Wind farm

A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant,^[1] is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area. Wind farms can be either onshore or offshore.

The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm in California, United States.

The Gansu Wind Farm in China is the largest wind farm in the world, with a target capacity of 20,000 MW by 2020.

Many of the largest operational onshore wind farms are located in China, India, and the United States. For example, the largest wind farm in the world, Gansu Wind Farm in China had a capacity of over 6,000 MW by 2012,^[2] with a goal of 20,000 MW^[3] by 2020.^[4] As of December 2020, the 1218 MW Hornsea Wind Farm in the UK is the largest offshore wind farm in the world.^[5] Individual wind turbine designs continue to increase in power, resulting in fewer turbines being needed for the same total output.

Because they require no fuel, wind farms have less impact on the environment than many other forms of power generation and are often referred to as a good source of green energy. Wind farms have, however, been criticised for their visual impact and impact on the landscape. Typically they need to be spread over more land than other power stations and need to be built in wild and rural areas, which can lead to "industrialization of the countryside", habitat loss, and a drop in tourism. Some critics claim that wind farms have adverse health effects, but most researchers consider these claims to be pseudoscience (see wind turbine syndrome). Wind farms can interfere with radar, although in most cases, according to the US Department of Energy, "siting and other mitigations have resolved conflicts and allowed wind projects to co-exist effectively with radar".^[6]

Siting considerations

Location is critical to the overall success of a wind farm. Additional conditions contributing to a successful wind farm location include: wind conditions, access to electric transmission, physical access, and local electricity prices.

Wind conditions

 

Map of available wind power over the United States. Colour codes indicate wind power density class

The faster the average wind speed, the more electricity the wind turbine will generate, so faster winds are generally economically better for wind farm developments.^[7] The balancing factor is that strong gusts and high turbulence require stronger more expensive turbines, otherwise there is a risk of damage. The average power in the wind is not proportional to the average wind speed. For this reason, the ideal wind conditions would be strong but consistent winds with low turbulence coming from a single direction.

Mountain passes are ideal locations for wind farms under these conditions. Mountain passes channel wind, blocked by mountains, through a tunnel like pass towards areas of lower pressure and flatter land.^[8] Passes used for wind farms like the San Gorgonio Pass and Altamont Pass are known for their abundant wind resource capacity and capability for large-scale wind farms. These types of passes were the first places in the 1980s to have heavily invested large-scale wind farms after approval for wind energy development by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. From these wind farms, developers learned a lot about turbulence and crowding effects of large-scale wind projects, which were previously unresearched, in the U.S. due to the lack of operational wind farms large enough to conduct these types of studies.^[9]

Usually sites are screened on the basis of a wind atlas, and validated with on-site wind measurements via long term or permanent meteorological-tower data using anemometers and wind vanes. Meteorological wind data alone is usually not sufficient for accurate siting of a large wind power project. Collection of site specific data for wind speed and direction is crucial to determining site potential^[10][11] in order to finance the project.^[12] Local winds are often monitored for a year or more, detailed wind maps are constructed, along with rigorous grid capability studies conducted, before any wind generators are installed.

The wind blows faster at higher altitudes because of the reduced influence of drag. The increase in velocity with altitude is most dramatic near the surface and is affected by topography, surface roughness, and upwind obstacles such as trees or buildings. At altitudes of thousands of feet/hundreds of metres above sea level, the power in the wind decreases proportional to the decrease in air density.^[13]

Electricity grid considerations

 

Part of the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, Oregon, United States with a turbine under construction

Often in heavily saturated energy markets, the first step in site selection for large-scale wind projects, before wind resource data collection, is finding areas with adequate available transfer capability (ATC). ATC is the measure of the remaining capacity in a transmission system available for further integration of two interconnected areas without significant upgrades to existing transmission lines and substations. Significant equipment upgrades have substantial costs, potentially undermining the viability of a project within a location, regardless of wind resource availability.^[14] Once a list of capable areas is constructed, the list is refined based on long term wind measurements, among other environmental or technical limiting factors such as proximity to load and land procurement.

Many independent system operators (ISOs) in the United States such as the California ISO and Midcontinent ISO use interconnection request queues to allow developers to propose a new generation for a specific given area and grid interconnection.^[15] These request queues have both deposit costs at the time of request and ongoing costs for the studies the ISO will make for up to years after the request was submitted to ascertain the viability of the interconnection due to factors such as ATC.^[16] Larger corporations who can afford to bid the most queues will most likely have market power as to which sites with the most resource and opportunity get to be developed upon. After the deadline to request a place in the queue has passed, many firms will withdraw their requests after gauging the competition in order to make back some of the deposit for each request that is determined too risky in comparison to other larger firms' requests.

Design

Turbine spacing

A major factor in wind-farm design is the spacing between the turbines, both laterally and axially (with respect to the prevailing winds). The closer the turbines are together, the more the upwind turbines block wind from their rear neighbors (wake effect). However, spacing turbines far apart increases the costs of roads and cables, and raises the amount of land needed to install a specific capacity of turbines. As a result of these factors, turbine spacing varies by site. Generally speaking, manufacturers require a minimum of 3.5 times the turbine's rotor diameter of clear space between each adjacent turbine's respective spatial envelope.

Closer spacing is possible depending on the turbine model, the conditions at the site, and how the site will be operated.^{[citation needed]} Airflows slow down as they approach an obstacle, known as the 'blockage effect', reducing available wind power by 2% for the turbines in front of other turbines.^[17][18]

Onshore

See also: List of onshore wind farms and Lists of wind farms by country

 

An aerial view of Whitelee Wind Farm, the largest onshore wind farm in the UK and second-largest in Europe

 

Roscoe Wind Farm An onshore wind farm in West Texas

The capacity of the world's first wind farm was 0.6 MW, produced by 20 wind turbines rated at 30 kilowatts each, installed on the shoulder of Crotched Mountain in southern New Hampshire in December 1980.^[19][20]

