Frequently Asked Questions

We intend to engage with the community to strengthen the surrounding natural area as much as possible and compensate where necessary. We are happy to discuss with the local community how the natural environment can best be supported. Do you have any ideas? Feel free to contact us.

It can happen that birds are struck by a wind turbine or that it scares birds away. All wind farms must comply with the Nature Conservation Act. The footprint of a wind turbine is small, and land animals will not be affected. We support the position of the Bird Protection Agency that wind turbines are important to limit climate change and that the choice for a wind farm should be part of an integrated approach. To minimize the ecological impact, we will involve ecologists to monitor the environment of the wind farm.

After a wind turbine has been operating for 3 to 6 months, the energy needed for production is offset.

Wind turbines last 20 to 25 years. The foundation, mast, and wiring of wind turbines are about 85 to 90 percent recyclable. The materials for old blades can be used as an additive in building materials, such as fiber concrete. Extensive research is currently being conducted at the European level on how the blades can also be reused in new wind turbines. All European suppliers have set goals in this area. After the lifespan of the wind turbines, other forms of sustainable energy may be available. In that case, the wind turbines can be removed without leaving damage to the landscape. The costs of dismantling the turbines, including the remaining materials, are borne by the operator.

Our principle is that the community should experience not only the burdens but also the benefits of the wind farm. We make everything discussable and want to work with the immediate environment to find the right integration of participation opportunities. Examples of participation opportunities are:

• Input on the design of the wind farm

• Input on the spending of the community fund (sponsoring sports clubs and cultural institutions, development of nature and recreation, sustainability budget, etc.)

• Co-investing in the wind farm through a local cooperative

There will also be a community fund and neighbor scheme filled with the proceeds from the wind farm.

BayWa r.e.'s goal is for members of a local energy cooperative to become 50% owners of the wind farm. This way, you can not only benefit but also contribute to the final shape of the wind farm. The energy cooperative also manages the community fund and can arrange local cheap electricity for residents within a distance agreed upon by the cooperative from the wind farm.

Your opinion matters. During the planning phase, you can participate. After the plans are finalized, the formal decision-making process begins. You can formally object to the plans during the permit phase. The draft environmental permit and the project Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which includes the results of the environmental studies, will then be available for inspection.

You can submit a view on this, which the municipal council will consider in its decision-making. If the municipal council then grants the permits, the appeal phase at the Council of State is still open.

In addition to a local energy cooperative, a community fund is also established. This way, the wind project can directly contribute to the community. This fund can be used for community projects such as maintenance of the football club's clubhouse, financing an electric shared car, or strengthening a recreation area. The members of the local energy cooperative decide how the money is spent locally.

€0.50 per MWh generated is deposited into the community fund. This amounts to approximately €10,000 per year, per wind turbine.

The noise standards for wind turbines are based on the so-called Lden standard. A maximum of 47 dB Lden on the outer facade on an annual average. The actual annual average noise level for a house at the standard limit is around 40 dB, and the maximum noise level on the facade is about 45 dB. The 47 dB standard includes so-called 'penalty factors' for the evening and night due to generally lower ambient noise and is therefore higher on paper.

The noise of a higher wind turbine does not necessarily have to be louder than that of a lower wind turbine. In recent years, the noise level has not increased with the height of a wind turbine, as turbine manufacturers are focused on designing increasingly quieter wind turbines. A higher wind turbine can be seen from a greater distance. We know that seeing a wind turbine makes you experience more nuisance. Therefore, you may experience more nuisance from a higher wind turbine. Moreover, higher wind turbines can catch wind while it is calm on the ground. If this happens, there is no background noise, which can cause disturbance. The noise load is therefore calculated with data on the wind at the hub height of wind turbines.

Despite frequent claims to the contrary, infrasound and Low-Frequency Noise (LFG) have no different effects on people than 'normal' noise. LFG is audible in the environment and causes some of the nuisance. However, this does not apply to the (most low-frequency) infrasound. Infrasound is almost never perceptible to humans. LFG carries further and is less well blocked by walls and windows, similar to the bass of music that you can hear inside or far away. Infrasound can travel very far (even around the world) and can be well measured with sensitive instruments. For humans, it is almost never perceptible. Infrasound and LFG are not specific characteristics of wind turbine noise but are part of the sound spectrum of various noise sources. There is no scientific evidence linking LFG from wind turbines to health complaints: there are no indications that LFG from wind turbines has different effects on residents than normal noise. We follow the advice of RIVM and the resulting legislation.

We understand that shadow flicker can be disturbing. A wind turbine is legally allowed to cause no more than 20 minutes of shadow flicker per day for 17 days per year. After that, the wind turbine shuts down. It takes a few blade rotations to come to a stop. Shadow flicker mainly occurs in autumn and spring when the sun is low. This causes longer shadows. In summer, the sun is so high that the shadow is much shorter. The wind turbines are shut down via a shutdown provision when (too often) shadow flicker occurs on surrounding homes. Instead of adhering to the standard, we can also choose a setting that aims for 0 hours of shadow flicker per year. This limits energy production in exchange for more care for the environment.

The noise that wind turbines make mainly comes from the movement of the blades. How much noise you hear when you stand near a wind turbine depends on several factors. Newer wind turbines make less noise than older models. And when the wind blows harder, the blades make more noise. It also matters how close or far you are. Other ambient noise also affects what you hear, as well as the characteristics of the environment. A hard surface around the turbine produces a higher noise level than, for example, a meadow. At night, when there is less ambient noise, you will hear a wind turbine better than during the day. For noise, you cannot simply add it up. For example, two vacuum cleaners each producing 60 dB of noise result in a total noise level of 63 dB, not the sum of 120 dB of the two separate levels. For the maximum noise load and shadow flicker on sensitive objects, such as homes, there are national standards.

The wind turbines have lights that can be on at night to warn air traffic of the wind turbines. We ensure that these lights only turn on when there is air traffic nearby when it is dark using transponder technology.

In 2020, RIVM conducted research on what is known about the health effects of wind turbines. The study shows a clear relationship between wind turbine noise and nuisance: the stronger the noise (in dB decibels) of wind turbines, the greater the nuisance. Some residents may experience nuisance, even if the wind farm meets noise standards. For other health effects, the results of scientific research are not consistent: these effects are not clearly related to noise levels but sometimes to perceived nuisance. For example, residents experience less nuisance from wind turbine noise if they were involved in the placement. Noise sensitivity, attitude towards wind turbines, visual aspects, and economic benefits are factors that can also influence the nuisance.