The draft amendments to the Act on investments in wind farms are to be adopted by the government this quarter. Reducing the distance of wind turbines from 700 to 500 m from residential buildings will help unlock the potential of Polish wind energy. The Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) estimates that this will increase it even twice, to 41.1 GW, by 2040.
– The benefits of wind farms are not only benefits for the investor, but also for the commune itself. First of all, it is a significant income from real estate taxes – says Anna Kosińska, member of the management board of Res Global Investment, in an interview with the Newseria Biznes agency. – This is a fixed income, so the commune can plan the entire budget management process very well. The funds may be allocated to the local needs of residents, such as modernization and construction of roads and sidewalks, support for schools, kindergartens and seniors, as well as the development of sports, culture and local transport.
The Lewiatan Confederation estimates that onshore wind farms are already a source of significant revenues for all municipalities in which they are located. The annual income from real estate tax to the municipal budget ranges from PLN 60,000 to PLN 150,000. PLN from one turbine only. The Margonin commune, where the largest farm in Poland with 60 windmills is located, receives PLN 6 million every year. According to the Polish Wind Energy Association, communes where wind farms are built receive a permanent source of income for over 20 years.
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Can farmers also get subsidies for home windmills?
Additional PLN 935 million in the commune's coffers
Non-governmental organizations, local governments and industry associations, which appealed to Prime Minister Donald Tusk in July to adopt new regulations, estimate that unlocking the potential of onshore wind – in the best development scenario – may bring from PLN 490 to 935 million of additional revenues to local governments by 2030 .
– Another advantage is new jobs. Currently, there are specialist courses available on the market that both train and retrain people to work on wind turbines. These may be service technicians, technicians and other professions that work in wind energy – says the expert. – Local youth after graduation, people who have lost their job or want to change it for some reason can find employment here, and therefore, thanks to wind energy, new professional opportunities open up.
PWEA estimates that approximately 10,000 people are directly employed in the construction and operation of onshore wind farms in Poland. employees. Taking into account sectors related to the industry, there are almost twice as many. The authors of the appeal "Let's unleash the power of the Polish wind" estimate that unlocking the wind potential on land may mean 100,000. additional jobs.
– A commune that has wind farms is also very attractive in terms of investment, and when new capital appears, more revenues appear in the commune's budget. Residents who lease their land for wind turbines can also benefit. The fixed part of the turbine itself occupies a relatively small area. In addition, there are only: access roads, so the landowner not only has constant passive income, but can also still largely use the land for cultivation or animal grazing – explains Anna Kosińska.
An additional benefit is the obligation for investors to offer 10%. power at the disposal of the inhabitants of the commune where the windmill will be built.
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Elimination of the 10H rule. Wind farms even closer to residential buildings
Poles support windmills
CBOS research shows that the vast majority of Poles (83%) support the development of onshore wind energy. More than two-thirds of respondents (68%) would accept a wind farm near their place of residence, while every fifth person would oppose its construction. In less than two years, the level of approval for the presence of wind turbines near the place of residence has increased slightly (by 5 percentage points). 14% of respondents would oppose the location of a wind farm near their place of residence. among people supporting the development of onshore wind energy.
– Society is largely uninformed, and if we don't know something, we are much more afraid of it. There are still many myths circulating that are, unfortunately, absurd. In one of the communes where windmills were built, people asked whether cows would still give white milk, says a representative of Res Global Investment. – The World Health Organization issued a statement that wind farms do not emit any harmful agents or substances into the environment, unlike traditional fuels, which may cause e.g. respiratory diseases. In the case of wind turbines, we have completely emission-free technology.
Windmill myths
Opponents of wind turbines often point out that windmills are harmful to health and the noise they cause may be bothersome to residents. However, there is no evidence for this. The Polish Academy of Sciences in the study "Wind power plants in the human environment" from 2022 indicates that there is no clear evidence that noise, including infrasound, generated by wind farms has a negative impact on human health or well-being. There is also no threat to human health in the case of electromagnetic and vibration interactions when basic precautions are taken.
– The audibility of the sound produced by a wind turbine located at the currently minimum permissible distance, i.e. 700 m, is below 35 dB. This level is comparable to the ticking of a clock. A refrigerator emits sounds at a level of about 45 dB, and a normal conversation is as much as 60 dB. The audibility level of such a windmill from 700 m is practically negligible and does not differ from the sounds from our immediate surroundings to which we are accustomed – emphasizes Anna Kosińska.
The PAN report shows that at a distance of approximately 85 m from the wind turbine, the noise level is nearly 50 dB, which corresponds to the standards for permissible noise levels in residential areas. At a distance of 500 m from the wind farm, the noise is less than 40 dB. This level does not cause any negative health effects.
Another myth is that wind turbines are harmful to the environment and have a negative impact on insects and birds.
– There are American studies that say that 59 percent birds are killed against the windows of buildings, but people don't worry about it. In the case of turbines, it is only about 0.01 percent. However, additional security measures, deterrent systems, bright colors of blades, etc. are used to reduce these accidents to virtually zero – explains the expert. – I emphasize once again that it is necessary to promote knowledge about wind energy, so that society can understand how many benefits this form of energy production offers.
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And what are you, a micro-entrepreneur, doing to achieve climate neutrality?
