How tall are wind turbines?
The tallest wind turbine is 264.5m

What is the length of a single wind turbine blade at Perdekraal East Wind Farm?
The single turbine blade is 53m long.

What are wind turbines made of?
Wind turbine towers are made out of steel and concrete. The blades are made of fibreglass, reinforced polyester or wood epoxy. The finish on both is matt to reduce glare from reflected light.

How much electricity can a single turbine generate?
This depends on the turbine’s size and operating speed, but on average, an average onshore turbine with a capacity of 2,5-3MW can produce more than 6 million kWh in a year.

At what wind speed does a wind turbine start to operate?
A wind turbine starts operating when the wind reaches approximately 13km/h, and cuts out if wind speeds reach more than 90km/h.

Do wind turbines make a noise?
Although the mechanical sound of the wind turbine is generally masked by the sound of the wind itself, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that the noise levels from turbines meet the recommendations set for residential areas.

Are wind farms detrimental to birds and bats?
It was recently stated that climate change was the single biggest threat to birdlife, and wind energy as a renewable energy source is a solution to climate change. Wind farm sites are required to have an environmental impact assessment / study done prior to construction and ongoing studies are conducted during the operation of a wind farm. Studies have shown that bird deaths due to wind turbines is minimal compared to other human-related sources such as buildings and vehicles.

What makes wind energy more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel energy?
Wind energy creates no air and water pollution, and virtually no water is used to produce wind energy. Wind energy offsets carbon emissions that would be generated by fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.

Is wind energy safe?
Wind energy is one of the safest energy technologies.

How fast do wind turbine blades turn?
Blades rotate between 15 and 20 revolutions per minute at constant speed.

How long do wind turbines last?
The life of a wind turbine is between 20 and 25 years, during which time they operate continuously for as much as 120,000 hours.