Essential requirements for a wind farm An area where a number of wind electric generators are installed is known as a wind

farm. The essential requirements for establishment of a wind farm for optimal exploitation of the wind are 1. High wind resource at particular site 2. Adequate land availability 3. Suitable terrain and good soil condition 4. Proper approach to site 5. Suitable power grid nearby 6. Techno-economic selection of WEGs 7. Scientifically prepared layout

Wind Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Most wind energy projects require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) under national law, which allows the full details of environmental costs and benefits of a project to be scrutinized in the public domain. Whilst wind energy is a clean technology, it is not without impact on the environment. The main issues are: 2.1 Environmental Aspects No energy source is free of environmental effects. One of the main reasons for developing the renewable sources is an environmental one - to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. 2.2 Noise Almost all sources of power emit noise, and the key to acceptability is the same in every case - sensible siting. Wind turbines emit noise from the rotation of the blades and from the machinery, principally the gearbox and generator. The exact distance at which noise from turbines becomes"acceptable" depends on a range of factors. As a guide, many wind farms with 400-500 kWturbines find that they need to be sited no closer than around 300-400 m to dwellings. 2.3 Television and Radio Interference Wind turbines, like other structures, can scatter electro-magnetic communication signals, including television. Careful siting can avoid difficulties, which may arise in some situations if the signal is weak. Fortunately it is usually possible to introduce technical measures - usually at low cost - to compensate. 2.4 Visual effects One of the more obvious environmental effects of wind turbines is their visual aspect, especially that of a wind farm comprising a large number of wind turbines. There is no measurable way of assessing the effect, which is essentially subjective. Sensitive siting is the key to this delicate issue, avoiding the most cherished landscapes and ensuring that the local community is fully briefed on the positive environmental implications. 2.5 Integration into supply networks Electricity systems in the developed world have evolved so as to deliver power to the consumers with high efficiency. One fundamental benefit of an integrated electricity system is that generators and consumers both benefit from the aggregation of supply and demand. On the generation side, this means that the need for reserves is kept down. Consumers benefit from a high level of reliability and do not need to provide back-up power supplies. In an integrated system the aggregated maximum demand is much less than the sum of the individual maximum demands of the consumers, simply because the peak demands come at different times.