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Wind Farm Development

Wind Farm Development

Logo https://abo-wind.pageflow.io/wind-farm-development

The development and construction of large wind farms is a complex undertaking. It takes many experts from different fields working closely together over years. Some steps take place at once, others vary from country to country. We explain step by step how wind farms are developed and built.
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We first identify potential sites with professional geoinformation system tools. To find out if the identified site is suited for wind farm development, we then need to consider a number of planning restrictions. 
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Residential areas and settlements are out of the question (pink areas)...
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... and many protected areas such as nature conservation areas are not permissible either.
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Additional buffer zones around the identified restriction areas often leave us with just a small fraction of land that is potentially suitable for wind farm development.
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Once we have identified potential areas, the next step is to inspect them on site. While in the early years, we inspected the terrain with a map and compass, today we use GPS devices and specialised software. In addition, at this point our Site Assessment team already starts preparing internal noise and shadow flicker studies in order to assess the impact of the turbines on local residents.
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We also need the contractual consent of the landowners on whose land the wind farm and its access road will be built. The landowners can be private individuals such as farmers, but also municipalities or state forests. We develop a customised land lease concept for the individual needs on site. If the wind farm is built on the land of several owners, we distribute the lease income as fairly as possible with the help of "pool" concepts.
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We also support municipalities and regional authorities in the process of land use planning. The necessary development contracts can also include agreements on the development of a wind farm as well as compensation and nature conservation measures.
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In the next step, our engineers design the layout of wind farm. They arrange the turbines carefully to minimise the impact on residents and local ecosystems and to maximise the electricity yield. They also take into account local conditions such as existing roads.

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Once we have secured the land use rights, we commission external experts to carry out all necessary impact assessment studies including shadow flicker. Shadow flicker results from brief reductions in light intensities caused by the rotating blades of the turbine casting shadows on receptors on the ground and stationary objects such as a window at a residence. Shadow flicker generally occurs during low angle sunlight conditions (typically during sunrise and sunset). There are strict limitations regarding the maximum permissible shadow flicker on any given residence.
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Wind farms are only approved if they fall below strict noise limits. To calculate the noise emissions, external experts consider the topography, wind directions, and noise specifications of the type of turbine. They calculate a worst-case scenario. For example in Canada, pressure levels from energy-related sources, measured in dBA, are not allowed to exceed 40 dBA during the night-time or 50 dBA during the daytime at any nearby residences. For comparison: a quiet conversation corresponds to about 60 dBA, traffic noise to 90 dBA, and a jackhammer to 110 dBA.
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Other experts assess the effects of the planned wind farm on the landscape and on flora and fauna in extensive environmental studies. They evaluate whether protected animal and plant species exist at the site, especially certain birds and bats. The experts spend many days in the open air to record and map nesting sites, hunting grounds and flight paths in detail. They observe the fauna for at least one complete vegetation period. Our planning teams accompany the experts and continuously evaluate their findings. A separate staff unit for nature conservation and species protection also keeps track of the latest research results, evaluates them and advises our planning teams.

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Our in-house Site Assessment comprising meteorologists, engineers and environmental technicians evaluate the wind potential of each site. To assess the economic feasibility, we need to know the wind conditions as early and as precisely as possible. We use existing wind data from the surrounding area or measure the wind with the help of measuring masts or lidar devices that collect wind data during at least one year.
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Wind measurements usually take at least a year. Our team measures the wind directions and the wind speeds at different heights. With this data, we optimise the wind farm layout to maximise the yield. Calculating the yield is also important for obtaining bank financing for the project. Usually, two independent expert studies are necessary for this. The external experts prepare their yield reports based on the wind data collected during our measurement campaign.
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Our philosophy is: the earlier and more comprehensibly we inform people about what we are planning and what it means for them, the greater the acceptance of renewable energy projects will be. We regularly inform local residents about planned wind farms at project exhibitions.
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Before/after view

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At ABO Energy, we believe in transparent, open communication in all phases of development. If required, we create individual project websites which we update regularly. These pages include site maps, visualisations and later pictures of the construction progress. Shown here: a visualisation (left) of the planned wind farm and the completed wind farm (right).
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Our in-house Electrical Department finds the most cost-effective grid connection point to feed the electricity generated by the wind farm into the grid. This is becoming increasingly difficult because the grids are reaching capacity limits in many places. In some countries, grid connection points are awarded in tenders. When needed, we build transformer stations to feed in electricity at a higher voltage level.
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There are many reasons why it may be necessary to intervene externally in the operation of a wind turbine: temporary overloading of the grid, negative electricity prices, birds flying by or icing on the rotor blades. Our electrical department develops solutions to optimise the necessary communication with the turbines. In addition, we analyse whether a battery storage system is a suitable addition to the wind farm to stabilise the grid or the feed-in.
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Wind turbines have undergone a rapid technical progress in recent years and are becoming increasingly efficient. As a manufacturer-independent developer, we select the optimal turbine for each site. Criteria include long-term reliability and economic viability, acquisition costs, power curve, availability, and noise emission in relation to the wind conditions. In addition, the expected running costs (maintenance, servicing and repair costs) play a major role. The leading turbine manufacturers value us as a proven and reliable partner. This good market position helps us to find the optimal turbine for each location and to conclude suitable contracts.
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Once we have carried out all the necessary steps of impact and yield assessments, environmental studies and public consultation, we submit all documents (such as site plans, documents from turbine manufacturers, and external experts) to the permitting authority. 
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Our internal Financing Department works with many national and international banks to secure the economic basis of our wind farms. In many cases, we use funds from the German state-owned (KfW) programmes to secure favourable conditions. Our experienced financing experts ensure solid financing and the most lucrative structuring of each individual project. This includes, for example, profitability calculations and liquidity planning, in short: providing financial support during the entire project development.
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In addition, our Financing Department negotiates the conditions for the sale of our wind farms with the respective clients. We work with different categories of investors in order to remain independent. In recent years, energy providers, especially regional or municipal utilities, have acquired a large proportion of our wind farms. We also maintain good relationships with financial investors such as insurance companies. ABO Energy traditionally places great value on citizen participation. We work closely with cooperatives.
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The economic basis for the operation of wind farms is the remuneration of the electricity. With most projects, we participate in national tariff tenders. We analyse the market carefully in order to achieve adequate prices and remain competitive in the long term. Private-law electricity supply contracts with utilities or large consumers are also playing an increasingly important role. ABO Energy also has a lot of experience with these Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
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Construction starts with the preparation of access roads, crane pads and cable routes. Narrow roads, uneven terrain, rivers or railway lines are some typical challenges that our Civil Engineers tackle with creative solutions. It takes a good twelve months from the start of construction to commissioning. Our construction managers are on site throughout the entire construction to ensure that schedules, quality standards and cost specifications are adhered to. They coordinate the delivery of the plants with the transport companies and all the authorities, landowners and farmers involved. We work with local or regional medium-sized suppliers as much as possible.
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From preparing access roads, cable routes and crane pads through constructing foundations and towers and finally assembling the nacelle and rotor blades.

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Constructing a wind farm has an impact on nature: Some areas need to be partially sealed for the foundation, crane pad, and access roads. If we have to clear trees, we plant replacements or support ecological forest conversion to make the forest more resistant to climate change. As further compensatory measures, we plant orchards, create habitats for field hamsters, renovate gullies or create nesting sites for bats. In this way, we add a further ecological value to the site.
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