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| A wind turbine being erected in Nova Scotia |
Nova Scotia is a Canadian leader in wind energy. From Yarmouth County through to Cape Breton, wind farms
across Nova Scotia generate over 100 megawatts of renewable energy. Over the next few years, Nova Scotia Power and independent producers will develop several additional wind farms, meaning there will be as many as 168 turbines operating in Nova Scotia by 2012.
Nova Scotia Power’s 45 megawatt project on Nuttby Mountain near Truro is a new wind farm due to be completed in winter 2010. Its 22 turbines will produce enough energy to power 15,000 homes. The largest wind farm in the province is RMS Energy’s Dalhousie Mountain farm in Pictou County, which has been in operation since December 2009 and has the capacity to generate 51 megawatts.
Wind turbines in Nova Scotia stand as tall as a 20-storey building and there are even taller turbines elsewhere. Typically, wind turbines used in Nova Scotia are equipped with a triple-blade rotor atop each tower that can be up to 90 meters in diameter. The blades capture the wind and convert it into energy.
The turbine rotors turn relatively slowly, about 25 revolutions per minute. They require a minimum wind velocity of 10 km per hour and shut down automatically when winds reach about 90 km per hour.
The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), a non-profit organization that promotes the development and application of wind energy in Canada, has published a report regarding the sound and health effects of wind turbines.
In early 2009, CanWEA and the American Wind Energy Association established a scientific advisory panel to conduct a review of the current literature available on the issue of perceived health effects of wind turbines. The expert panel reviewed of a large body of scientific literature, specifically with regard to sound produced by wind turbines, before releasing their findings.
The report is available for viewing online through CanWEA's web site or via direct link (PDF).