World's largest onshore wind farms

Wind farm	Present capacity (MW)	Country	Notes
Gansu Wind Farm	8,000	China	^[2]^[21]^[22]^[23] ^[24]
Zhang Jiakou	3,000	China	^[21]
Urat Zhongqi, Bayannur City	2,100	China	^[21]
Markbygden Wind Farm	2,000	Sweden
Hami Wind Farm	2,000	China	^[21]
Damao Qi, Baotou City	1,600	China	^[21]
Muppandal Wind farm	1,500	India	^[25]
Alta (Oak Creek-Mojave)	1,320	United States	^[26]
Complexo Eólico Lagoa dos Ventos	1,112	Brazil	^[27]
Jaisalmer Wind Park	1,064	India
Complexo Eólico Rio do Vento	1,038	Brazil	^[28]
Hongshagang, Town, Minqin County	1,000	China	^[21]
Kailu, Tongliao	1,000	China	^[21]
Chengde	1,000	China	^[21]
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm	845	United States
Meadow Lake Wind Farm	801	United States	^[29]^[30]
Roscoe Wind Farm	781.5	United States	^[31]
Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center	735.5	United States	^[32]^[33]
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm	662.5	United States	^[32]^[33]
Fântânele-Cogealac Wind Farm	600	Romania	^[34]
Fowler Ridge Wind Farm	599.8	United States	^[29]
Sweetwater Wind Farm	585.3	United States	^[32]
Complexo Eólico Chuí	582	Brazil	^[35]
Zarafara Wind Farm	545	Egypt	^[36]
Whitelee Wind Farm	539	United Kingdom
Buffalo Gap Wind Farm	523.3	United States	^[32]^[33]
Dabancheng Wind Farm	500	China	^[37]
Panther Creek Wind Farm	458	United States	^[33]

Onshore turbine installations in hilly or mountainous regions tend to be on ridges generally three kilometres or more inland from the nearest shoreline. This is done to exploit the topographic acceleration as the wind accelerates over a ridge. The additional wind speeds gained in this way can increase energy produced because more wind goes through the turbines. The exact position of each turbine matters, because a difference of 30 metre could potentially double output. This careful placement is referred to as 'micro-siting'.

Offshore

See also: Offshore wind power, List of offshore wind farms, and Lists of offshore wind farms by country

 

Offshore wind turbines near Copenhagen, Denmark.

Europe is the leader in offshore wind energy, with the first offshore wind farm (Vindeby) being installed in Denmark in 1991. As of 2010, there are 39 offshore wind farms in waters off Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with a combined operating capacity of 2,396 MW. More than 100 GW (or 100,000 MW) of offshore projects are proposed or under development in Europe. The European Wind Energy Association has set a target of 40 GW installed by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030.^[38]

As of 2017^[update], The Walney Wind Farm in the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 659 MW, followed by the London Array (630 MW) also in the UK.

Offshore wind turbines are less obtrusive than turbines on land, as their apparent size and noise is mitigated by distance. Because water has less surface roughness than land (especially deeper water), the average wind speed is usually considerably higher over open water. Capacity factors (utilisation rates) are considerably higher than for onshore locations.^[39]

The province of Ontario in Canada is pursuing several proposed locations in the Great Lakes, including the suspended^[40] Trillium Power Wind 1 approximately 20 km from shore and over 400 MW in size.^[41] Other Canadian projects include one on the Pacific west coast.^[42] In 2010, there were no offshore wind farms in the United States, but projects were under development in wind-rich areas of the East Coast, Great Lakes, and Pacific coast;^[38] and in late 2016 the Block Island Wind Farm was commissioned.

 

Offshore windfarms, including floating windfarms, provide a small but growing fraction of total windfarm power generation. Such power generation capacity must grow substantially to help meet the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 pathway to combat climate change.^[43]

Installation and service / maintenance of off-shore wind farms are a specific challenge for technology and economic operation of a wind farm. As of 2015^[update], there are 20 jackup vessels for lifting components, but few can lift sizes above 5MW.^[44] Service vessels have to be operated nearly 24/7 (availability higher than 80% of time) to get sufficient amortisation from the wind turbines.^{[citation needed]} Therefore, special fast service vehicles for installation (like Wind Turbine Shuttle) as well as for maintenance (including heave compensation and heave compensated working platforms to allow the service staff to enter the wind turbine also at difficult weather conditions) are required. So-called inertial and optical based Ship Stabilization and Motion Control systems (iSSMC) are used for that.

The world's 10 largest offshore wind farms

Wind farm	Capacity (MW)	Country	Turbines & model	Commissioned	Refs
Hornsea Wind Farm	1218	United Kingdom	174 x Siemens Gamesa SWT-7.0-154	2019	^[45]^[46]
Walney Wind Farm	1026	United Kingdom	102 × Siemens SWT-3.6 40 × Vestas V164 47 × Siemens Gamesa 7 MW	2018	^[47]
Triton Knoll Wind Farm	857	United Kingdom	90 × Vestas V164 9.5 MW	2021	^[48]^[49]
Jiangsu Qidong	802	China	134 × (seven different models from four domestic manufacturers)	2021	^[50]^[51]
Borssele I & II	752	Netherlands	94 × Siemens Gamesa 8MW	2020	^[52]^[53]
Borssele III & IV	731.5	Netherlands	77 × Vestas V164 9.5MW	2021	^[54]^[55]
East Anglia Array	714	United Kingdom	102 × Siemens Gamesa 7MW	2020	^[56]^[57]
London Array	630	United Kingdom	175 × Siemens Gamesa SWT-3.6-120	2013	^[58]^[59]^[60]
Kriegers Flak	605	Denmark	72 × Siemens Gamesa SWT-8.4-167	2021	^[61]^[62]
Gemini Wind Farm	600	Netherlands	150 × Siemens Gamesa SWT-4.0	2017	^[63]

Experimental and proposed wind farms

Experimental wind farms consisting of a single wind turbine for testing purposes have been built. One such installation is Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field.

