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The Impacts of Wind Farms

A wind farm consists of a group of wind turbines -- modern-day windmills that generate electricity by capturing kinetic energy from the wind. Wind power is a green, renewable source of energy; the farms don't produce any harmful emissions and don't use up as much land as traditional power plants. Concerns about the impacts of wind farms usually center around noise, tourism and wildlife, although wind farms can also impact the local weather.

Noise
- Like any mechanical device, wind turbines do create some noise. However, this noise is fairly low -- akin to the level of noise created by rustling leaves or a gas fireplace. At approximately 350 meters from a wind farm, the noise level is 35-45 decibels. By comparison, the noise from a quiet bedroom is around 35 decibels, and the noise heard from a car traveling at 40 mph from 100 meters away is around 55 decibels. Engineers attempt to minimize any noise pollution created by wind farms by choosing sites that are rural or that have levels of ambient noise comparable to that generated by the wind turbines.
Tourism
- In the tourism industry, wind farms tend to be regarded negatively, as they're seen as decreasing the aesthetic value of the land. However, in some areas of Canada, wind farms have become a draw for tourists -- including some from Australia and Europe -- who are fascinated by the turbines. Municipalities in these areas have been able to sell souvenirs, attract tour buses and have even built viewing platforms for visitors.
Wildlife
- Scientists have found that some grassland birds -- including birds that are candidates for protection as endangered species -- tend to avoid tower-like structures such as wind turbines. Building turbines in these areas -- in midwest states such as Kansas that are otherwise ideal areas for the generation of wind power -- will fragment these threatened birds' populations. There have also been reports that birds and bats have died after flying into turbine blades.
Weather
- As the wind spins a turbine's blades around a rotor, it generates turbulence along with electricity. Turbulence mixes air near the ground with air that's higher up, resulting in drier, warmer air near the ground. Local weather patterns can be affected for miles, leading to higher air conditioning and irrigation costs for miles around large wind farms. The impact on the weather is greater at night, since the wind is typically stronger. However, the development of low-turbulence rotors may solve this problem -- and these rotors have the added benefit of higher economic efficiency than rotors that generate turbulence.

Nature