WIND FARMSGood or Bad?

By Z,J and I

Cefn croes

• Cefn Croes is the UKs largest onshore wind farm project .

• It is situated near Aberystwyth. • There are 38 1.5 mw wind turbines in

total.• In its estimated annual generation it is

estimated to serve 40,000 households and will contribute to the UKs aim to make 15% of its electricity renewable by 2015. It is estimated that it will save 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

• The site gives employment to over 100 people

• It takes up about 7.5km2 of land.

Good Points

• The UK is a very windy country. Wind power can generate 10% of the electricity we use. There are also many suitable sites on and offshore. It is getting cheaper to develop.

Good Points

• The land that wind farms are built on can be farmed so we are able to grow crops there. They do not cause permanent scarring to the landscape when they are removed and whoever owns the land gets paid for the use.

Good points

Wind farms are the most energy efficient of all the electricity generating technologies. They do not emit green house gases that cause global warming and are a renewable energy source.

Good Points

• You don’t need fuel for the turbines to keep going which means you don’t have to worry about where to store it. Wind energy is ideal for some islands where it is hard to get electricity because the wind farms can be built in the water.

Bad points

• Wind farms are not very attractive to most people. They are placed in sites of natural beauty and ruin views. Tourists can be put off by them.

Bad points

• Unfortunately the wind does not blow all the time and the energy can not be stored from stormy weather. This means that on calmer days you can not use wind energy.

Bad points

• The turbines can be very noisy and disturbing if you live near them. And they can interfere with television signals. This means that you’ll probably have to invest in double glazing.

Bad points

• It may be becoming cheaper to develop but it still is expensive to pay for wind energy. You will have to pay more for your electricity.

• The fast moving blades can also kill migrating birds.

Good or Bad?

• Overall we think that wind farming is good The turbines may be unattractive to look at and noisy to live by but they do not contribute to global warming. They are accessible to more remote areas.