Airborne wind farms have been envisaged. Such wind farms are a group of airborne wind energy systems located close to each other connected to the grid at the same point.^[64]

Wind farms consisting of diverse wind turbines have been proposed in order to efficiently use wider ranges of wind speeds. Such wind farms are proposed to be projected under two criteria: maximization of the energy produced by the farm and minimization of its costs.^[65]

By region

Australia

 

The Australian Canunda Wind Farm, South Australia at sunrise

Main article: List of wind farms in Australia

The Australian Greens have been significant supporters of Australian wind farms, however the party's previous leader Bob Brown and former leader Richard Di Natale have now both expressed concerns about environmental aspects of wind turbines, particularly the potential danger they impose for birds.^[66][67]

Brazil

Main article: Wind power in Brazil

In July 2022 Brazil reached 22 GW of installed wind power in about 750 wind farms ^[68][69] In 2021 Brazil was the 7th country in the world in terms of installed wind power (21 GW),^[70][71] and the 4th largest producer of wind energy in the world (72 TWh), behind only China, USA and Germany.^[72] The largest wind farm in the country is the Complexo eólico Lagoa dos Ventos in the State of Piauí, onshore with a current capacity of 1,000 MW being expanded to 1,500 MW.^[73]

Canada

Main article: List of wind farms in Canada

China

Main article: Wind power in China

 

The Pubnico Wind Farm taken from Beach Point, Lower East Pubnico, Nova Scotia

In just five years, China leapfrogged the rest of the world in wind energy production, going from 2,599 MW of capacity in 2006 to 62,733 MW at the end of 2011.^[74][75][76] However, the rapid growth outpaced China's infrastructure and new construction slowed significantly in 2012.^[77]

At the end of 2009, wind power in China accounted for 25.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generating capacity,^[78] and China has identified wind power as a key growth component of the country's economy.^[79] With its large land mass and long coastline, China has exceptional wind resources.^[80] Researchers from Harvard and Tsinghua University have found that China could meet all of their electricity demands from wind power by 2030.^[81]

 

Wind farm in Xinjiang, China

By the end of 2008, at least 15 Chinese companies were commercially producing wind turbines and several dozen more were producing components.^[82] Turbine sizes of 1.5 MW to 3 MW became common. Leading wind power companies in China were Goldwind, Dongfang Electric, and Sinovel^[83] along with most major foreign wind turbine manufacturers.^[84] China also increased production of small-scale wind turbines to about 80,000 turbines (80 MW) in 2008. Through all these developments, the Chinese wind industry appeared unaffected by the financial crisis of 2007–2008, according to industry observers.^[83]

According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the development of wind energy in China, in terms of scale and rhythm, is absolutely unparalleled in the world. The National People's Congress permanent committee passed a law that requires the Chinese energy companies to purchase all the electricity produced by the renewable energy sector.^[85]

Europe

Main article: Wind power in Europe

In 2011 the European Union had a total installed wind capacity of 93,957 MW. Germany had the third-largest capacity in the world (after China and the United States), with an installed capacity of 29,060 MW at the end of 2011. Spain had 21,674 MW, and Italy and France each had between 6,000 and 7,000 MW.^[86][87] By January 2014, the UK installed capacity was 10,495 MW.^[88] But energy production can be different from capacity – in 2010, Spain had the highest European wind power production with 43 TWh compared to Germany's 35 TWh.^[89] Europe's largest windfarm is the 'London Array', an off-shore wind farm in the Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom, with a current capacity of 630 MW (the world's largest off-shore wind farm). Other large wind farms in Europe include Fântânele-Cogealac Wind Farm near Constanța, Romania with 600 MW capacity,^[90][91] and Whitelee Wind Farm near Glasgow, Scotland which has a total capacity of 539 MW.

 

A wind farm in a mountainous area in Galicia, Spain

An important limiting factor of wind power is variable power generated by wind farms. In most locations the wind blows only part of the time, which means that there has to be back-up capacity of dispatchable generation capacity to cover periods that the wind is not blowing. To address this issue it has been proposed to create a "supergrid" to connect national grids together^[92] across western Europe, ranging from Denmark across the southern North Sea to England and the Celtic Sea to Ireland, and further south to France and Spain especially in Higueruela which was for some time the biggest wind farm in the world.^[93] The idea is that by the time a low pressure area has moved away from Denmark to the Baltic Sea the next low appears off the coast of Ireland. Therefore, while it is true that the wind is not blowing everywhere all of the time, it will always be blowing somewhere.

In July 2022, it became operative Seagreen, the world's deepest fixed-bottom wind farm. Located 26 miles off the Angus coastline, in Scotland, it has 114 turbines that generate 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity.^[94][95]

India

 

A wind farm overlooking Bada Bagh, India

Main article: Wind power in India

India has the fifth largest installed wind power capacity in the world.^[96] As of 31 March 2014, the installed capacity of wind power was 21136.3 MW mainly spread across Tamil Nadu state (7253 MW).^[97][98] Wind power accounts nearly 8.5% of India's total installed power generation capacity, and it generates 1.6% of the country's power.

Japan

This section is an excerpt from Wind power in Japan.[edit]

 

Turbines at the Nunobiki Plateau Wind Farm, one of the largest wind farms in Japan with 33 turbines

In Japan's electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country's electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity.^[99] As of 2020, the country had a total installed capacity of 4.2 GW.

As of 2018, government targets for wind power deployment were relatively low when compared to other countries, at 1.7% of electricity production by 2030.^[100]

In December 2020, the Japanese government announced plans to install up to 45 GW of offshore wind power by 2040.^[101]

Jordan

 

The Tafila Wind Farm in Jordan, is the first large scale wind farm in the region.

The 117 MW Tafila Wind Farm in Jordan was inaugurated in December 2015, and is the first large scale wind farm project in the region.^[102]

Morocco

Morocco has undertaken a vast wind energy program, to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country. The Moroccan Integrated Wind Energy Project, spanning over a period of 10 years with a total investment estimated at $3.25 billion, will enable the country to bring the installed capacity, from wind energy, from 280 MW in 2010 to 2000 MW in 2020.^[103][104]

Pakistan

Main article: Wind power in Pakistan

 

Jhimpir Wind Farm, Pakistan

Pakistan has wind corridors in Jhimpir, Gharo and Keti Bundar in Sindh province and is currently developing wind power plants in Jhimpir and Mirpur Sakro (District Thatta). The government of Pakistan decided to develop wind power energy sources due to problems supplying energy to the southern coastal regions of Sindh and Balochistan. The Zorlu Energy Putin Power Plant is the first wind power plant in Pakistan. The wind farm is being developed in Jhimpir, by Zorlu Energy Pakistan the local subsidiary of a Turkish company. The total cost of project is $136 million.[3] Completed in 2012, it has a total capacity of around 56MW. Fauji Fertilizer Company Energy Limited, has built a 49.5 MW wind Energy Farm at Jhimpir. Contract of supply of mechanical design was awarded to Nordex and Descon Engineering Limited. Nordex a German wind turbine manufacturer. In the end of 2011 49.6 MW will be completed. Pakistani Govt. also has issued LOI of 100 MW Wind power plant to FFCEL. Pakistani Govt. has plans to achieve electric power up to 2500 MW by the end of 2015 from wind energy to bring down energy shortage.

