Frequently asked questions about wind farms

A wind turbine uses the kinetic energy (energy from motion) of the wind to turn its rotor blades. Those blades drive a generator that converts kinetic energy into electricity. Building a wind turbine is a lot of work, but with proper maintenance each one can last about 25 years or more. Want to know more? You can find all the info and details about our turbines here.

There are certain challenges that come with the production of wind energy, just like any other energy source. The amount of electricity wind turbines can produce is fully dependent on wind (speed), so it’s not constant. Wind turbines also take up significant space in the landscape and can be seen from afar. The swishing of the blades is audible and some turbines may cause shadow flicker. Wind turbines can also have an impact on surrounding birds and bats. That's why extensive research and study precedes the construction of every turbine. All potential impact on both people and the environment is examined in detail by Storm in preliminary studies for permit applications in order to avoid as much disturbance as possible.

A single Storm wind turbine produces a yearly average of about 12,000 to 16,000 MWh. Enough energy to provide 3,500 to 4,500 families with electricity for a year. The exact amount of power depends on multiple factors like wind speed as well as the size and build type of the turbine.

Generally speaking, wind turbines are connected to the power grid. Storm sells electricity to electricity suppliers and traders or through energy exchanges. In some cases, the power is directly purchased by an industrial partner.

The sound a wind turbine makes is mainly caused by the aerodynamic motion of its blades. The allowed amount of (night-time) indoor noise in residential and agricultural areas is limited by the government in terms of decibels (max 40-45 dB(A)). That’s why Storm carries out the required noise impact studies during permit applications so we can always ensure that we adhere to the established standards.

The potential effects on birds caused by wind turbines are carefully mapped out in advance during our permit applications’ preliminary studies. To minimize the impact of a new turbine on the bird population, Storm carefully maps the feeding, resting, breeding, and roosting areas of local and migratory birds. Based on this information, we can implement appropriate measures. That way, we keep any habitat disturbances and the (relatively small) number of possible collisions to an absolute minimum. For this, no stone is left unturned on the tech front. For instance, the Storm wind turbines in Pelt are connected to the RMI (Royal Meteorological Institute) meteo radar and the FEM (Flanders Environment Agency) in Houthalen to get an even closer look at bird activity in the area surrounding our wind farm. Those turbines are also automatically shut down when approaching flocks are detected.

Wind turbines are known to affect bat wildlife. That’s why we map out the flight routes of bats in detail before any wind farm or turbine is constructed anywhere, just like we do with birds.

Shadow flicker occurs when the sun shines through the moving blades of a wind turbine. For nearby homes or offices, that flickering light can land on windows and bother the people indoors. Shadow flicker is very strictly regulated: in Flanders, it is limited to no more than 30 minutes per day (or a total of eight hours per year) per residence.

To address this, potential shadow flicker is calculated in detail in advance by Storm, and wind turbines are equipped with a special shutdown system. Using a light sensor and software that accounts for the position of the sun, the turbine blades, and the location of surrounding homes, the wind turbine is automatically shut down if there is a risk of excessive shadow flicker affecting any particular residence.

Wind turbines are subject to the strictest safety requirements. The government imposes a minimum distance to nearby buildings, infrastructure, roads and canals. A standard turbine requires at least 50 metres of distance to infrastructure like roads and waterways. Do you sometimes walk or cycle past a turbine? Rest assured: it’s safe. Only during the coldest days of the year there can be a risk of ice forming on the blades. In that case, the wind turbine will automatically shut down. Storm also posts clear signage, warning you of possible ice fall. All wind farms are closely monitored and maintained by our teams throughout the year. In case of extreme weather conditions that could impact general safety, we shut down production. As a result, wind turbine accidents are rare.

Location-wise, there are a few important boxes to be checked before building a wind turbine. First and foremost, there must be sufficient wind at the turbine location, which strongly depends on local topography, relief, distance from the sea and any high obstacles nearby. Also, provisions around spatial planning must be met. Finally, there are important prerequisites concerning safety, birds, bats, noise, shadow flicker and distance to nature reserves - among others - that need to be checked off.

Wind energy production is on the rise. Go to energiesparen.be (Flanders) and here (Wallonia) to read up on the details about onshore wind turbines in Belgium.

Subsidisation of wind energy in Belgium happens largely through the green power certificate system. However, in Flanders Storm has not tapped into that system since 2022. We made this decision because we want to keep the cost of renewable energy to society as low as possible. Storm has even built the first operational subsidy-free wind farm in our country on the ArcelorMittal sites in Ghent.