Flickering shadows concern in windfarm project

Eleven houses in West Clare are within the recommended 500m separation distance from wind turbines proposed in a new €100m windfarm, a lobby group has claimed.
Clare Coastal Wind Power has lodged a planning application with An Bord Pleanála for the proposed development of 45 wind turbines in the parishes of Doonbeg, Kilrush and Cooraclare.
The Rural Protection Group has voiced concerns about the
clarity both in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the Non-Technical Summary (NTS) in relation to noise and shadow flicker.
In their EIS, the developers admit that 146 houses, over 40%, near the proposed Shragh industrial wind farm could potentially experience an impact from shadow flicker and confirm that 55 houses will experience over of 30 hours of shadow flicker per year.
However, the group claimed a closer examination of the detail provided reveals that over 30 hours could translate to up to 90 hours in some cases. This is because the developers have decided to take on board the recommendations of the Danish Wind Energy Association to reduce all findings in relation to shadow flicker by 63% to represent the fact that the sun is not always shining or the turbines are not always moving.
The EIS states, “As the shadow flicker is predicted to occur only during specific times of the year and specific times of the day – if this is deemed to be a nuisance then the turbine(s) responsible for shadow flicker can be turned off during this (short) time thereby completely removing the shadow flicker impacts.”
It notes that this is likely to involve pre-programming the turbine with dates and times when shadow flicker is likely to occur.
However, the EIS points out that of the 55 houses definitely affected by shadow flicker, 11 of these houses are within 500m of turbines which is less than the distance recommended in the planning guidelines for wind farms. Those 11 householders are supportive of the project.
The Rural Protection Group claimed that this means the other 44 houses – the ones definitely affected by shadow flicker – will just have to put up with it because the turbines will not be turned off.
The group noted the EIS stated shadow flicker would not happen if windows facing a turbine are fitted with blinds or shutters.
“Are families expected to close their blinds and stay indoors on fine sunny days to avoid shadow flicker? The EIS also states that shadow flicker within the house occurs if a wind turbine is close enough and of a specific orientation to the house. It will not happen where there is vegetation or other obstructions between the turbines and the house”.
The group pointed out, however, that that the vegetation in the proposed area is very open, there are very few natural hedgerows and where there are trees they are predominantly small conifers, willow, sallies, ash trees, white thorn, black thorn and are low-growing relative to the proposed 415ft high turbines.
“By the time the trees have any effect on the turbine blade shadow the sun will be on it’s very last stage of setting. The hedgerows and the trees will make very little or no difference whatsoever to obscuring shadow flicker,” the group said. For further information see ruralprotectiongroup.com.
A spokesman for Clare Coastal Wind Power Limited declined to comment on the group’s statement.