Currently four wind farms are operational (Fauji Fertilizer 49.5 MW (subsidiary of Fauji Foundation), Three Gorges 49.5 MW, Zorlu Energy Pakistan 56 MW, Sapphire Wind Power Co Ltd 52.6 MW) and six are under construction phase ( Master Wind Energy Ltd 52.6 MW, Sachal Energy Development Ltd 49.5 MW, Yunus Energy Ltd 49.5 MW, Gul Energy 49.5 MW, Metro Energy 49.5 MW, Tapal Energy ) and expected to achieve COD in 2017.

In Gharo wind corridor, two wind farms (Foundation Energy 1 & II each 49.5 MW) are operational while two wind farms Tenaga Generasi Ltd 49.5 MW and HydroChina Dawood Power Pvt Ltd 49.5 are under construction and expected to achieve COD in 2017.

According to a USAID report, Pakistan has the potential of producing 150,000 megawatts of wind energy, of which only the Sindh corridor can produce 40,000 megawatts.

Philippines

The Philippines has the first windfarm in Southeast Asia. Located Northern part of the countries' biggest island Luzon, alongside the seashore of Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

The wind farm uses 20 units of 70-metre (230 ft) high Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines, arranged on a single row stretching along a nine-kilometer shoreline off Bangui Bay, facing the West Philippine Sea.

Phase I of the NorthWind power project in Bangui Bay consists of 15 wind turbines, each capable of producing electricity up to a maximum capacity of 1.65 MW, for a total of 24.75 MW. The 15 on-shore turbines are spaced 326 metres (1,070 ft) apart, each 70 metres (230 ft) high, with 41 metres (135 ft) long blades, with a rotor diameter of 82 metres (269 ft) and a wind swept area of 5,281 square metres (56,840 sq ft). Phase II was completed in August 2008, and added 5 more wind turbines with the same capacity, and brought the total capacity to 33 MW. All 20 turbines describes a graceful arc reflecting the shoreline of Bangui Bay, facing the West Philippine Sea.

Adjacent municipalities of Burgos and Pagudpud followed with 50 and 27 wind turbines with a capacity of 3 MW each for a Total of 150 MW and 81 MW respectively.

Two other wind farms were built outside of Ilocos Norte, the Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal and the Mindoro Wind Farm near Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has received funding from the Asian Development Bank amounting to $300 million to invest in renewable energies. From this funding as well as $80 million from the Sri Lankan Government and $60 million from France's Agence Française de Développement, Sri Lanka is building two 100MW wind farms from 2017 due to be completed by late 2020 in Northern Sri Lanka.^[105]

South Africa

 

Gouda Wind Facility, South Africa.

Main articles: List of power stations in South Africa and List of wind farms in South Africa

As of September 2015 a number of sizable wind farms have been constructed in South Africa mostly in the Western Cape region. These include the 100 MW Sere Wind Farm and the 138 MW Gouda Wind Facility.

Most future wind farms in South Africa are earmarked for locations along the Eastern Cape coastline.^{[106][107][108]} Eskom has constructed one small scale prototype windfarm at Klipheuwel in the Western Cape and another demonstrator site is near Darling with phase 1 completed. The first commercial wind farm, Coega Wind Farm in Port Elisabeth, was developed by the Belgian company Electrawinds.

United States

 

San Gorgonio Pass wind farm, California

Main article: List of wind farms in the United States

U.S. wind power installed capacity in September 2019 exceeded 100,125 MW and supplies 6.94% of the nation's electricity.^[109] The majority of wind farms in the United States are located in the Central Plains, with slow expansion into other regions of the country.

New installations place the U.S. on a trajectory to generate 20% of the nation's electricity by 2030 from wind energy.^[110] Growth in 2008 channeled some $17 billion into the economy, positioning wind power as one of the leading sources of new power generation in the country, along with natural gas. Wind projects completed in 2008 accounted for about 42% of the entire new power-producing capacity added in the U.S. during the year.^[111]

 

Northern Iowa wind farm

Texas, with 27,036 MW of capacity, has the most installed wind power capacity of any U.S. state, followed by Iowa with 8,965 MW and Oklahoma with 8,072 MW.^[112] Iowa is the leading state in terms of wind energy accounting for nearly 40% of total energy production in 2019. The Alta Wind Energy Center (1,020 MW) in California is the nation's largest wind farm in terms of capacity. Altamont Pass Wind Farm is the largest wind farm in the U.S. in terms of the number of individual turbines.^[113]

At the end of 2019, about 114,000 people were employed in the U.S. wind industry,^[114] and GE Energy was the largest domestic wind turbine manufacturer.^[115] In 2018, US wind power provided enough electricity to power approximately 25 million homes, avoiding the emissions of 200 million tons of carbon.^[116][111]

Impact on environment and landscape

This section is an excerpt from Environmental impact of wind power.[edit]

 

Greenhouse gas emissions per energy source. Wind energy is one of the sources with the least greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Livestock grazing near a wind turbine.^[117]

The environmental impact of electricity generation from wind power is minor when compared to that of fossil fuel power.^[118] Wind turbines have some of the lowest global warming potential per unit of electricity generated: far less greenhouse gas is emitted than for the average unit of electricity, so wind power helps limit climate change.^[119] Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months.^[120]

Onshore (on-land) wind farms can have a significant visual impact and impact on the landscape.^[121] Due to a very low surface power density and spacing requirements, wind farms typically need to be spread over more land than other power stations.^[122][123] Their network of turbines, access roads, transmission lines, and substations can result in "energy sprawl";^[124] although land between the turbines and roads can still be used for agriculture.^[125][126]

Conflicts arise especially in scenic and culturally-important landscapes. Siting restrictions (such as setbacks) may be implemented to limit the impact.^[127] The land between the turbines and access roads can still be used for farming and grazing.^[125][128] They can lead to "industrialization of the countryside".^[129] Some wind farms are opposed for potentially spoiling protected scenic areas, archaeological landscapes and heritage sites.^{[130][131][132]} A report by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland concluded that wind farms harmed tourism in areas known for natural landscapes and panoramic views.^[133]

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the greatest potential impacts on wildlife of onshore wind farms,^[124] but they are small^[134] and can be mitigated if proper monitoring and mitigation strategies are implemented.^[135] The worldwide ecological impact is minimal.^[118] Thousands of birds and bats, including rare species, have been killed by wind turbine blades,^[136] as around other manmade structures, though wind turbines are responsible for far fewer bird deaths than fossil-fuel infrastructure.^[137][138] This can be mitigated with proper wildlife monitoring.^[139]

