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Small Wind Factsheets
What About Visual Impact?
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Because a small wind turbine must be mounted
on a tall tower to function effectively, the turbine itself may
be visible from some distance.
Why do small turbines
need tall towers?
To capture the wind's energy effectively,
a turbine needs unobstructed access to the wind. Close to the
ground, built and natural features of the landscape create turbulence.
As a rule of thumb, small turbines should be mounted at least
30 feet above any structures or natural features (buildings, trees,
bluffs) within 300 feet of the installation.
A second reason for mounting the turbine on
a tall tower is to take advantage of higher wind speeds which
occur at greater heights above the ground. Wind power increases
exponentially with wind speed, so the same size turbine can generate
up to one-third more power if it is mounted at 100 feet than if
it is mounted at 65 feet.
How will a small wind
turbine affect the "character" of the community?
The visibility of a small turbine will depend
on its height and on the topography of the surrounding landscape.
One turbine owner elected to paint his tower and turbine blades
dark green to blend in with trees in the background. A turbine
may be visible from one direction but not from another. Bear in
mind that residential turbine rotors are about 23 feet in diameter,
as contrasted with the 150- to 260-ft. rotors on today's large
utility-scale turbines.
The "impact" of a visible small turbine depends to some
extent on the eye of the beholder. Some people find on the aerodynamic
design of the turbine graceful, others disagree. How will it affect
the "character" of the neighborhood? Small wind turbines
are consistent with agricultural land use, and probably would
be considered to have less visual impact than a water tower, a
common feature of the rural landscape. Utility poles, cellular
phone towers, and satellite dishes may also be considered as comparable
features of the existing landscape. Chances are, while a small
turbine may be new to your community, it will not dramatically
alter its character.
Will the turbine need
to be lighted?
The Federal Aviation Administration does
not generally require that towers under 200 feet be lighted. Thus,
while some very large industrial-scale wind turbine towers may
need to have lights (particularly if they are near an airport
facility), it is unlikely that a residential-scale turbine will
need to be lighted. For sites closer than two miles to an airport
or runway, tower height may be restricted by FAA regulations.
References
Other Fact Sheets Available
on Small Wind Energy:
What is Small
Wind?
How Much Noise Do Small Wind Turbines Make?
Do Small Turbines Kill Birds?
Small Wind Systems and Public Safety
How Do Small Wind Systems Affect Property
Values?
The Economics
of Small Wind
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