Agenda - Council - 09/08/2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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commonly known Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area medium-scale WECS is the unit at Great River Energy in Maple Grove, MN. That unit is approximately 166 feet tall including blades (Chaput 2009). In Elk River, a 65 foot tower (height of the tower only) is erected along US 169 (Schmitz 2003). Small-Scale WECS The small scale WECS units are units that are intended to provide electricity to individual residential property owners. These units can either be on or off grid and produce less than 100 kwh and actually typically only produce 10 kwh (Heller and Stimmel 2009). Micro-Scale WECS The micro scale WECS units are those that capitalize on existing infrastructure such as rooftops and are most commonly associated with densely populated urban areas without sufficient space for towers and associate setbacks. These units are typically roof mounted turbines. Special consideration should be given to the engineering of the roof to ensure that it can properly support the turbine. Potential Impacts There are a few potential impacts that can be easily addressed through zoning regulations, provided that the zoning regulation is not so restrictive that it creates an economically-infeasible condition (Heller and Stimmel 2009). These common concerns include, but are not limited to (info gathered from the AWEA): · N.oise and Vibration · Shadow Flicker . Aesthetics . Safety . Decline in Property Value . Impact Upon Wildlife Populations . Disruption of Communication Signals Noise and Vibration Sound levels of a wind generator are dependent upon the size ofthe generator. In general, the smaller the generator and turbine, the less noise that is emitted. The sound level from a wind turbine can range from 40 to 60 decibels. This can be compared to 70 dB made by a vacuum cleaner and 30 dB inside the average bedroom. The sound of the wind blowing is often louder thanthe wind generator itself. In