Many wind turbine blades are made of fiberglass and some only had a lifetime of 10 to 20 years.^[140] Previously, there was no market for recycling these old blades,^[141] and they were commonly disposed of in landfills.^[142] Because blades are hollow, they take up a large volume compared to their mass. Since 2019, some landfill operators have begun requiring blades to be crushed before being landfilled.^[140] Blades manufactured in the 2020s are more likely to be designed to be completely recyclable.^[142]

Wind turbines also generate noise. At a distance of 300 metres (980 ft) this may be around 45 dB, which is slightly louder than a refrigerator. At 1.5 km (1 mi) distance they become inaudible.^[143][144] There are anecdotal reports of negative health effects on people who live very close to wind turbines.^[145] Peer-reviewed research has generally not supported these claims.^{[146][147][148]} Pile-driving to construct non-floating wind farms is noisy underwater,^[149] but in operation offshore wind is much quieter than ships.^[150]

Health impact

See also: Health effects from noise

There have been multiple scientific, peer-reviewed studies into wind farm noise, which have concluded that infrasound from wind farms is not a hazard to human health and there is no verifiable evidence for 'Wind Turbine Syndrome' causing Vibroacoustic disease, although some suggest further research might still be useful.^[151][152]

In a 2009 report about "Rural Wind Farms", a Standing Committee of the Parliament of New South Wales, Australia, recommended a minimum setback of two kilometres between wind turbines and neighboring houses (which can be waived by the affected neighbor) as a precautionary approach.^[153]

A 2014 paper suggests that the 'Wind Turbine Syndrome' is mainly caused by the nocebo effect and other psychological mechanisms.^[154][155] Australian science magazine Cosmos states that although the symptoms are real for those who suffer from the condition, doctors need to first eliminate known causes (such as pre-existing cancers or thyroid disease) before reaching definitive conclusions with the caveat that new technologies often bring new, previously unknown health risks.^[156]

Effect on power grid

See also: Wind power § Electricity generation

Utility-scale wind farms must have access to transmission lines to transport energy. The wind farm developer may be obliged to install extra equipment or control systems in the wind farm to meet the technical standards set by the operator of a transmission line.^[157]

The intermittent nature of wind power can pose complications for maintaining a stable power grid when wind farms provide a large percentage of electricity in any one region.^[158]

However wind farms are more resistant to military attack than thermal power plants as many missiles are needed to destroy them not just one.^[159]

Ground radar interference

 

Wind farm interference (in yellow circle) on radar map

Wind farms can interfere with ground radar systems used for military, weather and air traffic control. The large, rapidly moving blades of the turbines can return signals to the radar that can be mistaken as an aircraft or weather pattern.^[160] Actual aircraft and weather patterns around wind farms can be accurately detected, as there is no fundamental physical constraint preventing that. But aging radar infrastructure is significantly challenged with the task.^[161][162] The US military is using wind turbines on some bases, including Barstow near the radar test facility.^[163][164]

Effects

The level of interference is a function of the signal processors used within the radar, the speed of the aircraft and the relative orientation of wind turbines/aircraft with respect to the radar. An aircraft flying above the wind farm's turning blades could become impossible to detect because the blade tips can be moving at nearly aircraft velocity. Studies are currently being performed to determine the level of this interference and will be used in future site planning.^[165] Issues include masking (shadowing), clutter (noise), and signal alteration.^[166] Radar issues have stalled as much as 10,000 MW of projects in USA.^[167]

Some very long range radars are not affected by wind farms.^[168]

Mitigation

Permanent problem solving include a non-initiation window to hide the turbines while still tracking aircraft over the wind farm, and a similar method mitigates the false returns.^[169] England's Newcastle Airport is using a short-term mitigation; to "blank" the turbines on the radar map with a software patch.^[170] Wind turbine blades using stealth technology are being developed to mitigate radar reflection problems for aviation.^{[171][172][173][174]} As well as stealth windfarms, the future development of infill radar systems could filter out the turbine interference.

A mobile radar system, the Lockheed Martin TPS-77, can distinguish between aircraft and wind turbines, and more than 170 TPS-77 radars are in use around the world.^[175]

Federal Aviation Administration advises aircraft without position-reporting technologies such as transponders to avoid flight within 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) at all altitudes from wind turbine farms.^[176]

Radio reception interference

There are also reports of negative effects on radio and television reception in wind farm communities. Potential solutions include predictive interference modelling as a component of site selection.^{[177][178][179]}

Impact on agriculture

A 2010 study found that in the immediate vicinity of wind farms, the climate is cooler during the day and slightly warmer during the night than the surrounding areas due to the turbulence generated by the blades.^[180]

In another study an analysis carried out on corn and soybean crops in the central areas of the United States noted that the microclimate generated by wind turbines improves crops as it prevents the late spring and early autumn frosts, and also reduces the action of pathogenic fungi that grow on the leaves. Even at the height of summer heat, the lowering of 2.5–3 degrees above the crops due to turbulence caused by the blades can make a difference for the cultivation of corn.^[181]

See also

•  Renewable energy portal

• Renewable energy commercialisation
• Sea breeze
• Sustainable energy
• Wave farm

