1. How big are the turbines proposed for the windfarm?

We are looking at turbines up to 185m to blade tip, but the landscape and visual assessment will determine what height of turbines we will use at the site.

2. How many turbines are proposed?

As yet we have not finalised a layout, as environmental and technical studies are ongoing. The results of these studies will determine how many turbines we can locate on the site. We are currently assuming that we will be able to locate up to 35 turbines.

3. What are the wind turbines made of?

The proposed towers are tapered, tubular and made of steel, painted white or light grey. The blades are made of fibreglass-reinforced epoxy. Turbines are usually light grey because this is the colour which is most inconspicuous under most lighting conditions. The finish is matt, to reduce reflected light.

4. How strong does the wind have to blow for the wind turbines to work?

Wind turbines start operating in only a gentle breeze and reach maximum power output after 12 meters/second (around 27 miles per hour). At wind speeds of about 60 miles per hour the wind turbines choose to shut down to avoid damage.

5. What is the lifespan of this project?

Windfarms normally receive planning permission for 25 years, and after this we would need to re-apply for planning permission, or decommission the site and return the land it to its former state. Any consent will certainly contain decommissioning requirements which usually require all visible traces of the windfarm to be removed.

6. Do windfarms kill lots of birds?

Well sited windfarms do not pose a significant threat to birds. To date, there have been no major adverse effects on birds associated with windfarms in the UK. An article in the journal ‘Nature' reminds us that the greatest threat to wildlife in the UK is climate change; the RSPB predicts that without a comprehensive network of renewable energy sources, climate change is predicted to detrimentally affect most species within the UK.

7. Do wind turbines frighten livestock?

Wind farming is popular with farmers, because their land can continue to be used for growing crops or grazing livestock. Sheep, cows and horses are not disturbed by wind turbines. The first windfarm built in the UK, Delabole, has a stud farm and riding school, and the farmer, Peter Edwards, often rides around the windfarm on his horse.

8. What about humans? How safe is wind energy?

Wind energy is one of the safest energy technologies and does not produce any emissions, harmful pollutants or waste products. As far as we are aware, no member of the public has ever been injured during the normal operation of a wind turbine, with over 25 years operating experience and with more than 70,000 machines installed around the world.

9. Does wind farming harm tourism?

There is no evidence to suggest that windfarms have a negative effect on tourism. In fact, the opposite is often found to be the case and many developers are asked to provide a visitor centre, viewing platforms and rights of way to their sites. A MORI poll in Scotland carried out in 2002 showed that 80% of tourists would be interested in visiting a windfarm. The UK's first commercial windfarm at Delabole received 350,000 visitors in the first ten years. The turbine at Swaffham in Norfolk enjoys 10,000 visitors a year.

10. Can we get free electricity?

Unfortunately this is not possible. Electricity supply is a regulated industry and current legislation prevents this. Due to the design of the national electrical distribution system it is more efficient for the turbines to be connected into the exisiting grid network, where it will be mixed in with electricity produced by a variety of power generation sources, such as gas and coal fired power stations.

11. Will building wind turbines help combat global warming?

Windfarms do not emit carbon dioxide and provide clean and renewable energy, unlike power stations, which emit 170 million tonnes of CO2 each year. If we are to meet government targets of cutting these figures 60% by 2050, we need a source of energy that does not produce carbon dioxide.

12. Do wind turbines affect TV reception?

In extremely rare circumstances, some interference to analogue TV reception is possible. The main causes of problems are weak signals that are being received by old or poorly tuned aerials. However this is normally identified pre-construction and can be easily remedied. It should also be remembered that the UK is switching to a digital television signal at present (2009 to 2012), which means that satellite TV, Sky or free-to-air satellite signals from the BBC or ITV are totally unaffected by windfarms as the signal is beamed down from space by satellite.

13. Are wind turbines efficient?

In the UK, wind turbines produce useful power for 70-85% of the time. Measured in terms of mechanical efficiency, a wind turbine is over 40% efficient compared to a coal fired power station at about 38% and a typical internal combustion engine at 20-25%.

14. Are there any impacts on house prices?

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have undertaken studies to assess if there is an affect on the house prices due to the construction of a windfarm.  In general the survey shows that the largest drop in house value is at the time of the planning application as is the case with any major development.