2013年1月24日 星期四

Wind turbines 'could interfere with weather forecasts'

It has objected that interference from the dozens of giant blades would lead to "false warnings of severe and hazardous weather being issued", while heavy rainfall and flood alerts could be missed, according to a newspaper.

The agency has written to planning authorities to register opposition to plans to erect more than 20 turbines at a mountainous site in Wales near one of its weather stations.

It said that the 400ft constructions could reflect the electromagnetic waves emitted by radar, creating "clutter" which can interfere with the accuracy of readings of atmospheric conditions.

The Met Office has lodged objections to proposals for the wind farm at Llanllwni, Carmarthenshire, which is currently under appeal, according to the Daily Mail.

It is also expected to fight plans for a 28-turbine site at Brechfa, which will go before planners in March. The sites are both a few miles from a weather radar at Crug-Y-Gorllwyn in Carmarthenshire, which gives coverage for south and west Wales.

The Met Office argued that analysis of the June flooding close to Aberystwyth showed the adverse effect that another wind farm, 14 miles away from the same radar, had on the accuracy of rain forecasts.

A spokesman said: "Weather radar is the only means currently available for monitoring in real time the location and intensity of a range of weather hazards, including rain, hail and snow. "Clutter from wind turbines can lead to false warnings of severe and hazardous weather being issued.

"Another risk is the potential for missed warnings where either rainfall returns are obscured either by clutter or because more aggressive quality control, developed to try to mitigate wind farm clutter, can have the side effect of deleting real rainfall signals." It is the latest skirmish in the battle over wind farms, an issue which has split the Coalition.

Greg Barker, the climate change minister, has said they can be "wonderful" and "majestic" but his energy minister John Hayes has promised to "protect England's green and pleasant land" from them. A study in November found that wind farm noise causes "clear and significant" damage to people's sleep and mental health.

"Ireland has the potential to generate far more wind energy than we could consume domestically," Mr Rabbitte said. "The opportunity to export this green power presents an opportunity for employment growth and export earnings which we must seize if we can."

Millions of British homes will be powered by clean electricity exported from Ireland following an agreement that could secure the State billions in UK investments.

The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) estimated that up to 30,000 jobs could be created across the country by 2020. According to the Department of Energy, the construction phase of a 3,000 megawatt project alone could create up to 6,000 jobs.

The 80 megawatt Mount Lucas windfarm, one of the biggest in Ireland and the UK, will be just one of a string of clean energy hubs that could export its wind energy across the Irish Sea. IWEA chief executive Kenneth Matthews said Ireland stands to become a major renewable energy exporter.

"The electricity sector is on the cusp of transformational change with renewables and wind energy at the heart of it," Mr Matthews said. "Efficient use of existing and new interconnectors to increase our ability to integrate wind energy and to export surplus wind-generated electricity will be central to this transition."

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