Projects

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, generator and control systems; and a rotor hub and three blades.

2.	Why are turbines white?
	In bright sunshine turbines appear white but are actually painted light grey because this colour is the most inconspicuous in typical British daylight. The paint finish is matt to reduce reflected light.

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 kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Electricity is generated at 690 volts. The transformer in the base of the tower transforms the electricity up to 33,000 volts.
Electricity is then distributed to the substation where it is further transformed up to 132,000 volts before being connected into the national grid for distribution to homes and businesses.

How strong does the wind have to be for the turbines to work?

Wind turbines start operating at wind speeds of around 3m/s; around seven miles per hour and reach maximum power output at 15m/s (about 33 miles per hour). At high wind speeds over 25m/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 6.5m/s.

5.	Where does the electricity from wind farms go?
	The electricity generated by the turbines is fed into the on-site 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 will build new power lines?
	Wind farms in remote locations often require the erection of overhead power lines. At Frodsham this is not necessary. Connection to the local distribution network can be achieved through the installation of underground cables.

7.	How many households’ electricity needs can a wind turbine meet?
	On average, a 2MW wind turbine with sufficient wind resource can generate enough electricity to meet the needs of up to 1,142 households.

8.	How long does it take to pay back the energy used for the production/installation of wind turbines?
	Depending on factors such as the local wind resource and type of turbine used, the typical payback period is three to ten months.

9.	How many tonnes of CO2 emissions per year are offset by a wind turbine?
	Using a methodology vetted by the Advertising Standards Agency we have calculated that the Frodsham development will save between 52,750 and 64,156 tonnes of CO2 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 includes onshore and offshore wind farms. While a number of 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 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 Frodsham the turbines have been sited so as to ensure that the noise produced by the turbines and experienced at nearby residential properties is well within acceptable limits, as specified in national guidance and legislation. If we obtain planning permission the local planning authority (LPA) will impose planning conditions that specify strict noise limits that cannot be exceeded.

12.

What about 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 LPA 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 in the world – bearing in mind that there are now more than 50,000 turbines operational worldwide.

14.

Do birds fly into turbines?

Danger to birds caused by wind turbines is not a major concern of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (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 risks to birds. Sadly, there may be isolated incidents, in a similar way that birds sometimes die from flying into power lines.

15.	Do the turbines frighten animals?
	Livestock including horses graze quite happily around wind turbines, although 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 risk to horses. These guidelines have been respected in the design of Frodsham wind farm.

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 Frodsham we anticipate an 18-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 Frodsham we anticipate that up to 50 construction workers would 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 LPA 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 is proposing a community benefit fund that could be used to fund a single community project or several projects. Rather than impose our views, we would like to know how the community would wish to use the funds. We will be discussing this with Helsby, Frodsham and Elton parish councils as well as Cheshire West and Chester Council over the coming months and we are keen to hear your views too.