Byran Wind Project: Frequently Asked Questions

>> INTRODUCTION TO WIND POWER

>> INTRODUCTION TO WIND TURBINES

>> HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH WIND FARMS

>> NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CONCERNS OF WIND FARMS

>> THE BYRAN PROJECT

>> THE BYRAN WIND PROJECT: COMMUNITY BENEFITS

>> THE BYRAN WIND PROJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

• What is a wind farm?

Wind farms bring together groups of wind turbines to produce enough electricity to power thousands of homes. The world's largest wind farm, located in Texas, consists of 421 turbines producing 735 Megawatts (MW) of electricity, which is enough energy to power approximately 205,800 homes. 

• Are there wind farms in Canada?

There about 85 wind farms in operation in Canada, and many more now under development.  Wind farms in Canada have a capacity of 2,246 MW – enough to power 671,000 homes or equivalent to about 1 percent of Canada’s total electricity demand.

• Does wind energy produce jobs?

Wind energy projects create jobs in project development, manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance. As of 2006, there were more than 100,000 people employed in the wind energy industry in Denmark, Germany and Spain. Currently in Canada, the construction phase of a wind farm development carries the most employment opportunities. There are also permanent jobs created in the operation and maintenance of wind farms.

• Is wind power reliable?

Yes.  The wind turbines that you see today are the result of decades of research and development. Thanks to these efforts, modern turbines are highly efficient. The science of wind turbine placement has advanced a great deal. The output of a wind farm can be predicted accurately well before a shovel hits the ground.

• Is wind energy expensive?

Wind energy is globally considered a source of clean and renewable energy that can now compete in cost with many conventional sources, such as natural gas and hydropower.  Wind energy related costs are expected to decline while the costs of other technologies (e.g., coal / gas) are expected to increase.

• Are wind turbines visually unpleasant?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Studies regularly show that most people find turbines visually appealing and interesting. On average, 80 percent of the public supports wind energy, less than 10 percent are against it, and the remainder is undecided. Surveys conducted near existing wind farms have consistently found that most people are in favour of wind energy.

back to top

• What is the output of the wind turbines (how much energy do they generate)? How many households can they service?

1 MW of wind energy is sufficient to service approximately 280 homes. The most common size of wind turbine is 1.5 MW, which provides sufficient energy to service approximately 420 homes.

• How tall are wind turbines?

Wind turbines typically have a hub height of 80 m and each blade is approximately 40 m length.

• What is used to make wind turbine foundations?

Turbine foundations are made from steel reinforced concrete.

• What is used to make wind turbine towers?

Turbine towers are made from steel.

• What is used to make wind turbine blades?

Wind turbine blades are made from fiberglass with ground wires to serve as lightning protection.

• What happens to the wind park when it is out of operation?

Wind turbines are removed from the ground.  The land is rehabilitated and brought back to its previous condition.  Where possible, all wind turbine materials are reused or recycled.

back to top

• What is the significance of shadow flicker around wind farms?

Shadow flicker is commonly understood to be a rare effect of the sun shining on the blades of a wind turbine causing a shadow that may be cast at certain times of the day in certain seasons. In terms of shadow flicker, analysis undertaken on wind farm sites in Ontario and elsewhere have shown that shadow flicker at homes can occur, but for a very small percentage of the time (approximately 0.5 percent of daytime hours). InterWind studies potential shadow flicker effects of wind turbines and develops wind farms in a fashion that minimizes such effects.

• What are the health effects of wind turbines?

At present there are well over 10,000 wind turbines installed and operating in North America, and tens of thousands of people who live and work in proximity to these wind turbines. Of these individuals, a very small number have claimed that their health has been negatively impacted by wind turbines. A large number of peer-reviewed scientific studies have been conducted on the health effects of wind turbines. The Government of Ontario has stated that no significant peer-reviewed studies have definitively shown any significant health or safety issues associated with living near wind farms.

• Are wind turbines noisy? Does sound or vibration impact human health?

Peer-reviewed studies indicate that sound levels produced by turbines are similar to levels in the natural environment that are commonly heard. Sound levels produced by turbines are below levels known to have an impact on human health. At this time, there is little scientific basis to support allegations of negative impacts on human health or the environment.

• How often do wind turbines collapse or catch on fire?

Fires in wind turbines or wind turbine collapses are extremely rare.  Indeed, there is virtually no record of fires or collapses in wind turbines.  In the extremely unlikely event that a fire or collapse occurs, InterWind’s priority is community safety and not the welfare of our equipment.

• What happens if a turbine blade breaks?

Historically, there have been very few problems with wind turbine blade breakage.  Prior to breakage of the blade it is likely that a crack would form.  Monitoring equipment inside wind turbines alert maintenance professionals of cracks and once cracks are identified, the wind turbine is shut down to prevent breakage.   The blades weigh approximately 3 tonnes and, in the unlikely event of a breakage during operation, a broken blade would not travel a far distance but would fall to the ground due to gravity.  With a 250m setback distance, it is very unlikely that they would reach a residence.

back to top

• Is it true that wind farms kill birds and bats?

Wind turbines can potentially have impacts on birds and bats through collisions and habitat disruption. The impact is much less than that of buildings, house cats or the climatic changes that are impacting many bird habitats.

A study reviewing the impact of wind farms on birds in the U.S. found that generally only two birds per turbine per year ever die in collisions with wind turbines.  This is far less than the millions of deaths per year associated with birds crashing into buildings and windows or colliding with other objects.