References

1. Robert Gasch, Jochen Twele (editors). Wind Power Plants: Fundamentals, Design, Construction and Operation. Springer, 2011. p.11
2. Watts, Jonathan & Huang, Cecily. Winds Of Change Blow Through China As Spending On Renewable Energy Soars, The Guardian, 19 March 2012, revised on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
3. Fahey, Jonathan. In Pictures: The World's Biggest Green Energy Projects, Forbes, 9 January 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
4. Kanter, Doug. Gansu Wind Farm, Forbes. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
5. "World's largest offshore wind farm fully up and running". offshorewind.biz. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
6. "WINDExchange: Wind Turbine Radar Interference". WINDExchange. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
7. Xydis, G.; Koroneos, C.; Loizidou, M. (2009). "Exergy analysis in a wind speed prognostic model as a wind farm sitting selection tool: a case study in Southern Greece". Applied Energy. 86 (11): 2411–2420. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2009.03.017.
8. "Prevailing Winds". weather.gov. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
9. Kelly, Neil (1994). "Turbulence Descriptors for Scaling Fatigue Loading Spectra of Wind Turbine Structural Components" (PDF). NREL.
10. Wind energy-- the facts: a guide to the technology, economics and future of wind power page 32 EWEA 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
11. "WINData LLC - Wind energy engineering since 1991". WINData LLC. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
12. . 7 August 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
13. "How to calculate power output of wind". Windpower Engineering & Development. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
14. North American Electric Reliability Council. "Available Transfer Capability Definitions and Determination" (PDF). Western Energy Board.
15. CAISO (2016). "Business Practice Manual for Generator Interconnection Procedures".
16. Singh, Abhishek (6 March 2018). "Studies, Study Results, & Project Cost Responsibility" (PDF). CAISO.
17. Parnell, John (30 October 2019). "Orsted Lowers Offshore Wind Output Forecasts, Warns of Industrywide Problem". greentechmedia.com. the blockage effect of turbines deeper in the wind farm can even affect those in front it
18. Snieckus, Darius (2 November 2019). "Will wind-wake slow industry's ambitions offshore?". Recharge | Renewable energy news and articles. from the original on 5 November 2019.
19. . U.S. Department of Energy. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
20. "Wind Energy Center Alumni and the Early Wind Industry". University of Massachusetts Amherst. 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
21. "2014 China Wind Power Review and Outlook" (PDF). GWEC. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
22. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "CDM: Gansu Guazhou 300 MW Wind Power Project". Retrieved 28 May 2015.
23. "Winds of change blow through China as spending on renewable energy soars". The Guardian. 19 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
24. "The 11+ Biggest Wind Farms and Wind Power Constructions That Reduce Carbon Footprint". 15 February 2018.
25. BS Reporter (11 May 2012). "Suzlon creates country's largest wind park". Business Standard India. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
26. Terra-Gen Press Release 2 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 17 April 2012
27. "A ENEL GREEN POWER INAUGURA O PARQUE EÓLICO LAGOA DOS VENTOS, O MAIOR DA AMÉRICA DO SUL | Petronotícias". Retrieved 18 October 2023.
28. "Dois novos parques eólicos no RN produzirão energia limpa e renovável para 242 mil residências". BNDES (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 18 October 2023.
29. AWEA: U.S. Wind Energy Projects – Indiana 18 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine
30. "Meadow Lake Wind Farm Fact Sheet" (PDF). EDP Renewables North America. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
31. "Renewable Energy News".
32. "Drilling Down: What Projects Made 2008 Such a Banner Year for Wind Power?". Retrieved 28 May 2015.
33. AWEA: U.S. Wind Energy Projects – Texas 29 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
34. "The Largest Wind Farm in Europe Goes into Trial Operation" (Press release). CEZ Group. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
35. Nossa empresa - Complexo Eólico Chuí
36. Ahmed, Mohamed. "Modeling and Simulation of ICT Network Architecture for Cyber-Physical Wind Energy System". Retrieved 16 December 2018.
37. "China – Dabancheng Wind Farm now has a combined generating capacity of 500 MW". Retrieved 28 May 2015.
38. Environmental and Energy Study Institute (October 2010). "Offshore Wind Energy" (PDF).
39. Garvine, Richard; Kempton, Willett (2008). (PDF). Journal of Marine Research. 66 (6): 751–773. doi:10.1357/002224008788064540. ISSN 0022-2402. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
40. Offshore wind development hits a snag in Ontario 9 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Alberta Oil Magazine, April 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
41. Hamilton, Tyler (15 January 2008). "Ontario to approve Great Lakes wind power". The Star. Toronto. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
42. . Archived from the original on 16 May 2008.
43. Rosa-Aquino, Paola (29 August 2021). "Floating wind turbines could open up vast ocean tracts for renewable power". The Guardian. from the original on 30 August 2021.
44. Jannicke Nilsen (15 January 2016). "Slik utstyres de norske skipene for å takle nye gigant-vindmøller". Tu.no.
45. . Offshore Wind. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
46. "World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Fully Up and Running". Offshore Wind. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
47. "World's largest offshore windfarm opens off Cumbrian coast". The Guardian. 6 September 2018. from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
48. "Triton Knoll reaches turbine commissioning completion". 4c Offshore. 13 January 2022. from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
49. "Asset map | The Crown Estate". Thecrownestate. from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
50. "China's largest offshore wind farm is now fully connected to the grid". Electrek. 27 December 2021. from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
51. "Largest Offshore Wind Farm in China Fully Grid Connected". Offshorewind. 27 December 2021. from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
52. "Borssele 1&2". Ørsted. from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
53. "Ørsted fully commissions Borssele 1 & 2 offshore wind farm in Netherlands". www.power-technology.com. from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
54. "Borssele 3 and 4 - Blauwwind - Under Construction Offshore Wind Farm - Netherlands | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
55. "Borssele III and IV Offshore Wind Farm, the Netherlands". Power Technology | Energy News and Market Analysis. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
56. "Seajacks, Van Oord to Install East Anglia ONE Foundations". Offshore Wind. from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
57. "East Anglia One Now Officially Fully Operational". Offshore Wind. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
58. (PDF). londonarray.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
59. Wittrup, Sanne. First foundation 2011-03-09 at the Wayback Machine Ing.dk, 8 March 2011. Accessed: 8 March 2011.
60. . londonarray.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
61. "Kriegers Flak Offshore Wind Farm - Power Technology". Power Technology. from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
62. "About Kriegers Flak" (PDF). Vattenfall. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
63. Zaken, Ministerie van Economische (27 January 2017). "Aansluiting Windpark op zee - Gemini". rijksoverheid.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 May 2017.
64. AWES Farm DensityAirborne Wind Energy Labs, March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014. 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine
65. Romanuke, Vadim (2018). "Wind Farm Energy and Costs Optimization Algorithm under Uncertain Parameters of Wind Speed Distribution" (PDF). Studies in Informatics and Control. 27 (2): 155–164. doi:10.24846/v27i2y201803. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
