FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the benefits to landholders?

The main benefit to landholders is a payment stream that is related to the number of turbines placed on the land or the wind energy output. The payments are in return for using the area of land required for wind turbines, roads and electrical infrastructure. Windlab also offers a share of any green credits where possible. The exact form of payments to landholders needs to vary according to the laws and conventions in your area. Our principles are that we take a flexible approach in consultation with you, in order to give confidence of a fair commercial arrangement.

Why should I sign with Windlab?

Windlab has a track record of locating premium sites and developing them in a timely and professional manner. Our technical advantage, experience and industry contacts give your site the best chance of success.

What types of legal agreements are required?

If Windlab determines that your land has potential for a wind farm, an agreement will be presented to you for your consideration. The agreement will allow Windlab to conduct detailed testing on the site, and the ability to lease the land required for a wind farm if the project turns out to be viable.

What am I really agreeing to when I lease?

When you execute a lease with Windlab, you are agreeing to give Windlab the right to place wind turbines and other equipment on your property as part of a wind farm project. You are essentially agreeing to work with Windlab on the location of equipment on the property and to provide Windlab use of the wind flowing across your property. The lease contains provisions that ensure your property rights and that we maintain your property in the condition it was prior to our operations.

How much land do you use?

As a rough rule of thumb each turbine will take up 2 acres (less than 1 hectare) of land in roads and footings. In some cases turbines are more distantly spaced or we need to install other infrastructure such as transformers and control buildings. We will discuss such matters with you.

Why is Windlab interested in my property?

Windlab has performed studies of wind in your area and detemind the area has the potential to produce wind energy. Once we have secured land, we do further analysis and studies. This includes the installation of meteorological towers. Other studies are often only undertaken after the wind speeds have been confirmed and include cultural heritage, flora and fauna surveys, geotechnical studies and noise measurements.

Will Windlab be the long-term owner of the wind farm?

Windlab has a variety of methods of developing wind farm projects which vary as our intention is to construct a wind power site as quickly as the market will allow. Windlab may continue to own the project through the construction and operational stages of the project. Another possibility is for Windlab to remain with the project until construction commences with another company (for example a utility) taking over the construction and operation phases. Sometimes it makes sense to partner with other organizations during the development phase which can help give the project the best chance of success.

Can I sell my land?

You can sell your land. You need to make the new owner aware of the agreement and ensure he or she is willing to take over your role in the agreement.

How will my crops and livestock be impacted?

Long term you can grow crops and graze animals around the turbines. The biggest impact is during the construction phase (about 18months). During this time there is inevitably some disruption as roads and turbines are built. We seek to minimize this disruption by working closely with landholders. For the disruption we can’t avoid, we will compensate you.

Can I plant trees or construct new buildings?

Yes. We encourage the planting of trees on wind farms for environmental and livestock protection. We do however place some restrictions on plantation forestry in close vicinity of turbines because this can cause turbulence. Similarly with new buildings, restrictions are placed on constructing new buildings in the vicinity of turbines.

Can I access power from the turbines?

No – unfortunately the turbines are designed to supply large amounts of power to large transmission lines and we are not able to connect domestic scale loads.

How do you maintain site security?

Like you, we are concerned about unauthorized entry to sites. That is why we take measures that limit entry. The exact measures depend on the circumstances but normally include such things as security patrols, marking of authorized vehicles, and locked gates.

Are turbines noisy?

Turbines do emit sound but visitors to a turbine often comment on how quiet they are. The important thing however is that the amenity of houses is maintained. That is why we carefully measure the noise of the selected turbine, calculate how it will propagate across the site and ensure that local houses receive little or no impact. Often this requires us to measure the existing noise levels on the site so we know the threshold at which the turbine noise begins to be heard above the ‘background noise’.

How long does a project take?

The average development cycle for a project is about five and a half years from execution of lease to connection to the electric grid. The timing on depends on the market for electricity and the local planning laws. The fastest project we have developed took 18 months but it is not unusual for projects to take several years.

What are Green Credits?

In some countries Green Credits (variously known as tax credits, renewable certificates, CDM payments) are created for each kilowatt-hour of electricity a wind turbine produces. These credits can sometimes be sold separately from the sale of the electricity itself. Most agreements to purchse power from a wind farm includes the purchase of the Green Credits.