Wind - Frequently Asked Questions
- Why the interest in wind energy?
- What about when the wind stops blowing?
- How much electricity can a wind farm generate?
- How much does wind energy cost?
- Do wind farms kill birds?
- If a wind farm is built near my house will the value of my property decrease?
- Are wind turbines noisy?
- Where are wind farms located in New Zealand and can I visit one?
- There is a windy hill on my property that would be great for a wind farm, what should I do?
- I am interested in constructing a small-scale wind turbine on my property do you have any information about this?
Why the interest in wind energy?
Wind generation at the best sites is now amongst the cheapest options for generating electricity. Wind generation has the added benefit of no carbon dioxide emissions, which helps us to meet our Kyoto commitments. As a nation, we have an increasing demand for electricity. Even with improvements in efficiency occurring, the overall demand for electricity has been increasing at about 1.8% per annum. So, more electricity generation capacity is required. Wind is abundant in New Zealand, in fact, up to 20% of New Zealand’s electricity supply could come from wind generation.
What happens when the wind isn’t blowing?
When there is not enough wind, electricity will be generated by other power stations such as hydro generators or even wind farms in more distant regions. Wind is no different to any other generation technology in this respect. For example, gas and coal-fired generators need to be shut down for maintenance regularly, so they are not always generating electricity.
How much electricity can a wind farm generate?
The electricity generated by a wind farm depends on generation capacity of the turbines, the average speed of the wind, and how consistently the wind blows throughout the year.
For example, the first two stages of the Tararua wind farm near Palmerston North have 103 turbines, each with a capacity of 660 kilowatts, and each turbine provides enough electricity to supply about 300 homes.
Te Apiti wind farm, also located near Palmerston North, has 55 turbines, each with a capacity of 1.65 megawatts, and each turbine provides enough electricity to supply about 700 homes.
How much does wind energy cost?
This depends on the scale of the project. Large commercial wind farms are much more economic than a small turbine for one household. Wind generation is one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation. In the Ministry of Economic Development publication New Zealand Energy Outlook to 2025 it has been estimated that the average unit cost of producing electricity from wind is somewhere between 6c and 8c/kWh. This price is comparable to other forms of new power generation, such as, hydro and coal.
Do wind farms kill birds?
As with any man-made structure, such as power lines, masts or buildings, it is possible for birds to collide with wind turbines. However, the numbers are low and evidence suggests that most birds grow accustomed to the presence of local turbines and avoid them. As wind farm development in New Zealand is at a relatively early stage, potential bird death rates are not known. However, after 10 years of operation, no bird deaths related to the Brooklyn wind turbine have been reported and the Tararua wind farm has had approximately 10 reported bird deaths in five years, all of which were magpies.
If a wind farm is built near my house will the value of my property decrease?
Given that wind farm development in New Zealand is still in its early stages a definitive answer cannot be given to this question. There is no evidence of property values having been devalued by the Tararua, Te Apiti or Hau Nui wind farms, or by the Brooklyn wind turbine where a large subdivision of high value housing has been built nearby. In fact, while it may not be linked to the proximity to the wind farm, the Real Estate Institute figures (2005 compared to 2003) show that property prices have risen faster than the national average for the two areas closest to the Te Apiti wind farm.
Are wind turbines noisy?
Wind turbines do produce some noise, but they are required to be located at a suitable distance from nearby residences so as to reduce the effect. Wind farms are designed to comply with a national New Zealand Standard (NZS 6808: 1998 Acoustics: The Assessment and Measurement of Sound from Wind Turbine Generators) which states that sound levels "measured at the boundary of any residential site must not exceed the greater of 40 decibels or background noise plus 5 decibels".
To put this standard into perspective:
- The sound of people whispering is about 30 decibels
- Refrigerators are about 43 decibels
- Normal speech is about 45 decibels
- A typical vacuum cleaner registers at about 70 decibels
Where are wind farms located in New Zealand and can I visit one?
The New Zealand Wind Energy Association has put together a map showing the location of wind farms in New Zealand. Most of the wind farms have viewing areas and in the case of the Brooklyn wind turbine in Wellington and one of the turbines at the Te Apiti wind farm near Palmerston North, you can actually stand at the base of the turbine.
There is a windy hill on my property that would be great for a wind farm, what should I do?
The New Zealand Wind Energy Association has produced an information paper - Wind Energy - Introductions to Large Wind Systems, for people who believe that they have land which would be suitable for development as a commercial scale wind farm.
I am interested in constructing a small-scale wind turbine on my property do you have any information about this?
EECA has a ‘Stand Alone Power Systems’ fact sheet that includes small wind power systems. The New Zealand Wind Energy Association has also produced an information paper titled Wind Energy - Introduction to Domestic/Small Wind Systems, for people interested in installing a small-scale wind turbine.
If you have any questions that have not been answered either here, or in the wind section of this website, you can email us at windenergy@eeca.govt.nz.