Frequently Asked Wind Power Questions
How does wind power benefit the community?
Aside from providing clean energy, Wind Power Projects benefit communities by providing a steady alternative revenue source for landowners, increasing the municipal tax base, and creating numerous local jobs during construction as well as several jobs during operation. Whenever possible, Greengate seeks to use local service providers.
How does wind power help the environment?
Wind energy is clean. Electricity is created without harmful Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and other emissions associated with burning fossil fuels and coal for electricity. Wind power in Alberta offsets gas and coal generation, reducing carbon oxide (COx), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions that affect the provincial air shed.
How do wind turbines work?
As wind moves over turbine blades, it causes lift, the same effect used by airplane wings. Lift causes the wind turbine blades to rotate. The rotating blades in turn rotate an electric generator, creating electricity. The electricity produced by a Wind Power Project is distributed through the electrical grid to serve local electrical load.
Wind turbine technology has been evolving rapidly, with recent advancements in technology making wind energy one of the most economical sources of new large-scale electricity generation. Modern wind turbines are typically 80m in height, with blade diameters ranging from 70m to 90m, and nameplate capacities ranging from 1.5MW to 2.5MW. Each modern wind turbine can supply the electricity needs of approximately 500 - 700 homes.
Wind turbines have a low impact on the surrounding environment, and are compatible with existing land uses (i.e. farming, grazing, etc.). The footprint of wind turbines is small utilizing approximately 1%-2% of the total land area comprising a wind project.
How are turbine locations selected?
First, consideration is given to wind speeds and access to available electrical infrastructure. Wind speeds are closely linked to topography. Changes in ground elevation can dramatically affect wind speeds. Once regions with strong and consistent winds are selected, consideration is given to site constraints. Environmentally or culturally significant areas, aboriginal areas of interest, homes, roads and other infrastructure, communication signal paths, local development bylaws, and other site-specific constraints are incorporated into the layouts. Designers then perform site visits to ensure that site constraints have been properly identified. Finally, turbulence created by the turbines is modeled to ensure that energy losses are kept low. The layouts are then shared with stakeholders prior to being submitted for municipal and provincial approval.
Are birds, bats and wildlife taken into consideration?
All of Greengate’s projects are being developed to meet stringent Provincial and Federal guidelines. Environmental impact assessments are performed for each project, including a full range of bird and wildlife surveys spanning four seasons. Historical resources and sensitive or rare vegetation are assessed for each turbine sites as locations are finalized. For migratory birds and bats, detailed monitoring is performed during migration seasons to ensure that development of the Wind Power Project does not interfere with migratory paths. The Wind Power Project is designed for minimal adverse impact on wildlife and the environment.
What is the status of wind power in Alberta and abroad?
The provincial grid operator currently lists 497 MW of installed wind generation in Alberta. More than 5,000MW of projects are awaiting access to transmission capacity. The total wind power capacity operating in Canada exceeds 1,500MW. Many provinces including British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec have announced plans to add significant wind capacity over the coming years. Globally, there are more than 78,000MW of wind power installed.