Latest map of Turbines around Dunfermline

Click here to see full details

Plans for Dunfermline to be surrounded by 100m+ (330ft) Wind Turbines

A series of plans have recently been submitted that could see Dunfermline being surrounded by giant Wind Turbines.  Partnership for Renewables, working with The Forestry Commission, announced this week that they are planning approximately 30 turbines, 125m tall at two sites close to Dunfermline at Blairadam and Devilla Forests as well as large single turbines at Dean Plantation, Carnock and Tullylumb, Cardenden. Additionally, London based firm, WindFuture Ltd has recently submitted plans for 4 x 125m turbines at Keirsbeath, Halbeath, not to mention the 100m Turbine at FMC in Pitreavie, upon which work has recently commenced.

Andrew Turner, of the Dunfermline based environmental group, SPOT Fife commented

“Decisions will be made in the coming months by Councillors and Planners which will determine whether or not Dunfermline will be part of a Wind Turbine landscape, surrounded by more than 40 Turbines, each much taller than the Wallace Monument; potentially undermining all the good work done in recent years to attract visitors to the area. It is hoped that Planners and Councillors will see the value in Dunfermline’s ancient heritage and surrounding landscape and reject these unsuitable proposals. 

 “It is disappointing that the tax-payer-funded Forestry Commission appears unconcerned, that their Wind Farm plans affect locations, identified by Fife Council, as being unsuitable for Wind Turbines; and additionally they are located in landscape areas classified as being Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLVs).”

Update of the North Fife Map

This is the latest map of the area, with the following additions:

Blairadam 70m anemometry mast

Dean Plantation 70m anemometry mast

Hilltop Farm 2 x 130m Wind Turbines

Craigluscar Tank House 27m Turbine

Click here to view the link in Google Maps

Fife Council releases new policy guidelines on Wind Energy

Spot Fife has given a warm welcome to the new policy guidelines referring to Wind Energy. We believe it provides the Planners with a set of tools to properly scrutinise potential developments with small numbers of medium sized turbines, however we are concerned about the minimum distance between a turbine and a dwelling being only 10 rotor diameters to protect from shadow flicker. We have found no research to provide the efficacy of this rather arbitrary measurement, in fact there is plenty of research that shows this does not provide enough protection to householders.

To find out more, you can download the guidelines here:
http://admin.1fife.org.uk/uploadfiles/publications/c64_Item08-combined6.pdf

Newington Farm wind turbine rejected (The Courier)

The construction of a wind turbine north of Cupar has been prevented after those behind it refused to provide councillors with further details of the potential for noise nuisance.

The Browns, of Inverdovat Farm, Newport, wanted planning permission for a 41.5m turbine at Newington Farm, near Luthrie. Electricity from the turbine would have been used for farm cold stores, with surplus sold to the national grid. However, the application was knocked back by Fife Council's north-east Fife area committee, which was told that the information it requested a month ago about acoustics at the nearest residential properties had been declined.

Howe of Fife and Tay Coast councillor David MacDiarmidproposed the turbine should not be built as it could createnoise nuisance, would harm the landscape and impact visual amenity.

He said, "We asked for more further noise information, the applicant has refused and we are being asked to put through this wind turbineapplication."I still don't think we have the information we need."

Cupar councillor Roger Guy said, "I find it difficult to see why we are proceeding with this application without sufficient information on noise." After being asked to provide more specific data after a meeting last month, the applicants simply referred to wind turbine guidance for turbines of that category.

Planner Mary Stewart told the committee that that guidance had been followed and that the councillors' request was above and beyond what was normally expected.

Her department recommended that consent be given with a condition that the turbine operated below a set noise level.

Creich and Flisk Community Council was pleased with the outcome.

Chairman Alan Evans said, "Although potential noise nuisance was considered important, it was the effect of this sizable structure on the sensitive rural landscape around Moonzie and also on the adjacent Tay coast special landscape area which seemed to sway the committee.

"The overriding consideration when judging development proposals in designated landscape areas is that they must either maintain or enhance the landscape and in this case that clearly could not be achieved with a structure of this size at this exposed site."

He added, "It was noted that the proposal breached many of Fife Council's own planning policies and we are very pleased that councillors used this as an effective tool to maintain the unspoilt landscape character of this area."

See article

Wind industry and Decc urged to come clean on output of wind farms - theecologist.org 4/5/11

With a new analysis showing UK wind farms operating at just 20 per cent of their capacity in 2010, the potential of wind power has been called into question. Eifion Rees examines the arguments from both sides

The efficacy of wind power has been called into question by a new report suggesting wind turbines are not living up to their billing by government and industry. Opponents are now urging both to make public data they hold on wind power.