66. Morton, Adam (15 July 2019). "Bob Brown rebukes Tasmanian windfarm project as the new Franklin dam". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
67. "Di Natale defends Brown". 21 July 2019.
68. Eólica supera 22 GW em operação no Brasil
69. "Brasil atinge 21 GW de capacidade instalada de energia eólica" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Valor. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
70. RENEWABLE CAPACITY STATISTICS 2021
71. "Global wind statistics" (PDF). IRENA. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
72. Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, Wind Power generation
73. Maior parque eólico do Brasil e América Latina será ampliado pela segunda vez
74. . GWEC. 12 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
75. "Release of global wind statistics: Wind Energy Powers Ahead Despite Economic Turmoil". Global Wind Energy Council.
76. (PDF). 7 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2012.
77. Liu Yiyu (5 April 2012). "Turbine makers take a breather". China Daily USA.
78. Lars Kroldrup (15 February 2010). "Gains in Global Wind Capacity Reported". The New York Times.
79. Gow, David (3 February 2009). "Wind power becomes Europe's fastest growing energy source". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
80. "Oceans of Opportunity: Harnessing Europe's largest domestic energy resource" (PDF). EWEA. September 2009. pp. 18–19.
81. Megan Treacy (16 September 2009). . Ecogeek.org. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
82. Caprotti Federico (Spring 2009). (PDF). Sustainable Development Law & Policy: 6–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
83. (PDF). REN21. 2009. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2009.
84. Adrian Lema & K. Ruby. "Towards a policy model for climate change mitigation: China's experience with wind power development and lessons for developing countries". Energy for Sustainable Development. 10 (4).
85. "CN : China ranks third in worldwide wind energy – Alternative energy news". Instalbiz.com. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
86. "Wind in power 2011 European statistics" (PDF). European Wind Energy Association. February 2012. p. 4. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
87. (PDF). Global Wind energy council. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
88. . RenewableUK. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
89. . Eolic Energy News. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
90. "Fantanele-Cogealac Wind Park". Cez Group. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
91. . Prague Daily Monitor. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
92. "A Supergrid for Europe". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
93. David Cifuentes & Víctor M. Rodríguez. (PDF). p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2007.
94. "Scotland's largest offshore windfarm starts producing electricity - and will power an enormous number of homes". 23 August 2022.
95. "Scotland's biggest offshore wind farm to generate first power". BBC News. 23 August 2022.
96. "Wind atlas of India". Retrieved 28 August 2014.
97. . Indianwindpower.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
98. . Mnre.gov.in. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
99. Watanabe, Chisaki (27 February 2014). "GE Says Japan Has More Potential to Harness Wind Power". Bloomberg.
100. "Japan behind on wind power | The Japan Times". The Japan Times. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
101. "Japan plans to install up to 45 GW of offshore wind power by 2040". Reuters. 15 December 2020.
102. . petra.gov.jo. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
103. "Invest in Morocco - Wind Energy". invest.gov.ma. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
104. "Energie Eolienne". mem.gov.ma. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
105. . Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
106. "Electrawinds". Coega Development Corporation. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
107. Swanepoel, Esmarie (11 September 2009). "Belgium company plans R1,2bn Eastern Cape wind farm". engineeringnews.co.za. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
108. . Cacadu District Municipality. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
109. (PDF). American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
110. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
111. "Wind's Environmental Record". American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
112. "AWEA 3rd quarter 2019 Public Market Report" (PDF). American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). September 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
113. Encyclopedia of Earth Altamont Pass, California
114. "American Wind Energy Association". 31 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
115. American Wind Energy Association (2009). Annual Wind Industry Report, Year Ending 2008 20 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine pp. 9–10.
116. "Wind Facts at a Glance". American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
117. Buller, Erin (11 July 2008). . Uinta County Herald. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2008."The animals don't care at all. We find cows and antelope napping in the shade of the turbines." – Mike Cadieux, site manager, Wyoming Wind Farm
118. Dunnett, Sebastian; Holland, Robert A.; Taylor, Gail; Eigenbrod, Felix (8 February 2022). "Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (6). Bibcode:2022PNAS..11904764D. doi:10.1073/pnas.2104764119. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 8832964. PMID 35101973.
119. "How Wind Energy Can Help Us Breathe Easier". Energy.gov. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
120. Begoña Guezuraga; Rudolf Zauner; Werner Pölz (January 2012). "Life cycle assessment of two different 2 MW class wind turbines". Renewable Energy. 37 (1): 37. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2011.05.008.
121. Thomas Kirchhoff (2014): Energiewende und Landschaftsästhetik. Versachlichung ästhetischer Bewertungen von Energieanlagen durch Bezugnahme auf drei intersubjektive Landschaftsideale 18 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, in: Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung 46 (1), 10–16.
122. What are the pros and cons of onshore wind energy?. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. January 2018.
123. "What are the pros and cons of onshore wind energy?". Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment. from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
124. Nathan F. Jones, Liba Pejchar, Joseph M. Kiesecker. "The Energy Footprint: How Oil, Natural Gas, and Wind Energy Affect Land for Biodiversity and the Flow of Ecosystem Services". BioScience, Volume 65, Issue 3, March 2015. pp. 290–301
125. "Why Australia needs wind power" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
126. . British Wind Energy Association. Archived from the original on 19 April 2006. Retrieved 21 April 2006.
127. Loren D. Knopper, Christopher A. Ollson, Lindsay C. McCallum, Melissa L. Whitfield Aslund, Robert G. Berger, Kathleen Souweine, and Mary McDaniel, Wind Turbines and Human Health, [Frontiers of Public Health]. June 19, 2014; 2: 63.
128. . British Wind Energy Association. Archived from the original on 19 April 2006. Retrieved 21 April 2006.
129. Szarka, Joseph. Wind Power in Europe: Politics, Business and Society. Springer, 2007. p.176
130. Dodd, Eimear (27 March 2021). "Permission to build five turbine wind farm at Kilranelagh refused". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
131. Kula, Adam (9 April 2021). "Department defends 500ft windfarm in protected Area of Outstanding Beauty". The News Letter. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
132. "Building wind farms 'could destroy Welsh landscape'". BBC News. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
133. Gordon, David. Wind farms and tourism in Scotland 21 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Mountaineering Council of Scotland. November 2017. p.3
134. Dunnett, Sebastian; Holland, Robert A.; Taylor, Gail; Eigenbrod, Felix (8 February 2022). "Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (6). Bibcode:2022PNAS..11904764D. doi:10.1073/pnas.2104764119. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 8832964. PMID 35101973.
