Monitor Systems Engineering

Renewables

Wind Farms

The huge interest in renewable energy over recent years, with the installation of many onshore and offshore wind and wave farms, has allowed Monitor Systems to demonstrate its years of proven ability in offshore engineering, design, manufacture and commissioning of monitoring and control systems.

Power: In the offshore sector, the energy industry is demanding the generation of world class power, guaranteeing high availability, enhanced durability, so that every possible kilowatt-hour can be extracted from offshore wind farms. Monitor Systems Engineering has the in-house skills, capability and expertise, and is ideally situated to support local U.K. and global energy projects with unique engineering solutions for monitoring and control.

General: A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, however the land between the turbines can still be used for agricultural or other purposes. A wind farm can also be located offshore.

Environmental Impact: Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources, the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months. While a wind farm may cover a large area of land or sea, many land uses such as agriculture are compatible, with only small areas of turbine foundations and infrastructure made unavailable for use.

Criticism: Public perception is that renewable energies such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal are having a significant positive impact on global warming.

One of the biggest factors inhibiting wind farm construction is human opposition. A study has shown "turbine placement close to residents may heighten their uncertainty and concern of the wind turbines and overshadow any positive inclinations towards the development."