Read full article:

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/873232/wind_industry_and_decc_urged_to_come_clean_on_output_of_wind_farms.html

Energy Prices to increase Fuel Poverty - BBC

Quarter of Households predicted to turn-off Heating

Rising fuel bills may force a quarter of homes to turn off their heating at some point next winter, a price comparison site claims.

Uswitch says that last winter, an estimated 20% of people it surveyed had regularly turned off their heating.

And it predicts that with fuel tariffs expected to rise, the number will be higher this year.

The Bank of England said this week that gas prices could rise by 15% later this year, and electricity by 10%.

'Pray for a mild winter'

Uswitch said that a survey of almost 1,600 of its customers carried out in January had indicated that 20% of them had turned their heating off regularly in order to save money last winter.

The firm's spokesman Ann Robinson, the former chairman of Energywatch, says: "This time it's going to be a minimum of 25%."

Read Full Artcicle:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13394095

Make sure your objection counts

Planners turning "Objections" to "Neutral"

This week a Fife Planning Case Officer notified SPOT Fife that it was common practice to adjust the "stance" of Comments made, from "Objecting" to "Neutral" if they deemed the content of the objection did not contain Material Considerations.

Make sure your views are heard and not changed by following these guidelines.

Click here to download guidelines

Another Application

There has been another application this week. This time from Steelend Farm, for 6 x 19.36m Turbines.

This is how the map is now looking:

Click here to view in Google Maps

Group fears landowners are pushing turbine envelope north of Dunfermline - The Courier

An environmental protection group has expressed its fears that developers seem to be engaged in a "race to profit" from setting up wind turbines in an area deemed unsuitable for their use.

SPOT Fife says it has serious concerns about the number of wind turbine applications coming forward for a zone north of Dunfermline, which has already been earmarked by Fife Council as unsuitable due to the area's high landscape value.

The comments came after a further two developerssubmitted proposals in the last week, adding to an already high number apparently in the pipeline.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Fife/article/13602/group-fears-landowners-are-pushing-turbine-envelope-north-of-dunfermline.html

Windfarms paid cash to switch off - bbc.co.uk

Six Scottish windfarms were each paid up to £300,000 to switch off their turbines due to excessive supply, it emerges.

The turbines, at a range of sites across Scotland, were stopped because the grid network could not absorb all the energy they generated.

Details of the payments emerged following research by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF).

The REF said energy companies were paid £900,000 to halt the turbines for several hours between 5 and 6 April.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/uk-scotland-13253876 

Wind farm efficiency queried by John Muir Trust study - BBC

Wind farms are much less efficient than claimed, producing below 10% of capacity for more than a third of the time, according to a new report.

The analysis also suggested output was low during the times of highest demand.

The report, supported by conservation charity the John Muir Trust, concluded turbines "cannot be relied upon" to produce significant levels of power generation.

Read the whole story

Scottish Natural Heritage Policy on Siting Wind Turbines

This is an excellent guide on the siting and designing of Wind Turbines. It makes the point that inappropriate siting of Wind Turbines will reduce public support for the technology and will hamper efforts to meet renewables targets.

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A317537.pdf

Customers face huge bill for wind farms that don't work in the cold - Tom McGhie, Daily Mail

The failure of Britain’s wind farms to produce electricity in the extreme cold will cost billions of pounds, create an economic crisis and lead to blackouts, leading industrialists have warned.

To cover up the ineffectiveness of wind farms the Government will be forced to build emergency back-up power plants, the cost of which will be paid by industry and consumers.

Jeremy Nicholson, director of the Energy Intensive Users Group, which represents major companies employing hundreds of thousands of workers in the steel, glass, pottery, paper and chemical industries, said the failure of wind power had profound implications.

He was speaking after new figures showed that during the latest cold snap wind turbines produced less than two per cent of the nation’s electricity. 

Now Mr Nicholson predicts that the Government will encourage power companies to build billions of pounds worth of standby power stations in case of further prolonged wind failures.

And the cost of the standby generation will be paid for by industry and households through higher bills – which could double by 2020.

Industry regulator Ofgem has already calculated that the cost of achieving sustainable energy targets – set by Brussels but backed by the British Government – will amount to £200 billion, which will mean that annual household fuel bills will double to about  £2,400 on average within the next ten years.

In the last quarter ending December 23, wind turbines produced on average 8.6 per cent of our electricity, but the moment the latest bad weather arrived with snow and freezing temperatures, this figure fell to as low as 1.8 per cent.

The slack was immediately taken up by efficient, but dirty, coal-fired power stations and oil-fired plants.

‘What is so worrying is that these sort of figures are not a one off,’ said Mr Nicholson. ‘It was exactly the same last January and February when high pressure brought freezing cold temperatures, snow and no wind.’

