Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
From a legal point of view, coastal waters are divided into two areas. Territorial
waters extend to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from shore. The exclusive
economic zone then begins and stretches to a maximum of 200 nautical miles
(370.4 km).
Wind farms planned for the exclusive economic zone have to be approved by the
relevant authorities, who must check whether the planned farm will interfere with
shipping or endanger the marine environment. If neither is the case, approval is
granted for a fi xed term.
www.offshorewind.net North American Offshore Wind Project Information
http://www.bsh.de/en
German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency
8.4 Planning and Design
Anyone who wants to erect a very small wind turbine in their garden must take into
account local planning laws. Overall heights of up to 10 m are usually not a problem.
It is also important to ensure that no neighbours will suffer from noise or
overshadowing.
Obtaining approval for large wind farms is considerably more diffi cult. Wind farms
can usually be erected only in specifi cally designated areas identifi ed within the
regional planning specifi cations of local authorities and municipalities. Planning and
approval regulations vary depending on the local authority. The local planning
department checks the basic feasibility of a wind farm based on a preliminary plan-
ning application. If everything is in order, the applicant can submit an offi cial
application for the project.
Applications with the relevant forms and explanatory notes can be obtained from
the responsible local authority. In addition to checking the safety of the turbines and
the location, the relevant authority looks into environmental compatibility and the
effect of noise pollution and overshadowing.
Anyone embarking on the sometimes obstacle-strewn path of submitting an applica-
tion should fi rst ensure that the proposed location is technically and economically
suitable for building a wind farm.
The prerequisite for optimal planning is having precise knowledge about the wind
conditions at a chosen site, because even the smallest fl uctuation in wind supply
can have a considerable impact on output. If no measurement data on wind velocity
are available for the immediate vicinity of the planned site, it is highly advisable
that a measurement station be set up. This station will chart the wind speeds
over at least one year. These results should then be compared to the long-term
measurement data of other stations and, if necessary, corrected to provide a yearly
average. In the case of commercial wind farms, reliable experts should be
 
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