Construction activities of wind farms are conducted outside of migration seasons, so there is little to no impact on birds and bats expected at that time. During operations of similar wind projects, birds have been shown to adapt to the presence of turbines.

Similarly, bat studies are conducted for wind farms to ensure that there is minimal impact of wind turbines on bat populations.

• Do the wind turbines contaminate the soil?

All fluids used for InterWind wind farms are non-PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) type, and PCB contamination will not be a concern.  During construction of wind farms, any spill of hydrocarbons or other fluids that may occur will be contained with appropriate spill cleanup materials (stored on-site).  Spill cleanup materials and any contaminated soil are removed to a suitable disposal facility.

back to top

• How big is the Byran Wind Project?  How much energy will it produce?

The Byran Wind Project is 64.5 MW and it will provide sufficient energy to service approximately 16,000 homes.  The Project will assist Prince Edward County and the province in general by creating a source of clean, renewable electricity generation locally.  The wind farm is an overall contribution to clean energy options – replacing coal power & reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Who owns and operates the Byran Wind Project?

InterWind will develop and own and operate the Byran Wind Project.

• Where will this wind farm be located?

The Byran Wind Project is proposed to be located on private land in the central portion of Prince Edward County, Ontario. The project is northwest of the town of Picton and is surrounded to the east and west by the Bay of Quinte.  Part of the Project will be located on select locations on Big Island.

• What lands will be used for the Project?  What is the current use of those lands?

Much of the land that will be used for the Project is currently farmland.  Farming and wind energy are very compatible.  The nice thing about wind energy is that the footprint of wind turbines is quite small and therefore very little land must be occupied by wind turbines.  As a result, the vast majority of land currently used for farmland will continue to be used as farmland.  

• Where will the Byran Project interconnect? Where will the Project’s substation be located?

InterWind has plans for the Byran Wind Project to interconnect at Hydro One’s electrical system near the Picton Transmission Station, adjacent to County Rd 5. The Project’s substation will be located adjacent to the current substation.

• Does Prince Edward County have enough wind to power these machines?

InterWind has been actively studying the wind at the Byran Wind Power site for almost 2 years and has installed monitoring equipment across the project area. Studies conducted by third party experts have indicated that Prince Edward County has a strong wind regime to support a successful wind power project.

back to top

• How many jobs will be created by the Byran Wind Project?

In Prince Edward County, the Byran Wind Project is expected to create approximately100 construction jobs and 8 highly skilled, full-time operations and maintenance jobs.

• How will landowners benefit from the Byran Wind Project?

InterWind will provide payments to landowners for participating in the Byran Wind Project.  Landowner payments will create a new source of revenue in the community. 

• Will InterWind procure materials for the Byran Wind Project from local suppliers (i.e. equipment rental, materials, such as gravel and concrete, local labour wages, etc)?

InterWind intends to work with local community members throughout the development of the Byran Wind Project in order to ensure that the local community benefits from the Project.  Where possible and competitive, InterWind seeks to procure materials and components from local suppliers.  In addition, where feasible, InterWind works to provide local employment opportunities throughout the development of the Project.

• In addition to jobs, how will the local community benefit from construction and operation of the Byran Wind Project?

Construction and operation activities for the Byran Wind Project will likely generate all sorts of economic opportunities for the local community.  Local businesses, such as shops, restaurants, hotels, motels and others will benefit from economic activity driven by new jobs in the local area.  In addition, the local municipalities will benefit from tax revenue derived from the construction and operation of the Project.

• How will InterWind support local community programs?

InterWind intends to work with local municipalities to develop community plans that will contribute to local programs and initiatives.

• How will the Byran Wind Project affect tourism in Prince Edward County?

Wind energy has been shown to generate tourism for local communities. Some wind farms receive upwards of 60,000 visits a year.  The benefits of even drawing a fraction of that amount of visitors to a community can be felt by many local businesses including shops, restaurants, hotels, motels, and others. 

back to top

• What sorts of environmental studies is InterWind conducting for the Byran Wind Project?

InterWind takes environmental matters very seriously.  We study a number of aspects related to the Project.  These include:

·         Baseline Noise Assessment;

·         Avian Assessment;

·         Bat Assessment;

·         Stage 1 Archeological Assessments;

·         Preliminary Vegetation and Wildlife Studies;

·         Preliminary Assessment of Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats; and

·         Preliminary Soil, Groundwater and Hydrogeologcial Assessment.

• When can the public review information on the environmental aspects of the Byran Project?

InterWind has organized public information sessions to discuss the Byran Project. At those meetings, InterWind experts have discussed the ongoing Environmental Assessment of the Project. InterWind estimates that in the Summer / Fall of 2009, we will be able to publish the findings of our environmental studies.

• Is InterWind considering the visual impacts of the Project?

As part of the Environmental Assessment for the Project, InterWind has completed a Visual Impact Assessment, which involves using different viewpoints throughout the community to produce an accurate three-dimensional model of potential turbine locations. The study has shown the visual impacts of the Project. InterWind will use the conclusions of the Visual Impact Assessment to minimize the visual impact of the Project.

• Have Aboriginal groups in the area been consulted?

InterWind works to identify Aboriginal groups in the area who might be affected by the Byran Wind Project.  With the assistance of concerned government agencies, InterWind has identified several Aboriginal communities in the area who might be potentially affected by the Project.  In particular, InterWind has initiated discussions with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte to ensure that their interests are considered throughout the development of the Project.

back to top