In fact last year, the failure of wind power to produce electricity was even more profound.

Then, over a few days, the lack of wind meant that only 0.2 per cent of a possible five per cent of the UK’s energy was generated by wind turbines.

So little energy was generated then that the National Grid, which is responsible for balancing supply and demand of energy in the UK, was forced to ask its biggest users – industry – to ration supplies.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345439/Customers-face-huge-wind-farms-dont-work-cold.html#ixzz1ISWaAwpc

How do bats die at Wind Turbine sites?

Power-generating wind turbines have long been recognized as a potentially life-threatening hazard for birds. But at most wind facilities, bats actually die in much greater numbers. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology, a Cell Press journal know why.


Film of the threats to bats

Ninety percent of the bats they examined after death showed signs of internal hemorrhaging consistent with trauma from the sudden drop in air pressure (a condition known as barotrauma) at turbine blades. Only about half of the bats showed any evidence of direct contact with the blades.

"Because bats can detect objects with echolocation, they seldom collide with man-made structures," said Erin Baerwald of the University of Calgary in Canada. "An atmospheric-pressure drop at wind-turbine blades is an undetectable—and potentially unforeseeable—hazard for bats, thus partially explaining the large number of bat fatalities at these specific structures.

"Given that bats are more susceptible to barotrauma than birds, and that bat fatalities at wind turbines far outnumber bird fatalities at most sites, wildlife fatalities at wind turbines are now a bat issue, not a bird issue."

Iphone & iPad app to check the stats

This app allows you to view the UK's electricity generation, separated by generation type. The average generation for the last 5 minutes and half hour can be viewed, as well as the total generation in the last 24 hours.

Three new Turbines get planning approval in Steelend

Another three Wind Turbines have recently obtained Planning Permission, this time in Steelend.

Below is the latest map. Click here to see it in detail.

Letter from Bernard Ingham to Chris Huhne - Energy Secretary (The Times, 7th march)

Dear Chris

I've been meaning to write this letter for some time.

I am assured on all sides that you have a very good brain and are "an evidence-based economist". Unfortunately, this does not square with your energy policy. It has more inconsistencies in it than holes in a colander. I am not ungrateful now that you have cleared the way for the private development of nuclear power -. My particular interest. You have certainly come off your untenable opposition to it, which is a blessing. But to suggest that you are in favour of it is pure spin. You will contemplate it only if not a penny of public subsidy is involved.

This would be fair enough, especially as the nuclear industry is not, to my knowledge, seeking subsidies, if you were not simultaneously pouring riches beyond the dreams of avarice at a time of straitened national finances into largely useless renewable sources of energy, notably wind and solar. You are able to do this only because the taxpayer is riot being asked to throw good money after bad. Instead, the consumer has to foot the mounting bill. So much for concern about fuel poverty: I've space for only one more inconsistency:

If you are in the business of the security of electricity supply, why wind (which is totally unreliable) and solar (no use at night)? Especially when engineers have serious doubts about how much wind the national grid can take without blowing a gasket. .In short, your energy policy sadly lacks evidence of brainpower. It certainly will not deliver your declared objective of securing low- carbon electricity supplies in an affordable way: Only nuclear can deliver that. It's so elementary that I worry about you.

Bernard Ingham

Wind farm developer accused of 'desperate attempts' to exaggerate support for plans - The Courier

A wind farm developer has been accused of hiring lobbyists to back its bid to build turbines on a Fife hillside.
West Coast Energy is using PR firm Invicta Public Affairs as it attempts to gain planning permission for seven 120-metre high turbines on Clatto Hill, between Kennoway and Kingskettle.

Following a sudden spate of letters of support to Fife Council after several months of objections piling up, campaigners Clatto Landscape Protection Group claimed the firm was making "desperate attempts" to create the impression of support for its project.

Read full article in The Courier

Another 60m Wind Turbine in Planning on road to Saline - Please object!!

Please click on this link to find out more and to object

Click here to see the updated map below in Google Maps

Councillors consider bid for 600ft Methil wind turbine — amid concerns over noise level

Proposals to create a massive wind turbine just off the Fife coast are to come under the spotlight this week when councillors consider their formal response to a consultation on the project.

Read full article in the Courier, click here

Impact on UK Farming

Average age of UK farmer is 55 so payments from Wind Turbines are their retirement. What will happen to farms? Food prices are already increasing, UK government recognises the need to produce more of our own food, this directly opposes the Wind Turbine policy. Farmers make more from wind farms than farming. The UK is in danger of losing its “Food Security” and being reliant on other countries to feed its population.

Payments to Landowners

We are not nimbys

Communities and individuals usually only start looking into the effectiveness of wind power when it becomes something that directly affects them, such as when plans for a wind farm in the local area are being discussed.  It’s at this point when research is undertaken that you begin to realise it’s not reducing carbon footprint, even the landowners who site turbines on their land agree they only do it for the ‘subsidies’.

