DARTMOUTH WIND TURBINE PROJECT: FACTS OVER FEARS

Dr. DiPippo sends this about our wind turbine project

The 3.3 megawatt Dartmouth Wind Turbine Project for the DPW facilities in South Dartmouth is moving ahead. We hope to see clean renewable electricity flowing into the grid and revenues flowing into the town treasury within the next year.

As more and more commercial-sized wind turbines are being installed and operated in SouthCoast communities, people are becoming more aware of their potential for green energy production and less worried about potential environmental and social impacts. Nevertheless here in Dartmouth some people have expressed concerns about noise, shadow-flicker, possible drop in valuation of their homes, and even their sleep being disturbed. Since the project will be seeking a Special Permit from the Dartmouth Select Board and then approval from Town Meeting, it is important to separate fears from facts.

HISTORY – The Alternative Energy Committee (AEC) has been working on this project for over five years. Over that time, two bylaws for wind turbines were drawn up, debated in public, discussed at two Town Meetings and passed unanimously. The AEC produced a DVD on wind power that was placed in town libraries. The AEC wrote three articles on wind power; they were published in the Standard-Times. The wind assessment results and the preliminary feasibility studies have been presented at Select Board meetings and Town Meetings, all televised. An alternative energy web site was created, linked to the Dartmouth home page, where all important documents related to the project can be found. Numerous meetings, going back to 2005, of the AEC have been announced and held. Over the last few months the meetings have been attended by residents and others. I, as AEC chairman, and other AEC members have spoken to several residents who live in the vicinity of the project. In short, the AEC has done everything it can to bring this project to the attention of all town residents and anyone else with an interest in alternative energy.

Regarding the concerns raised by some, here are the facts as determined by the Atlantic Design Engineers (ADE), the engineering firm hired by the town after a unanimous authorization at the June 2009 Town Meeting. More details can be found at the AEC website: http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/altenergy.htm

NOISE – The amount of noise above normal ambient sounds at the boundary of the DPW property that would be contributed by the two 1.65 megawatt turbines is less than the human ear is capable of detecting. The absolute increase in sound level is about 1 decibel on the A-scale. Residences are all located farther away than the property boundary. Thus the increase in sound at the residences will be even less. Thus no one in their homes or on their property will be able to hear any noise coming from the turbines.

SHADOW-FLICKER – The shadow-flicker effect for the project has been studied by ADE; see the AEC web page for details. There is one residence at which the flicker effect might result in roughly 20 hours per year of flicker; all other residences within the limited range of possible flicker would be less affected. There are about 18 other residences that might get between 10 and 19 hours of flicker per year and another 348 residences that might get between 1 and 9 hours of flicker per year. Flicker will be partially or completely eliminated if a residence has trees or shrubs or other buildings near it that screen the residence from the turbine. Most houses in the last group reside in the heavily wooded Meadowood neighborhood where trees will drastically reduce the impact and in most cases eliminate it completely. The flicker can only occur either very early in the morning just after sunrise (if the residence is west of the turbines), or late in the afternoon just before sunset (if the residence lies to the east). At a given location, it lasts for only a few minutes a day for a limited period of the year ...

... since the earth and the sun are in constant relative motion. Although there is no definitive determination on record regarding an allowable level of flicker exposure, one court case in Germany found that more than 30 hours per year was unacceptable; the Dartmouth project is well below that value. Finally, if there is a place where flicker is shown to be particularly bothersome, the turbine can be programmed to shut down for the short duration of flicker.

SLEEP DISTURBANCE – Given the imperceptible noise generation from the turbines, it is hard to imagine how anyone’s sleep could be disturbed by the turbines.

PROPERTY VALUES – The value of one’s property is determined by recent sales of similar homes in the area. It is impossible to say whether or not someone’s property value will be adversely affected by the presence of the wind turbines until home sales demonstrate an impact. If an adverse impact can be proven, a home owner may seek a reassessment and might end up paying lower taxes. By law, the town is required to periodically reassess property values.

WETLANDS – The town has taken extraordinary care in siting the turbines to avoid infringing on wetlands. Preliminary site plans were modified following a more detailed site survey. The town engaged one of New England’s foremost wetlands experts to assist in this work. All project work will conform to the Town of Dartmouth Wetland Bylaw and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection standards.

In summary, the AEC was asked by the town to study alternative, renewable means of generating electricity that could save money for the town. We have been thorough, professional and open throughout the research and development process. This clean, green energy project will begin saving the town money immediately once it goes into operation -- some $880,000 in the first year -- under full net metering. It could save the town up to $32 million over its 20-year life, it will have minimal impact on the environment and neighbors, and it will be a source of pride for all residents of Dartmouth.

Ronald DiPippo, Ph.D.