Wind turbines - how close is close?
Discussion
I design and build windfarms, some will call me biased but i believe in telling people the actual science as opposed to what you read in the Mail et al.
My main industry is large turbines, around 130m high but I've done smaller, circa 50m too.
The two main considerations, assuming you are not bothered about how they look are noise and shadow flicker.
At 1.8km noise will not be an issue. Shadow flicker is when the turbine gets in between the setting sun and your window and it creates a hugely annoying effect like someone flicking the sun on and off. Obviously you need to be west, east or north of the turbine to be affected. Sites are assessed in planning and most operators will turn the turbines off when conditions can occur. Assessment is usually to ten rotor diameters, so for a big turbine that could be 1km, in practice it can be experienced to 15 rotor diameters, so you ought to be fine anyway.
In any event, if it's a nuisance in any way you can contact your local Environmental Health Officer, who, despite what anyone else will tell you have a great deal of power and will act on complaints. Operators will have planning conditions to investigate complaints and will move quickly to address them as it costs them each time they have to look into it.
In short you have no need for concern, but if you want any further info, or what me to look at the particular site, please let me know.
My main industry is large turbines, around 130m high but I've done smaller, circa 50m too.
The two main considerations, assuming you are not bothered about how they look are noise and shadow flicker.
At 1.8km noise will not be an issue. Shadow flicker is when the turbine gets in between the setting sun and your window and it creates a hugely annoying effect like someone flicking the sun on and off. Obviously you need to be west, east or north of the turbine to be affected. Sites are assessed in planning and most operators will turn the turbines off when conditions can occur. Assessment is usually to ten rotor diameters, so for a big turbine that could be 1km, in practice it can be experienced to 15 rotor diameters, so you ought to be fine anyway.
In any event, if it's a nuisance in any way you can contact your local Environmental Health Officer, who, despite what anyone else will tell you have a great deal of power and will act on complaints. Operators will have planning conditions to investigate complaints and will move quickly to address them as it costs them each time they have to look into it.
In short you have no need for concern, but if you want any further info, or what me to look at the particular site, please let me know.
Willy Nilly said:
People love the old wooden ones that milled wheat or pumped water but don't like the new ones that make electricity. I quite like them.
Same here. I like them too 
It amazes me that people think they are a blight on the landscape. We have lived with high volage mega ugly and tall pylons for over 50 years and they are everywhere. Yet we are so used to seeing them, we hardly notice them and never really complain.I actually like the look of them - like the previous poster said, they are like modern windmills.
Our local dump ("Recycling centre")is powered by one - they ended up having to pay for satellite TV for a couple of nearby streets, as it was messing with the signal.
Think that was before the digital switchover, though.
Our local dump ("Recycling centre")is powered by one - they ended up having to pay for satellite TV for a couple of nearby streets, as it was messing with the signal.
Think that was before the digital switchover, though.
My concern would be that a precedent will be set and once one is in, what difference will another 15 make? Then it will be more efficient to build fewer, but make them taller with larger blades.
I would seriously set a couple of days out to go see some, listen to them and talk to people in the local villages and see what they think of them.
Buying a house with a small turbine over a mile away may cause you a little concern, but trying to sell the same house in 8 years time with 15 large turbines, some as close as 800 meters could be very costly and stressful.
Google is your friend, look at the action groups and impacts.Talk to an independent estate agent, get their views.
As long as you go in with your eyes wide open. I hope you make the right choice, whatever that choice may be.
I would seriously set a couple of days out to go see some, listen to them and talk to people in the local villages and see what they think of them.
Buying a house with a small turbine over a mile away may cause you a little concern, but trying to sell the same house in 8 years time with 15 large turbines, some as close as 800 meters could be very costly and stressful.
Google is your friend, look at the action groups and impacts.Talk to an independent estate agent, get their views.
As long as you go in with your eyes wide open. I hope you make the right choice, whatever that choice may be.
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