7 Myths About Wind Turbines, Busted.

5th June, 2017

"Windmills are destroying every country they touch - and the energy is unrealiable and terrible." So tweeted Donald Trump back in 2012.

These kind of criticisms get thrown around all the time. But plenty of what we hear is misleading, confusing or just plain untrue. We've busted seven of the most common myths about onshore wind.

Item number 1
Do They Kill Birds?

Tragically wind turbines do kill some birds. But they're responsible for only 0.01% of bird deaths caused by humans. Domestic cats, buildings, roads, and pylons, kill far more.
Item number 2
Aren't They Expensive?

Onshore wind is the cheapest form of new electricity generation going. It's hard to say the exact price, but energy geeks have done their calculations and they think onshore wind has been the cheapest energy source for over a year in the UK. It's the same across Europe - it's even competitive with cheap gas in some countries.
Item number 3
Are They Noisy?

They do make some noise. But modern turbines are designed to minimalise noise, and most countries have regulations about where turbines can be placed. Even for the closest households to wind farms, the background noise level is equivalent to a fridge's hum.
Item number 4
They're Bad for Your Health, Right?

Wrong. Researchers have found no evidence that the noise from turbines harms your health. There is a phenomenon known as 'shadow flicker' which can affect people with autism or epilepsy, but regulations mean builders now have to take this into account when they're built so they don't produce this effect.
Item number 5
Aren't They an Eyesore?

Aesthetics are a personal thing. It's fine if you don't like the way they look, but when asked how positive they feel towards onshore wind turbines, people say - 'very'! Supporters include 80% of people in France, 79% in Norway and 74% in Germany. It's normal to like wind power. Many people find them very beautiful!
Item number 6
How Low-Carbon Are They Really?

Building any kind of energy infrastructure creates carbon emissions, but when US researchers assessed the carbon emissions of 2MW turbines over a 20 year lifespan, they found that a turbine should pay back its carbon costs in just 5 months of switching on!
Item number 7
Won't Wind Turbines Cause Blackouts?

They do cause some variations in electricity supply for the National Grid, which does need managing, but as our weather prediction skills increase, so does our ability to plan ahead. In 2015, wind produced 42% of Denmark's electricity and it's one of the most reliable energy systems in Europe, with four times fewer power cuts than the UK! Go wind!