RES Windmill Project

RES is wanting to build a windmill farm north of Lincoln, the proposed farm would include 34 wind turbines, which could power 40,000 homes in Northwest Arkansas. The specific project name is "Trillium Wind".

RES (Renewable Energy Systems) is a company from the United Kingdom that has existed since 1981. They build and manage windmill farms in several countries, including the UK and the US. RES claims "collaboration is at the core of what we do," leading us to believe they will acknowledge at least some community feedback. 

WHAT WE FOUND ABOUT RES

• RES has failed to meet construction deadlines in the past. (Common in the construction world)

• RES typically writes out its land contracts to include a disposal clause, which allows RES to pull out from a contract and leave the landowner to manage the farm. We could not find a verified account of RES actually using this clause. 

• RES was fined almost $550,000 after a fatal accident on one of its wind farms.

Many people complain about wind farms but why do they? If they're green energy for the community, wouldn't they just be a net positive? Let's dive into the truth about these turbines.

WILDLIFE ISSUES

• One wind turbine is usually responsible for 2-5 bird deaths a year.

• Beyond collisions, bats can be killed by the sudden drop in air pressure around the turbine.

• Ground wildlife is typically unaffected after the construction is complete. 

• Plants and other vegetation are usually unaffected after construction is complete. 

CONSTRUCTION

• Construction can take years and creates all the same pollutants that any construction project would create. 

• Road permits and heavy use are required during construction because most of these blades are shipped in one large piece on an elongated trailer; wind turbines usually take several hundred tons of cement minimum for their base, which would mean lots of cement trucks traveling in and out during construction.

WILDLIFE COMBATANTS

• Most areas where a windmill farm is being considered will conduct a test to determine if it is a major migration area, and if so, a new location is typically selected. We could not verify if RES is doing this for the Trillium Wind Project.

• For bats, some farms have an ultrasonic deterrent to repel them, and others will shut down the turbine on low-wind nights when bats are most active. We could not verify if RES is doing this for the Trillium Wind Project.

NOISE POLLUTION

• Most new turbines create virtually no mechanical noise even at max speed.

• Noise made by the "whoosh" of the blades is almost always below 50dB(A) within 1,000 feet, even at max speed, with the average being around 35dB(A). Once you were a half-mile away, the noise would be very negligible.

• Infrasound created from wind turbines has been widely disputed, but most research points to the infrasound created by wind turbines being far below the threshold for harm to humans or wildlife. 

• For residents extremely local to the windmill farm, this can cause some major issues, as most turbines operate nonstop.

PROPERTY VALUE

• Wind Turbine farms are proven to reduce property value in the nearby properties. 

• Property Value is typically reduced because they ruin the view and rural landscape these properties once had.

DANGERS

• If a windmill fails and catches fire, the fire almost always will start at the top of the turbine, and local fire crews are not equipped to tackle those flames. Although most newer turbines have this as a rare failure, it would pose a major issue if one were to catch fire. 

• "Ice Throw" is when ice accumulates on the blades and is thrown off at high speeds. This is rare to actually cause property damage or injure someone, as most turbines have to be a certain distance from a building. Although the ice can cause the blades to become unbalanced and cause the windmill to shake, which is felt in nearby homes.

INABILITY TO RECYCLE

• The concrete base of the turbine is seldom recycled; it is typically just buried after use. The blades are not recyclable, although the technology to recycle these has been rapidly improving, it is likely the end of these turbines' life cycle (if installed), the recycling technology of the blades will be available.

ACTUAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

• Most wind turbines pay back all the damage they've done to the environment within 1 year, and most are operational for 20 years. This means 19 out of 20 years of their life, they are creating energy without creating any damage to the environment. 

• Almost every component of the turbine can be recycled, so once its use is over, most of the materials it used can be put back into use elsewhere.