The cost of renewable energy to every UK taxpayer

On every gas and electricity bill that UK households receive, there is a hidden tax. A tax of more than 8%.  It's called the Renewables Obligation.  Energy companies are obligated – that is, they are forced by the government under pain of fines and imprisonment – to spend a chunk of their revenues developing and installing non-fossil energy production systems.  That means they are forced to pay for things like wind factories, photo-electric technology and wave power, whether or not they think these generation methods have the slightest value, either to themselves or the nation.

Like all political efforts to make companies pay for things, the government's plan does not work.  The energy companies do not pay for these generation technologies.  The cost does not come out of their profits, or their shareholders' dividends.  It comes from their customers, naturally.  All of us who use energy in the home – and there may be one or two completely self-sufficient households in the UK, but the other 28 million or so do have to buy in gas or electricity – end up paying.  We pay this premium on our bills so that our energy companies can subsidise wind farmers.

This information is taken from The Renewables Obligation, August 26, 2010, written by Dr Eamonn Butler, The Adam Smith Institute. Click here for the full article.

Lessons to learn from other countries

Denmark (population 5.3 million) has over 6,000 turbines that produced electricity equal to 19% of what the country used in 2002, only 7% of this energy is used, the remaining 12% is wasted or exported at a very low cost.

Wind turbines are so expensive that Holland recently became the first country in Europe to abandon their EU renewable energy target announcing that it’s to slash it’s annual subsidies by billions of euros.

Wind Power is not Effective

Because of the intermittency and variability of the wind, conventional power plants must be kept running at full capacity to meet the actual demand for electricity.  To date, no power stations have been shut down as a result of wind energy and investment is not being put in to maintain existing power stations so there is a real risk that we will import more energy in future as a result of too much reliance on wind farms. 

Most power stations cannot simply be turned on and off as the wind dies and rises.  The quick ramping up and down of those that can be would actually increase their output of pollution and carbon dioxide (the primary "greenhouse" gas).  When the wind is blowing just right for the turbines, the power they generate is usually a surplus and sold to other countries at an extremely discounted price, or the turbines are simply shut off.

Map of Wind Turbines North of Dunfermline

Click on this link to Google Maps to find out heights, planning stage and location





Why the £250bn wind power industry could be the greatest scam of our age - and here are the three 'lies' that prove it - Daily Mail

Scarcely a day goes by without more evidence to show why the Government's obsession with wind turbines, now at the centre of our national energy policy, is one of the greatest political blunders of our time.

Under a target agreed with the EU, Britain is committed within ten years — at astronomic expense — to generating nearly a third of its electricity from renewable sources, mainly through building thousands more wind turbines.

But the penny is finally dropping for almost everyone — except our politicians — that to rely on windmills to keep our lights on is a colossal and very dangerous act of self-deception. Read Full Article

See the Screening Planning Application - Cowdens Farm

If you would like to see the screening planning application made and coment on it, then follow this link.

What the farmers say...

When interviewed about the article below in the Dunfermline Press relating to the 3 x 86m wind Turbines being proposed, a local farmer had the following to say:

"99.9% of farmers at the market are getting them"
"I don't want to be left behind"
"We're going for 85m turbines, but trust me, they'll only be 45m ones"
"I didn't know (LocoGen) were submitting plans"
"The big one is going to be behind Roscobie Hill, not there (Dunduff)"
"You won't make me change my mind, they'll be going up everywhere"
"It's my land, I need the money and will do whatever I need to to get the best return"

Firm sounds out Fife Council over 85-metre wind turbines - Dunfermline Press

A WIND energy company has put in a pre-application screening notice for three wind turbines near Steelend.

The scoping exercise, by Edinburgh-based Locogen Ltd, is for three medium-scale turbines - which could be up to 85 metres in height - at Cowdens Farm, Dunduff...
Read More

It is interesting to read that Ian McLean, Locogen's wind projects manager, said the turbines could be anywhere between 50-85m. Whereas the submission to Fife Council states that they are 86.25m.

How big is a 65m Wind Turbine?

The Wallace Monument, which is visible from Fife, is 62m high. See how it compares to one of the "medium" sized wind turbines. Imagine what an 85m "medium" sized turbine would look like.

What do they sound like?

Listen to a a Wind Turbine situated in Aberdeen:
http://www.wind-watch.org/video-aberdeenshire.php

Imagine it at night when there's no other noise around, or sitting out in the garden.

Watch what happens to a Wind Turbine in a storm

If you're worried about what might happen when there is too much wind for a Wind Turbine to cope, take a look at this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3FZtmlHwcA