Don’t let myths dictate our future. ActOnFacts.org How can I use this facts document? This document has been put together to help you better understand facts about wind energy. Explore its content, download it and carry it with you on your phone, and share it with friends. Why should I support wind energy? ...................................................................... 3 Cost: How much does wind energy set us back? ................................................. 4 Efficiency: Does wind energy really work? .......................................................... 5 Noise: Do wind turbines make much noise?......................................................... 6 Health: Can living near a wind farm make me sick? ............................................. 7 Wildlife: How do wind turbines coexist with animals? .......................................... 7 Visual impact: Are wind farms an eyesore? ......................................................... 8 Property values: Will a wind farm affect the price of my home? .......................... 9 Neighbour complaints: Are people happy to live near to wind turbines?............ 9 Jobs: Does wind energy boost the local economy? ............................................. 10 Climate change: Is this a real solution to climate change? ...................................11 Help us spread the word!...................................................................................... 12 ActOnFacts.org Why should I support wind energy? All over the world, a large number of wind energy projects that could save millions of tonnes of CO2 every year are right now being stalled or blocked because of misunderstandings or myths about wind energy. Most people want wind to play a greater role in the energy mix, they just don’t speak up about it. The public debate about wind is currently dominated by a small minority opposed to wind energy. It’s time for wind’s supporters to speak up and be heard. There are lots of ways to show your support for wind. Most are quick and simple, such as writing to your local politician or signing an online petition. Others, such as joining a local green group may take a bit more time, but can be great ways of meeting likeminded people. At the end of the day, it’s all about making informed choices, so… Get INSPIRED, Get INFORMED and Get INVOLVED! ActOnFacts.org Page 3 How much does wind energy set us back? Cost • Onshore wind is the UK’s, Ireland’s and Poland’s cheapest source of renewable electricity. In the UK, wind power subsidies currently cost household energy bill payers less than £12 a year. In Poland, subsidies cost household energy bill payers only 1.5 % of the electricity price. • Wind energy is Spain’s most inexpensive source of electricity together with large- scale hydro. Wind energy incentives cost the average Spanish consumer just €3.50 per month, yet it helps reduce the average electricity bill by €2.50 per month. • Wind power in Sweden is not subsidised in that it does not receive direct financial support. In 2012, the Swedish Green Certificates, an incentive system for renewables, cost the average household consumer 180 SEK (20 EUR) per year. That’s less than the average Swedish household pays for alcoholic beverages every month! • Wind power is increasingly competitive with new build gas and coal plants, especially when you include the health and environmental costs of burning fossil and nuclear fuels. • The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 2011′s global fossil fuel subsidy was $523 billion dollars, greatly outweighing a renewable energy subsidy of $88 billion dollars. • The costs of shale gas will likely be higher in Europe than in the U.S. owing to differences in geology, mineral rights, and the capacity of the drilling services market and infrastructure. • The average wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within 6-7 months of operation. During its lifetime. a wind turbine delivers up to 80 times more energy than is used in its production, maintenance and scrapping. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Cost Page 4 Does wind energy really work? Efficiency • No power plant runs 100% of the time. Coal, gas, and nuclear power plants sometimes go offline with no warning, instantly removing large proportions of energy generating capacity from the system. The wind, by contrast, tends to start up and taper off gradually and predictably. • All modern energy systems have back-up supply built in – regardless of how much or little wind energy the system includes. That’s why the lights don’t go out when a conventional power plant suddenly goes offline. • Wind energy has grown at an incredible rate in the past two decades and has been extremely successful in Germany, Spain and Denmark to name but a few. Wind energy is a primary source of energy in countries such as Denmark, Portugal, Spain and Ireland. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Efficiency Page 5 Do wind turbines make much noise? Noise • Modern design improvements have made wind turbines quieter. Most of the time the noise of the wind itself is greater than the noise of the wind turbines. • On limited occasions a different type of ‘swooshing’ sound from turbines can be heard. This is called ‘other’ amplitude modulation or OAM. The wind industry is working on ways to minimise it. • Scientifically credible, peer-reviewed studies consistently conclude there is no evidence that sounds from wind turbines affects human health. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Noise Page 6 Can living near a wind farm make me sick? Health • Independent studies around the world have consistently found that wind farms have no direct impact on physical health. • The so-called “Wind Turbine Syndrome” is a full-blown myth • Numerous studies have shown that the stress and fear caused by anti-wind groups spreading lies about wind energy is often a cause of illness Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Health How do wind turbines coexist with animals? Wildlife • Well-placed wind turbines have vastly less impact on birds than vehicles, buildings, windows, power transmission lines, communications towers, or toxic chemicals. Well-planned siting of wind turbines is the key to minimising the impact on wildlife. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Wildlife Page 7 Are wind farms an eyesore? Visual impact • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; some people like the way wind turbines looks, others don’t. • Depending on specific circumstances, one can do things to help the turbines blend better into the surrounding environment. • According to studies, in Scotland and Poland, tourism does not appear to be affected by wind turbines in the landscape. • Indeed, in many parts of the world, wind farms are a tourist attraction. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Visualimpact Page 8 Will a wind farm affect the price of my home? Property values • “We find no statistical evidence that operating wind turbines has had any measurable impact on home sales prices” • A 2013 study from the U.S. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory finds no evidence linking wind farms to declining property values. The study tracked prices from more than 50,000 property sales near 67 wind power facilities in nine U.S. states. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Propertyvalues Are people happy live near to wind turbines? Neighbour complaints • Denmark has one of the world’s densest concentrations of wind turbines both in relation to area and population. In 2012 in Denmark, only three households were responsible for half the complaints – nationwide. Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Neighbourcomplaints Page 9 Does wind energy boost the local economy? Jobs • The number of people with full-time jobs in the UK wind industry has increased 70 percent in recent years. UK onshore wind employs about 9,900 people; UK offshore wind, about 6,800. Meanwhile, the Swedish wind energy sector employs around 7,000 people. • Wind energy in Ireland employs well over 2,000 people. If Ireland meets 2020 renewable targets then total employment in the Irish economy would be raised by between 0.4% and 1.8% • 20 percent of wind energy employees are female – proportionally higher than in the broader power sector • Renewable energy technologies are currently more labour-intensive than fossil fuel technologies • Wind energy creates more employment per MWh than many traditional energy sources Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Jobs Page 10 Is this a real solution to climate change? Climate change According to the IPCC report “Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change”: • The energy supply sector is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions • In the absence of climate change mitigation policies, energy-related CO2 emissions are expected to continue to increase • Multiple options exist to reduce energy supply sector greenhouse gas emissions including renewable energy such as wind energy • Many renewable technologies have substantially advanced in terms of performance and cost, and a growing number of renewable technologies have achieved a level of technical and economic maturity to enable deployment at significant scale • There are often additional benefits from the use of renewable energy, such as a reduction of air pollution, local employment opportunities, few severe accidents compared to some other forms of energy supply, as well as improved energy access and security Check the facts and read more: www.actonfacts.org/facts/#Climatechange Page 11 Help us spread the word! We’re eager to get as many people as possible to Act on Facts and hope you and your friends, family and colleagues can help us on our journey of busting anti-wind myths around the world. Check out some specific ideas on our online Supporters Corner or help us out with a few clicks of your mouse: ActOnFacts.org Page 12.