UK Wind Farm

Aims,role and the future:

• to generate 10% of all of power using renewable energy-making ONE-THIRD of electricity generated
• offshore wind farms to make 8GW by 2016

Location requirements:

• shallow waters off coast of UK are advantage and require an exposed location to be clear of any obstacles to work 
• a small differences in location can change the amount of electricity generated significantly e.g. sites which are 10% less windy means 20% less energy is generated

Opinions:

For: attract fish if offshore and have no long-term effects on other sea life, house prices may decrease by recover

Against: high levels of noise reported and have harmful effects on environment such as migrating birds avoid areas of turbines, reduce prices of houses and measure 35 to 45ab in sound compared to an office at 60ab

Wind tubrine size:

• 100 to 200m including blades-compared to London Eye 135m high
• Offshore tubrine are largest

Location: 176 were present in 2008 and are usually within 4 to 6km off the coast but some can go as far as 18km off the coast

Cefen Croes wind farm in Wales:

• Loaction: hills above Aberystwyth in North Midlands of Wales near coast and is the most powerful windfarm in UK
• Cost: £50 million, completed in June 2005
• For arguements: is renewable energy source, safer than nuclear power, costs less than nuclear power, environmental groups prefer wind farms, don't produce CO2-no pollution so don't contribute to global warming or acid rain, Wales is one of the windiest place and it's the windiest in winter when most energy is required
• Against arguments: ruin scenerary, have to be built high up in mountains so can be seen for miles, kill migrating birds, noisy, reduce housing prices in area, interrupt telephone communications, 20,000 tubrines needed to replace 1 nuclear power station, coldest weather isn't windiest and they can't store energy made