Geography For Schools

During a visit to Natural Power’s Rothes development students were able to see everything from the construction and assembly process to working turbines.

Each turbine stands 100 metres from the ground to the tip of the rotor and will generate over 2 megawatts of electricity – enough to meet the annual needs of over 1,200 households.

Students were told that although wind turbines are thought by some to be unsightly they are not necessarily a permanent feature. Companies are required to re-instate sites after a period of 20 to 25 years.

Scotland has considerable resources available to it in terms of wind and wave power and with careful management, respect for natural heritage and community acceptance these energy forms are considered by many to be a renewable alternative to fossil fuel and nuclear generation.

Students were interested to see the work being carried out to regenerate natural vegetation and will visit the site again over the coming years. The site is certainly impressive in scale and can be seen from the Rothes – Elgin road. Putting aside the debate on proliferation, wind turbines are currently the best practical demonstration of a real ambition to change our attitude towards energy provision.

Wind Turbines – love them or loathe them they are now viewed by many land based industries as one of the more feasible diversification opportunities on the horizon ( no pun intended).

It is very difficult to disregard the views of individuals concerned enough to hold an opinion – and equally hard to put a value on those parts of the environment which are an issue. However we are now entering a time when the real environmental and political cost of fossil fuel energy may hit domestic and industrial consumers like a sledgehammer.

There is a serious government commitment to renewable energy provision in the UK, and quota systems and obligations are imposed on power suppliers to generate or source renewables or pay financial penalties.

Entrepreneurs are now attracted to what they see as a low risk investment which some groups in society seem to view as just "wrong". Unfortunately it is very hard to drive an initiative like wind farming without sound financial return for the investors – a key concept in sustainable development. Looking around Aberdeenshire and Moray one can see industrial estates which are certainly not easy on the eye. There is also housing provision, infrastructure and congestion all generated from the need to harvest fossil fuels as quickly as possible.

I would hope that somewhere there is a compromise which will allow the growth of the renewables industry in rural areas in an environmentally acceptable form so the full benefits of hydrogen cell technology, diversity of supply and using Scotland’s natural resources can be realised.

What are the Issues Associated with Wind Farms?

1. Visual intrusion in sensitive landscapes is high on the agenda – and very difficult to quantify. Mathematical models and line diagrams are becoming more commonly requested. As technical representations they are "more scientific" than the gut feeling of individuals but expensive and time consuming.

2. Noise is a common reason for objection but again the psychological effects are more difficult to judge than the actual level of noise. People do find it easier to complain about noise however as it can be actually measured and predicted.

3. Damage to natural habitats is a real concern particularly if the access infrastructure causes a modification or obstruction to the perceived natural drainage of a site.

This is complicated historically as land use practice in an area may well have significantly altered this in the past, at a time when little or no control was exercised in upland areas. To put it simply an upland heather moor may have been covered by trees in the 17th century so what we see today is not a natural habitat but a result of centuries of change.

4. Direct bird strike is obviously a serious concern and datasets are currently being refined which should minimise the risk of serious impact damage to native bird species. The RSPB are not automatically opposed to wind farming in appropriate locations.

Students studying for their Degree in Sustainable Environmental Management at SAC are encouraged to look at sustainability in its wider context. The accompanying picture (above) was taken on a visit to a wind farm under construction near Rothes and the students were encouraged to make up their own minds about the development rather than form an opinion from the text of a publication.

Energy is one of the most complicated and fundamental problems facing mankind and once the bill coming through the letterbox fully reflects the environmental cost of conventional energy systems I suspect compromise might be more easily achieved.