RIGHT KNOWN WRONGS IN WIND ENERGY
Wind turbines, which are seen in abundance by those who go on holiday in summer and comment abundantly with various estimates and hearsay information, actually contain one of the most environmentalist movements about our world under their gigantic images. While we need to get rid of fossil fuels urgently, the myths about wind power are still confusing.
In this article, we wanted to give the main information as much as we can and convey the mistakes that are thought to be correct.
The average blade diameter of a turbine is around 60 to 100 meters. Tower height from the ground can also vary between 65 and 120 meters. Of course, these figures vary according to environmental conditions. In our country, it is accepted that a wind power plant with a power of 5 MW per square kilometer can be established in areas with a height of 50 m from the ground and wind speeds above 7.5 (m/sec).
Wind turbines protect themselves. The turbine stops operating below a certain wind speed (3-4m/sec) and above a certain wind speed (90-108m/sec). The wind regime in our country is extremely suitable for turbine installation.
Now we can move on to the false facts part.
FALSE 1: It is claimed that wind turbines emit electromagnetic radiation harmful to human health.
TRUTH: Parts that will cause electromagnetic radiation are electrical generators and transformers; The magnetic radiation emitted by them is also extremely low and effective in a very small area. These transformers and generators are already used everywhere in our environment. Measurements show that the magnetic radiation caused by these parts is negligible even when we reach the base of the turbine. If there is any concern about radiation, it is better to talk about hair dryers.
FALSE 2: Wind turbines prevent the operation of electronic devices.
TRUTH: Wings do not affect magnetic waves, but they can block them. This also applies to short distances. The phone may not be able to receive while inside the tower; However, there is no problem in the operation of devices such as telephones and radios beyond 20 meters.
FALSE 3: Wind power plants harm agriculture.
TRUTH: On the contrary, wind power plants occupy only 1 percent of the area where they are installed. The rest of the area can be used for agriculture. Since wind turbines are zero waste, soils, lakes and streams remain clean. Because it does not use water, the saved water remains for agriculture and people’s use. However, thousands of tons of water are consumed every day in thermoelectric power plants.
FALSE 4: Wind power plants are noisy.
TRUTH: A wind turbine now emits no more than a refrigerator at a distance of 300 meters. The sound of the wind blowing in quiet rural areas is often louder than that of turbines. Nevertheless, it is a priority to install wind turbines away from the surrounding settlements in order to prevent possible disturbances based on EIA reports.
FALSE 5. Wind energy causes bird deaths.
TRUTH: Every wind power plant is established as a result of the review of Environmental Impact Assessment reports. Great care is taken not to set up plants in areas, such as migration routes, that attract large bird or bat groups. It has been calculated that the total turbines are responsible for the direct death of only 0.01-0.02 percent of all birds that die each year, whereas land vehicles cause many times more of these deaths.
6.YANLIŞ: Turkey is not a geography have enough wind to benefit from wind energy.
TRUTH: According to the data of German Wind Energy Institute DEWI, our country’s wind potential is equivalent to Spain’s wind potential. Spain, on the other hand, ranks second after Germany among countries with wind farm installed power in Europe.
FALSE 7: Wind energy cannot be an uninterruptible power source.
RIGHT: Turkey’s wind map shows that it is possible to produce electricity from wind energy there almost whole year. The last wind turbine installed power of our country is 8700 MW and these thousands of turbines are connected to the interconnected system without any problem. Apart from this, technology is developing and if the energy storage capacity is created around 6 times the hourly production, it can produce energy without the need for any other energy support.