What Are 3 Disadvantages Of Wind Power On The Environment?

Visual Impact

Wind turbines can have a significant visual impact on the landscape. According to a report from the Wind Energy Projects and the Viewshed – WINDExchange, “Visual impact analyses can accurately portray how wind turbines affect the landscape.” The height of modern wind turbines, which can reach over 400 feet tall, makes them highly visible features.

Proper siting of wind projects is important to limit visual impacts. The Wind Turbine Visibility and Visual Impact Threshold Distances report found that “potential visual impacts resulting from renewable energy developments on BLM-administered lands are an important concern.” Wind turbines located on ridge lines or other areas with high visibility can be seen from miles away.

Some people find the sight of wind turbines to be unappealing or out of place in natural landscapes. Wind projects can transform the visual character of an area, particularly in landscapes that previously had no large visible structures. Overall, wind turbines can be considered an eyesore by those who prefer natural vistas free of human development.

Noise Pollution

Wind turbines produce noise pollution that can negatively impact local wildlife and communities. According to a 2014 study, wind turbines emit low-frequency noise that decreases as distance from the turbines increases. However, even at distances over 300 meters, wind turbine noise can still be audible and range from 35-45 dB on average.

Evidence suggests wind turbine noise (WTN) can disrupt wildlife behaviors and lead to chronic stress and habitat avoidance. One review found that WTN particularly impacts bats and birds that rely on acoustic communication for mating and predator detection. The noise pollution can mask important auditory cues and disrupt sleep cycles.

For communities near wind farms, the turbine noise can also lead to annoyance, sleep disturbances, and other health effects like headaches and irritability. While wind energy provides environmental benefits, siting wind turbines requires carefully weighing noise impacts against benefits.

Bird and Bat Mortality

Wind turbines kill birds and bats that collide with the blades. A major concern with wind power development is bird and bat mortality from collisions with turbine blades. According to a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Energy, hundreds of thousands of birds are killed annually by wind turbines in the U.S. (1). Bats are also susceptible to barotrauma, a type of internal bleeding caused by a sudden change in air pressure near turbine blades.

The number of bird and bat fatalities varies by location, as species populations differ across regions. Raptors such as hawks and eagles appear to be most vulnerable. Research shows that strategic placement of wind farms, such as away from major bird migration routes, can help reduce collisions. Improved blade designs are also being developed to make turbines more visible to birds. Overall, the number of bird deaths from wind turbines remains relatively low compared to other man-made structures.

Habitat Damage

Wind power infrastructure such as access roads and transmission lines can damage habitats and disrupt wildlife. Large wind farms require many miles of access roads which fragment habitats. Roads provide access for predators to get deeper into wilderness areas and disrupt the natural patterns of wildlife.¹ Construction of wind facilities and power lines also requires clearing vegetation and leveling land, directly destroying habitat. One study found that each turbine requires about 0.7 hectares of clearcut land just for access roads and construction space.² This habitat loss and fragmentation is detrimental to species like prairie chickens who require large connected grasslands to thrive.

Use of Rare Earth Metals

Modern wind turbines utilize powerful permanent magnets made from rare earth metals like neodymium and dysprosium. According to a report by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, a typical 3MW wind turbine contains about one ton of rare earth metals (Alves Dias, 2020). The magnets in the generator and gearbox allow wind turbines to operate at higher power densities and efficiencies compared to previous generator technologies.

Neodymium and praseodymium are key rare earth metals used to make the powerful neodymium magnets inside wind turbine generators. Dysprosium and terbium are also added to the magnets to help them retain magnetism at higher temperatures (Wind Systems Magazine, 2021). While rare earth metals enable more powerful and efficient wind turbines, mining these metals raises environmental and social concerns. More sustainable mining and recycling methods will be needed to supply rare earths for the growing wind industry.

Land Usage

Wind farms can take up large areas of land to generate electricity on a utility scale. A typical onshore wind farm that generates 1 gigawatt of electricity requires over 70 square miles of land area. This is because wind turbines need to be spaced far apart to avoid wake effects from other turbines interfering with their wind flow. As wind power expands to provide a greater portion of electricity generation, the amount of land needed for wind farms will continue growing. There are potential tradeoffs between using land for wind turbines versus other purposes like agriculture, wildlife habitat or residential development. Some of the best wind resources are located in remote areas, but transmitting the electricity to population centers requires building extensive transmission infrastructure across long distances.

Some key disadvantages around wind power’s land usage include:

– Wind farms can disturb or alter large natural areas. This may fragment sensitive wildlife habitats.

– Local communities may object to having extensive industrial facilities built near residential zones.

– Prime agricultural land may be taken over for wind power facilities rather than farming.

– The variability of wind makes it less energy dense than other power sources for the land area occupied.

– New transmission line corridors are needed to bring wind power from source to market.

Overall the large land footprint required is an important environmental tradeoff that must be balanced with wind power’s benefits. Proper siting, impact mitigation and community engagement can help address land usage concerns with expanding wind farms.

Maintenance Costs

Wind turbines require regular maintenance, which comes with environmental costs. Maintenance needs to be conducted one to two times per year to inspect mechanical and electrical components (source). This involves the use of cranes, hoists, cleaning chemicals, lubricants, and replacement parts, all of which lead to environmental impacts from production, transportation, and disposal.

Maintenance visits also require technicians to drive to remote wind farm locations periodically. Fossil fuels are often used for these vehicles, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions.

There are additional carbon costs associated with manufacturing and transporting spare parts globally. Proper maintenance helps ensure maximum efficiency and lifespan of turbines, but still represents environmental costs over the life of a wind farm.

End of Life Disposal

Decommissioning wind turbines and disposing of their components properly is an important part of the process. Wind turbines have large blades made of composite materials that can be difficult to recycle. According to National Grid, “For wind turbines to be considered totally sustainable they must be built from 100% recyclable products” (https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/can-wind-turbine-blades-be-recycled). Companies like Carbon Rivers are working to improve recycling methods and achieve 99.9% purity from recycled glass fiber in wind turbine blades (https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/articles/carbon-rivers-makes-wind-turbine-blade-recycling-and-upcycling-reality-support). Proper disposal of decommissioned turbine parts is crucial for sustainability.

Transmission Lines

New transmission infrastructure is needed to transport wind power from wind farms to electricity consumers. This requires constructing many miles of high-voltage transmission lines and access roads to connect wind farms to the electric grid.

According to a report by the EPA, new transmission lines and roads to support them can disturb forests, wetlands, and other natural areas. Building transmission infrastructure requires clearing land for roads and tower foundations, which fragments the habitats of wildlife.

High voltage transmission lines also produce electromagnetic fields, which some studies suggest may impact human health and the environment. However, most regulatory and health agencies believe the scientific evidence on potential health effects from transmission lines is inconclusive and requires further research.

Aesthetic Impacts

Some people find the look of wind turbines and wind farms to be unsightly or disruptive to natural landscapes. Many object to their construction for aesthetic reasons. The large size of modern wind turbines, which can be hundreds of feet tall, makes them highly visible across large areas. Some argue the towering turbines ruin scenic vistas, particularly in rural areas or near parks and protected lands (Energy5). There are concerns from local residents that wind farms will negatively impact property values and tourism due to their visual presence (The Atlantic). However, some studies have found no conclusive evidence that home values consistently decline near wind farms. Overall, aesthetic impacts seem to be a matter of personal taste, but they contribute to local opposition campaigns in some areas planned for wind farm development.