135. Parisé, J.; Walker, T. R. (2017). "Industrial wind turbine post-construction bird and bat monitoring: A policy framework for Canada". Journal of Environmental Management. 201: 252–259. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.06.052. PMID 28672197.
136. Hosansky, David (1 April 2011). "Wind Power: Is wind energy good for the environment?". CQ Researcher.
137. Katovich, Erik (9 January 2024). "Quantifying the Effects of Energy Infrastructure on Bird Populations and Biodiversity". Environmental Science & Technology. 58 (1): 323–332. doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c03899. ISSN 0013-936X.
138. "Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
139. Parisé, J.; Walker, T. R. (2017). "Industrial wind turbine post-construction bird and bat monitoring: A policy framework for Canada". Journal of Environmental Management. 201: 252–259. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.06.052. PMID 28672197.
140. Joe Sneve (4 September 2019). "Sioux Falls landfill tightens rules after Iowa dumps dozens of wind turbine blades". Argus Leader. from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
141. Rick Kelley (18 February 2018). "Retiring worn-out wind turbines could cost billions that nobody has". Valley Morning Star. from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019. The blades are composite, those are not recyclable, those can't be sold," Linowes said. "The landfills are going to be filled with blades in a matter of no time.
142. "These bike shelters are made from wind turbines". World Economic Forum. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
143. How Loud Is A Wind Turbine? 15 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. GE Reports (2 August 2014). Retrieved on 20 July 2016.
144. Gipe, Paul (1995). Wind Energy Comes of Age. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 376–. ISBN 978-0-471-10924-2.
145. Gohlke JM et al. Environmental Health Perspectives (2008). "Health, Economy, and Environment: Sustainable Energy Choices for a Nation". Environmental Health Perspectives. 116 (6): A236–A237. doi:10.1289/ehp.11602. PMC 2430245. PMID 18560493.
146. Professor Simon Chapman. "Summary of main conclusions reached in 25 reviews of the research literature on wind farms and health 22 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine" Sydney University School of Public Health, April 2015
147. Hamilton, Tyler (15 December 2009). "Wind Gets Clean Bill of Health". Toronto Star. Toronto. pp. B1–B2. from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
148. Colby, W. David et al. (December 2009) "Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects: An Expert Panel Review" 18 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Wind Energy Association.
149. "The Underwater Sound from Offshore Wind Farms" (PDF).
150. Tougaard, Jakob; Hermannsen, Line; Madsen, Peter T. (1 November 2020). "How loud is the underwater noise from operating offshore wind turbines?". The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 148 (5): 2885–2893. Bibcode:2020ASAJ..148.2885T. doi:10.1121/10.0002453. ISSN 0001-4966. PMID 33261376. S2CID 227251351.
151. 'Wind Energy - The Facts', p. 1. 27 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine
152. Pagano, Margareta (2 August 2009). "Are wind farms a health risk? US scientist identifies 'wind turbine syndrome' - Noise and vibration coming from large turbines are behind an increase in heart disease, migraine, panic attacks and other health problems, according to research by an American doctor". The Independent.
153. General Purpose Standing Committee No. 5, Parliament of New South Wales (16 December 2009). "Final Report, Rural Wind Farms" 23 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
154. Novella, Steven (7 March 2016). "Wind Turbine Controversy". Neurologica Blog. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
155. Rubin, GJ; Burns, M; Wessely, S (7 May 2014). "Possible psychological mechanisms for "wind turbine syndrome". On the windmills of your mind". Noise & Health. 16 (69): 116–122. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.132099. PMID 24804716.
156. Swan, Norman (6 July 2015). . Cosmos. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
157. "BUFFALO GAP WIND FARM, L.L.C., BUFFALO GAP WIND FARM 2, L.L.C., AND BUFFALO GAP WIND FARM 3, L.L.C.'S APPEAL AND COMPLAINT OF ERCOT'S DECISION AND ACTION REGARDING PRR 830 AND MOTION FOR SUSPENSION OF ACTION" (PDF). ERCOT.com. ERCOT. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
158. Power-eng.com: "Intermitten dinw problems and a possible solution"
159. Harding, Luke (1 October 2023). "'Energy war': Ukraine tries to protect electricity supply before winter". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
160. Wind farm interference showing up on Doppler radar National Weather Service. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
161. Brenner, Michael et al. Wind Farms and Radar Federation of American Scientists, January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
162. Greenemeier, Larry. Wind turbine or airplane? New radar could cut through the signal clutter Scientific American, 3 September 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
163. About the R-2508 Airspace 4 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine United States Air Force. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
164. Hayes, Keith. MCLB Barstow wind turbine a Marine Corps first United States Marine Corps, 27 March 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
165. Goodwin, Jacob (3 January 2011). "DHS asks Raytheon to study impact of wind turbines on radar systems". gsnmagazine.com. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
166. Radars and radio signals 7 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine Wind Energy Facts. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
167. Levitan, David. Wind turbines cause radar cone of silence IEEE, 9 February 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
168. . capecodtoday.com. 17 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
169. P Jago, N Taylor. Wind turbines and aviation interests – European experience and practice 11 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine pages 10–13, Stasys, 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
170. Learmount, David. Newcastle airport radar develops fix for wind turbine interference Flight Global, 17 November 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
171. QinetiQ and Vestas test 'stealth technology' for wind turbines Renewable Energy Focus, 26 October 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
172. 'Stealth' wind turbine blade may end radar problem Reuters via Cnet, 27 January 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
173. Fairly, Peter. Stealth-Mode Wind Turbines Technology Review, 2 November 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
174. Appleton, Steve. Stealth blades – a progress report 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine QinetiQ. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
175. Robert Mendick (27 August 2011). . The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Outdated
176. "Chapter 4. Air Traffic Control. Section 5. Surveillance Systems". Federal Aviation Administration. p. 4-5-1.b.(g). Retrieved 16 January 2024.
177. Glenn Cramer (30 October 2009). "Town Councilor regrets High Sheldon Wind Farm (Sheldon, NY)". River City Malone.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
178. "Technology". Broadcast Wind, LLC. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
179. . TSR (grupo Tratamiento de Señal y Radiocomunicaciones de la UPV/EHU). Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
180. Roy, Somnath Baidya. Impacts of wind farms on surface air temperatures Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 4 October 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
181. Takle, Gene and Lundquist, Julie. Wind turbines on farmland may benefit crops 6 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ames Laboratory, 16 December 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wind farms.

 

Look up wind farm in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Map of best places for Wind Turbines around the world
• Database of projects throughout the World
• Wind Project Community Organizing
• 4C Offshore's Global Wind Farm Interactive Map and Database
• Biggest Wind Farms in the World by Power-Technology