FAQ

Below are some answers to some basic questions you may have about wind energy.

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Community

How does wind energy benefit a community?

Are wind turbines noisy?

A wind turbine is a machine with both internal and external moving parts, and as such it will generate some sound.  As a rule, wind turbines run smoothly and quietly. A properly operating wind turbine at a distance up to 1,000 feet emits sounds at a level comparable to a household refrigerator.

Heritage seeks to assess appropriate setbacks from residences and utilize modern designs of both turbine equipment and blades helps to minimize any potential sound issues.

How does wind power affect wildlife?

Despite frequent accusations to the contrary, wind turbines are not responsible for the deaths of large numbers of birds.  A recent report released by the U.S. Department of Energy states that recent studies have found wind turbines are responsible for only 0.003% of bird deaths related to human activity^4,.  Another study performed in 2002 found that Avian deaths caused by communications towers (1 in 40)³, pesticides (1 in 14)³, vehicles (1 in 14)³, and even house cats (1 in 10)³ dwarfed those caused by wind turbines (1 in 1,333)³. 

That is not to say, however, that the deaths that do occur are being taken lightly.  To the contrary, environmental impact studies continue to be performed by groups such as the BWEC (Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative) and the AWEA (American Wind Energy Association) in an attempt to reduce wildlife deaths even further.

Moreover, recent studies estimate that even for conservative global mean temperature increases, between 11% and 34% of species alive today could be threatened with extinction⁴.  By using wind energy to offset energy generation processes that release greenhouse gases like CO2, the threat of extinction to these species could be greatly reduced.

It is for this reason, in addition to those above, that the Audubon Society – one of the most highly respected bird advocacy groups - strongly endorses responsibly sited wind power⁵.  Heritage is conscientious of birds and other wildlife, and will perform all necessary studies in order to ensure their safety before the placement of wind turbines.

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Landowners

As a landowner, how do I benefit from wind energy?

As a landowner, you benefit in several ways through wind energy:

How do I know if my property is right for a wind farm?

Heritage is very selective in choosing a site for a wind farm. We conduct site surveys, evaluating the land based on geographical, atmospheric and man-made factors. Just because there’s wind, doesn’t mean a site is ideal for a wind farm.

How will a wind farm impact my land?  Can I still use my land?

Heritage Sustainable Energy strives to limit the impact of every project on the land. There is obviously some interruption during the construction phase of a project. Once a project is complete, however, a landowner is free to continue his use of the land with little or no long-term interruption.

Heritage will have access to land for the purposes of constructing and maintaining equipment to measure wind speeds, and to subsequently both construct and maintain wind turbine towers if the site is deemed suitable.  After installation, only a small area around each tower and an access road are required for operation.  In addition, Heritage Sustainable Energy agrees to pay the landowner damages for land that was previously used for crop production that can no longer be so utilized due to Heritage’s activities.

What happens to the equipment if and when it is no longer in use?
         
If the equipment is no longer in use, or if the lease is terminated, Heritage will remove all equipment.  Heritage will also restore the land occupied by the towers or access roads to its natural state (insofar as reasonably practicable), including the removal of concrete to below plow depth.

If a commercial turbine on my land converts wind into electricity, can I plug directly into the turbine for power?

Because the electricity generated by a wind turbine is very high voltage, it has to be transformed several times before it can be used in the home.  For this reason, we unfortunately cannot make the power directly available to landowners.

What can I expect out of my leasing experience?

Heritage Sustainable Energy’s leadership and Landmen have extensive prior experience with leasing and land use management.  We pride ourselves in our proven ability to work with landowners toward a fair and mutually beneficial lease agreement and project implementation.  Heritage Sustainable Energy understands the issues a landowner must face before signing a lease and will work with you to assure that the natural, agricultural and financial values of the land are compatible with the development of wind energy.

How much land is required?

The amount of land required for a large wind project varies depending on the terrain and the final layout of the turbines. A rough rule of thumb is 80-100 acres of land per turbine to provide adequate exposure to the wind, proper setbacks from homes and roadways, and appropriate spacing between turbines. 

Actual land used by the turbine is quite small.   The majority of the foundation is underground and the concrete pedestal on which the turbine sits is approximately 20 feet square.  A small amount of additional land is needed for access roads.

How does the Wind Energy Lease agreement work** ?

Heritage Sustainable Energy utilizes a Wind Energy Lease to secure the rights to develop wind energy on private lands.  In general Heritage pays a fixed price per acre for various rights associated with determining the feasibility of wind turbine sites, and the subsequent building of turbines if deemed appropriate.

Our standard lease consists of two periods.  First, an initial period at a fixed price per acre allows us to assess the conditions of the land and determine the feasibility of developing wind energy.  The lease usually provides that this initial evaluation period may be extended for an additional term by payment of another fixed price per acre.  If Heritage decides it would like to construct a wind turbine or wind turbines during the evaluation period, it may do so.  Once production of electricity commences, the landowners will receive royalties based on renewable electricity generated and sold.

Heritage believes that a wind turbine harvests energy not just from the air directly above the ground it is on, but also from the air around it, and therefore takes a “pooling” approach to the payment of royalties.  Typically landowners are paid royalties relative to the proportion of land they own in a ‘wind energy unit’ consisting of the land immediately surrounding the wind turbine.  Another clause allows establishment of larger wind farms with multiple turbines. This policy allows Heritage to place wind turbines along property lines, for instance, while ensuring fair compensation is made to all the landowners they affect.

** Please note that we have tried to summarize the wind lease document we utilize in a clear and concise manner.  However, the actual lease is still the operative document and should be thoroughly understood and analyzed by you, the landowner.  While this summary is provided for convenience, the actual lease is the sole document that establishes our contractual relationship.

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Environment

What are the benefits of wind energy?

Wind energy is:

How does wind power work?

Wind power is essentially another form of solar power.  Differences in temperature and pressure around the earth cause air to move.  Wind turbines capture the energy in this moving air and convert it into electricity. A simple animation showing this process can be found here.

What are the advantages of wind energy?
         
Beyond its sustainability, there are many advantages to using wind energy to generate electricity.  Most relevant to today’s concerns about global warming, the use of wind energy results in zero emissions.  This stands in stark contrast to the use of fossil fuels, which cannot only result in the emission of large amounts of CO2, but also of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx).  CO2 is a notorious greenhouse gas, and SO2 and NOx are both pollutants which contribute to acid rain¹.  
In fact, each 2.5 MW windmill has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 6,349 metric tonnes per year2.  According to the American Wind Energy Association, each 1.5 megawatt wind turbine is roughly equivalent to planting four square kilometers of forest every year².

Is wind energy affordable?

Yes. And it keeps getting more affordable. Especially as it gets more popular. Over the past 10 years, wind energy has been averaging an annual growth rate of 30%. Just last year, wind installations grew by 45%. The more people invest in it, the more affordable wind energy becomes.

What are some other forms of sustainable energy?

Sustainable energy can also be obtained from biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar sources.  All of these sources are either not depleted after energy is extracted, or are easily renewable as in the case of biomass reactors.  In addition, some forms of nuclear fuel or even clean coal technologies could be considered sustainable in some sense.  At Heritage we only consider an energy source sustainable if it is also fully compatible with environmentally sensible standards.

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