Wind Energy Researchers Cite Accident Statistics
Wind Turbine Accident Findings in Scotland Go Back 35 Years
Feb 2, 2009
Wind turbine structure has vastly improved since the 1970’s, when the Caithness Windfarms Information Forum, concerned about the proliferation of wind turbines in Scotland, began its research. However, structural collapse and blade failure remain obvious potential dangers if turbines are placed close to buildings or roadways. Thus far, structural collapses have been rare. However, and this occurs more frequently, if a blade is thrown in a high wind, for example, it can travel considerable distance and easily pierce most buildings.
Accordingly, an increasing number of European countries, which have many years of experience with the turbines, now insist industrial turbines be placed one to two kilometres from occupied housing. This provides a significant margin of safety, easily accommodating the tower falling down or the blades being thrown.
In regions subject to severe weather, another problem that has emerged is “ice throw.” Ice can build up on the blades much as it can on airplanes, then, with wind action or thaw, break loose and be flung, with huge razor sharp chunks going every which way. Again, developers rely on set back distance from probable human passage or buildings.
Some Fatalities Reported
Caithness Windfarms researchers concede the early information is probably incomplete, citing poor record keeping up to the late 1990’s. However, up until April 1, 2008, 482 accidents were reported, involving 49 fatalities, slightly more than 10 percent. Among fatalities, 35 were turbine workers, most of whom fell. Four people died when their light plane hit a turbine in fog and another died when his plane hit a newly-placed anemometer (a device to measure wind speed and direction). A parachutist died when he struck a turbine blade.
Curiously, almost as if an effort were made to pad the figures or at least cover all the bases, one case involved a collision, a car hitting a truck carrying turbine components, rather like a car hitting a turnip truck and authorities blaming it on the turnips. Other fatalities have been attributed to “driver distraction” at the sight of the turbines. Perhaps the most tragic wind energy related death was that of a farmer who committed suicide in the face of vehement community opposition to the wind turbines he’d erected on his farm.
Issues and Outcomes
As wind energy issues are raised and developers scramble to respond, a trend is still clear in the data: the more wind turbines brought on stream, however directly related or spurious, the more accidents will occur. While accident research in other countries may be inconsistent, doubtless this is also the case, notably in Denmark, Spain, and Germany, where, respectively, 20, 13 and 10 percent of electricity is produced from wind energy.
Meanwhile, the technology continues to improve and the method continues to be attractive to developers. For example, recently Robert Hornung of the Canadian Wind Energy Association suggested Canada set a 2025 target to generate 20 percent of its electricity from wind. Then, of course, to the south, is T. Boone Pickens. The winds, it seems, will continue to blow.
 |
