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July 2002 |
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WINDY CITY |  Back to contents | |
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As Europe's windiest country1, the UK should be a regional leader in wind-powered energy. And yet to date, less than 0.5 per cent of the nation's energy needs are met through wind-generated projects.2 While in theory, the UK has enough off shore wind to meet at least twice its current electricity requirements,1 the UK still lags behind many of its European neighbours in exploiting wind power. Even the Department of Trade and Industry's estimate that around 10 per cent of the UK's electricity could be generated through wind energy by 2010 is still a dismally low figure. Most objections to wind power are at a local level; critics claim wind turbines are noisy and a visual intrusion on the landscape. But even so, it could be argued that many of the problems relating to siting turbines can be remedied through careful and sensitive planning. Furthermore there is a growing awareness of the benefits of wind-powered energy which, unlike gas and coal for instance, can produce electricity without generating polluting by-products such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide. An innovative project by Ealing Council - "Urban wind power: Maximising its potential" - has just become one of ten schemes across England and Wales to win a National Grid Community 21 Award for encouraging sustainable development in local communities. The award-winning study is unique in that it encourages developers and local authorities to examine the potential for wind power in urban areas. It is an interesting statistic that in the EU where 70 per cent of the population lives in urban areas and buildings account for 40 per cent of overall energy demand, there are still virtually no wind turbines in towns and cities where the majority of electricity is consumed.3 Up to now, attention has focused almost exclusively on large-scale wind farms in the rural environment or off shore, one reason being that wind turbines need to be sited on high exposed land4 or in coastal areas in order to capture good wind speeds and hence a more economic generation of electricity. The other barriers to urban projects, besides reduced wind speeds in urban areas, are safety fears and planning restrictions.3Pete Guest, general manager at the Eco Centre in south Wales also believes that the design of wind turbines has played an important role in influencing public perception. While the council acknowledges that urban wind power is unlikely to generate a substantial proportion of energy requirements, one key aim of the study is to raise people's awareness of renewable energy issues. The council believes that this can be achieved more quickly if the public are able to see renewable energy in action, and wind power is arguably the most easily visible renewable energy source. As Michael Calderbank, sustainability co-ordinator at Ealing Council, explains, the other key aim of the study is to develop a practical methodology for determining where turbines could be sited. "We'll be working with local partners, and using locations in the borough as case studies, to develop a national guide on how to find out whether an urban site is suitable for wind power," he says. In doing so, the council will explore the opportunities for supporting two local partnership initiatives along the A40, one of the busiest roads in London with an average of over 130,000 vehicles per day.5 If the methodology shows that siting the turbines is feasible, the results will be used, subject to positive results from further community consultation, by the two initiatives. Both have already expressed an interest in the use of wind power. The first initiative involves a partnership between the Northolt and Greenford Countryside Park Society, Ealing's Parks and Countryside Service and the local community with the aim of developing a new public ecological and recreation facility at Northala Fields. The 18.5 ha development would serve a dual purpose - it would provide the local area with facilities that are currently unavailable elsewhere in west London while the facilities' design is aimed at minimising resource use. As Mr Calderbank explains, the Northala Fields project (page 202) would incorporate new landforms in the form of four conical mounds, which would serve as a gateway marker and icon for the park. The mounds would also form part of a visual, noise and pollution barrier between the park and the A40. The partnership is actively considering the siting of wind turbines on the mounds to raise awareness of renewable energy and to provide electricity for the park. In the second initiative, Ealing's Local Agenda 21 Energy and Built Environment Group, working in partnership with Coston school in Greenford, have identified an underused corner of the school's playing fields as a potential site for a wind turbine. The partnership would plan to use the turbine as a way of improving a number of the school's facilities, most notably enhancing the lighting of the sports facilities. The turbine would also serve an additional purpose by complimenting other renewable energy initiatives such as a solar powered fountain and the governors' plans for a new toilet block incorporating solar panels for lighting and hot water. The "Urban Wind Power" project will be managed by the Local Agenda 21 team in partnership with energy consultants, the Centre for Sustainable Energy. The borough is also interested in working with other boroughs, which are thinking of looking at the feasibility of locating wind turbines in urban areas. The project is expected to cost a minimum of £8,000 of which £5,000 will be provided for by the National Grid Award. A large proportion of the project's cost will be taken up developing the methodology, which will comprise a feasibility study, a record of the costs, and the production of a good practice guide. The council has also taken into account additional costs for setting up and running a section of the LA21 website,6 which will be used to promote the methodology and for disseminating a full report and summary detailing the case study results. In developing the methodology and case studies, the council will need to assess a wide range of factors. These include an examination of the site topography and identification of potential planning issues; the measurement of actual wind speeds over a twelve-month period at sites chosen to have the greatest potential; and an assessment of any environmental impacts. The council also intends, through local community consultation, to look at options for partial community ownership of the scheme. In addition to supporting the development of the two local initiatives, the council's study has a number of longer-term aims:
As Mr Calderbank explains, Ealing's project aims to change local perceptions as well as those of other local authorities, developers and the general public to the potential and benefits of renewable energy including wind power in urban environments. Furthermore, the case studies and methodology "will demonstrate the potential of such local projects in tackling global problems such as climate change and remind people of the need to act locally while thinking globally." The council hopes that the project will encourage and assist communities to develop other ideas for renewable energy initiatives, for instance, helping to reduce fuel poverty in deprived neighbourhood renewal areas. While urban projects may not generate significant proportions of the local community's energy needs, small-scale projects can still play an important contributory role in promoting sustainability. According to the DTI, a wind turbine will produce over 30 times more energy than was used in its manufacture during its lifetime.1 Compared to coal and nuclear alternatives, wind power is arguably more cost-effective. As part of a larger wind-powered industry, the environmental and economic benefits clearly make it a viable energy option over the long term. Involving the local community will be key to the success of such projects and will demonstrate how local action can go a long way to tackling global issues.
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