happily around wind turbines. However, some horses may be startled by turbines when first encountering them. The British Horse Society provides guidelines on the appropriate distance between turbines and bridleways to minimise the risk to horses. These guidelines have been respected in the design of Broughton Lodge.
16. How long will the wind farm take to build?
The time required for a wind farm to be built varies according to its size and complexity. At Broughton Lodge, we anticipate an eight-month construction period.
17. How many jobs will be created?
The number of jobs created depends on the size and complexity of the wind-farm project. At Broughton Lodge, we anticipate that 20 construction workers will be employed in the construction of the wind farm. These workers are expected to include local contractors. There may be a small but positive, indirect economic effect on local shops, cafes and hotels, for example.
18. How long do wind turbines last?
A wind turbine generally lasts 20–25 years. During this time, some parts may need replacing.
19. What about decommissioning?
The way in which a wind farm is decommissioned is controlled by the local planning authority through a condition imposed in the original planning permission. Such conditions generally require all visible traces of the wind farm to be removed.
20. What about community benefits?
Peel Energy has created a Community Benefit Fund, which can be used to fund a single community project or several projects. Rather than impose our views, we would like to know how the community wishes to use the funds. We will be discussing this with Allerdale Borough Council and Broughton Moor and Broughton parish councils over the coming months, and we are keen to hear your views too.