Environmental impacts of wind turbines
According to some authors [1], wind turbines have two main strengths: (i) are simple to construct; and (ii) their recycling process is easy [2]. Nevertheless, there are several weaknesses [1]: (i) noise; (ii) visual disturbance, due to flickering and flashing effects; (iii) storms can imply large accidents; and (iv) due to the variability of wind speed, output power fluctuates.
For ecosystems, the main impacts are the following [1]: (i) birds can get killed by blades; (ii) changes in biodiversity and benthic habitats; (iii) disruption of the communication between marine mammals; (iv) deforestation and soil erosion; and (v) lubricating oil and debris might pollute locally.
One of the most interesting opportunities identified for this technology, to avoid bird death, is to paint one rotor blade in black. This hypothesis was tested in Norway using a Before-After-Control-Impact approach [3]. Nevertheless, it is worth asking if this black ink increased the visual impact for humans…
Summing up, it is possible to argue that despite simplicity of these structures, there are environmental impacts on flora and fauna, whose dimensions are worth measuring. Furthermore, nearby human habitants can also suffer from headaches, sleep disorders and hearing loss, and acknowledge the spoiling of local natural aesthetics.
[1] Rahman, A., Farrok, O. and Haque, Md. (2022). “Environmental impact of renewable energy source based electrical power plants: Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, tidal, ocean, and osmotic”. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 161, 112279.
[2] Jensen, J. (2019). “Evaluating the environmental impacts of recycling wind turbines.” Wind Energy, 22, 316-26.
[3] May, R., Nygard, T., Falkdalen, U., Astrom, J., Hamre, O., Stokke, BG. (2020). “Paint it black: efficacy of increased wind turbine rotor blade visibility to reduce avian fatalities”. Ecol. Vol., 10, 8927-35.
Enjoy.
