COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEN BROOK WIND FARM 

• How much energy will the proposed Den Brook Wind Farm generate?
• How loud are the turbines and will I hear them from my house?
• From how far away could the proposed wind farm be seen?
• Can the electricity generated be supplied directly to local houses?
• Would my television or mobile phone reception be affected?
• Could I be affected by shadow flicker from the turbines?
• Would public rights of way be affected?
• What impacts might there be on birds?
• What ecological surveys have been carried out?
• Would there be any impact on archaeology? 
• Would there be any impact on hydrology?

How much energy will the proposed Den Brook Wind Farm generate?

According to our conservative estimates, the annual production of the proposed Den Brook wind farm will be sufficient to meet the average annual electricity demand of 10,000-13,000 homes (49%-65% of Devon's power consumption). However, it should be noted that future changes in the power generating mix and fuel costs in the UK over the life of the wind farm mean this figure may change over time.

How loud are the turbines and will I hear them from my house?

Wind turbines are not as noisy as you might think. You can stand right underneath a modern turbine and still hold a conversation without raising your voice. We follow rigorous and independent noise standards when designing our projects and we would not locate a turbine where it could cause statutory noise nuisance to local residents. RES has sited all the Den Brook turbines a conservative 700m from residential properties in order to ensure noise nuisance is insignificant. This aside, wind farms are subject to strict planning conditions that monitor noise levels to guarantee that they never exceed recommended levels.

The assessment of the acoustic noise impact of the proposed Den Brook wind farm on nearby properties has been made based on the recommendations specified in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) publication "The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms".

The DTI Guidelines recommend that the allowable wind farm noise limit should be based on the prevailing background noise level, except where the background noise level falls very low, in which case the limit should be fixed at an absolute level. A higher noise level is permissible during night-time hours than during day-time ones, as it is assumed that residents would be indoors.

The detailed noise assessment carried out for the purpose of the Environmental Impact Assessment will includes predicted noise levels at all houses near to the site, and it confirms that these are within both quiet waking hours and night-time noise limits at all considered wind speeds. Therefore, the proposed wind farm will comply fully with the relevant guidance on wind farm noise. More information on the noise assessments will be included in the Environmental Statement.

As part of our Landscape and Visual Assessment, our consultants have produced 'zones of visual influence' - these are colour-coded maps, which show exactly where the wind farm can be seen from, as well as any cumulative impacts from other structures in the area.

Although the wind farm would be visible from a long distance in some directions in certain weather conditions, small structures and features such as buildings, hedgerows and trees significantly reduce visibility even within those areas where there is a theoretical view.

There are a number of arguments put forward in opposition to wind farms, but RES experience is that the key underlying objection of most people is the visual impact. Some people just don't like the look of them, which none of the country's wind supporters are ever likely to change. But equally, many people feel that these structures are elegant and aesthetically pleasing and confirm a positive statement of a commitment to sustainability, while others will be indifferent to their presence.

A commonly asked question is, 'Why are wind turbines painted that shade of grey?' The answer is that this has been found to be the least intrusive colour that they could be painted - it unfortunately is as close as possible to the average shade of the English sky!

Examples of photomontages depicting views of the wind farm from various sites in the area can be found here.

The energy generated from the proposed wind farm would be supplied into the local distribution network. The grid has the capacity to make use of the variable nature of the wind and a direct connection to the local grid is the most efficient way of using the power generated.

As with any large structure, wind turbines can potentially interfere with communication systems that use electromagnetic waves as the transmission medium (e.g. television, radio or microwave links). Any effect depends on the turbine design and location and the fact that wind turbine rotors are not stationary.

It is possible for wind turbines to cause interference to local TV reception either by obstruction or by reflection. Viewers situated forward of the wind farm (where the aerial is pointing through the turbines) may have their signals periodically obstructed by the rotating blades causing a 'scattering' of the signal. Viewers situated to the side may experience periodic reflections from the blades, giving rise to a delayed image or 'ghost'.

RES has gained considerable experience in this area and, in practice, problems are only experienced when the receiver already has a poor signal. Generally TV interference problems are predictable and normally there is a range of solutions available.

RES has performed a full technical assessment of any potential local TV interference that might occur as a result of the wind farm. The results show that only limited interference to a few locations in close proximity to the wind farm may be experienced, but as this is a conservative assessment it is likely that no interference will be experienced at all. Any isolated cases of interference are likely to have ready solutions and will be easily rectified by RES.

In certain weather conditions and with the sun in certain positions in the sky, the rotating wind turbine blades can cast a moving shadow on the surrounding countryside that cause a flickering effect and could affect residents living nearby. Whether problems due to shadow flicker will occur is dependent on the size of the turbines, the distance from the turbines to the shadow receptors, the angle and intensity of the sun and meteorological circumstances.

RES has sited all the Den Brook turbines at least 700m from residential properties in order to minimise any occurrence of shadow flicker. The amount of shadow flicker likely to be experienced by the households close to Den Brook Wind Farm has been calculated as very limited and the results have been included in the Environmental Statement.

RES has considered the amenity of walkers and riders from the very early stages of the site investigation. There are no public rights of way within the wind farm site.

There has been considerable media interest in the effects of wind turbines on birds over the years, with many conflicting reports. Most negative reports have been written about a few isolated cases where wind farms have been built in close proximity to large numbers of sensitive species, particularly in Spain and US.

An independent ornithological consultant has surveyed and assessed the Den Brook Wind Farm site to address potential effects on the bird population through habitat loss, disturbance and collision risk. Of the species recorded in the study area, none will experience any significant risk of disturbance or collision with the proposed wind farm. We are confident that the project will not be detrimental to the ornithological interest of the area, and may in fact benefit it through habitat enhancement.

RES has commissioned extensive ecological surveys to address any potential impact on protected species such as bats and badgers, water vole and other flora and fauna. Bat surveys using specialised bat detectors were able to determine flight paths and species on and around the site, and the details of such species have been mapped and statutory guidelines observed. Mitigation measures have been considered from the outset of site design in order to minimise any potential impacts. It is concluded that with such mitigation, no long-term significant effects will be experience by the ecological interests on site.

Extensive desk studies and field surveys have established the locations of likely archaeological features on and around the site. RES has designed the wind farm so as to avoid directly impacting on areas that are potential sites of archaeological interest. An independent archaeologist would be on hand to record all finds when appropriate during the construction process.

Baseline surveys enabled us to design the wind farm around the hydrological features within the site. Appropriate buffers have been placed with regard to water courses in order to prevent any adverse impacts occurring.

We have established mitigation measures to reduce any potential effects from the construction phase, these include the use of appropriate roadside drainage and pollution prevention procedures under RES’s Environmental Management System.

For more information about wind power, please click here....