Portobello & Leith Community Wind Energy Project FAQs 8th November 2011 What are you proposing?

Two community-led, not-for-private-profit organisations, PEDAL Portobello Transition Town - and Greener Leith, are proposing to develop a commercial scale wind turbine on land at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works, Marine Esplanade, Edinburgh. The site is on the border between Leith, Portobello and Craigentinny Community Council areas. The wind turbine will generate electricity for sale to landowners Scottish Water or to the National Grid. If successful, this will be the first community owned income-generating wind turbine in a UK city. Why are you proposing to install only one turbine? A single wind turbine is proposed at vacant land next to the Final Settlement Tanks at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works. Our consultants have surveyed the site and concluded that this is the best location for a wind turbine in the area. They have also concluded there is only room for one large turbine at this location, due to operational use of the rest of the site. How big will the turbine be? A range of sizes are being considered, but the turbine would be from 80 to 125 metres high (from the foot of the tower to the tip of

upright blade) with a rated capacity of between 500 and 2,300 kW. By comparison, the Cockenzie Power Station chimneys are 149 metres high. How will you choose what size of turbine to put up? The size of turbine chosen depends on the views of the City of Edinburgh Council as planning authority and statutory consultees like Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Scotland. It also very much depends on the response from the local community: would you rather see a larger turbine and greater investment in the local community, or a smaller turbine and more modest community funding? Were all local residents, so lets find out as many local opinions as we can, and listen to them. How much electricity might it produce? The wind turbine is expected to produce between 1 million and 4.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, the annual electricity usage of 300 to 1300 average homes in Edinburgh. Is the site windy enough? Meteorological databases show the site is likely to have sufficient wind to make a large turbine viable. We have carried out an initial three months of wind monitoring, however we require data over a longer period (around 12 months in total) before we can get a firm idea of the likely wind resource at the site.

How will you get permission to put it on the site? The treatment works process the waste water for the city of Edinburgh and surrounding area. Stirling Water Seafield, the site operators, and Scottish Water, who own the land, have been helpful in assisting this community project. PEDAL and Greener Leith are in detailed discussions with these organisations with a view to gaining exclusive access to the site to develop the wind turbine. We are hopeful that agreements will be concluded soon. What stage is the project at? Initial technical work suggests the site is suitable for a commercial scale wind turbine (one of few potential sites in the Edinburgh area). This work examined site physical and operational constraints, potential for grid connection, health & safety in construction and operation, flooding risk, potential turbine delivery routes, and likely impacts on radio communications, television signals, aviation, MoD operations, plus shadow flicker and noise levels. The next stage is to complete 12 months of bird surveys at the site, further wind monitoring work, and a full landscape and visual impact assessment. Planning permission is required from the City of Edinburgh Councildue to the time scales for the remaining studies, this would not be submitted before May 2012.

What benefit would the project bring? The project would:

1. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation

by between 400 to 2000 tonnes per year over the 25-year life of the turbine. The precise amount will depend on the final size of machine chosen. 2. See a community owned project generating significant funds for local community initiatives. Initial estimates by our consultants are that surpluses totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds could be generated over the 25 years life of the turbine. 3. Be a visible statement of local sustainability, showing our communities are committed to playing their part in tackling global problems and becoming places that people want to live, work, visit and invest in. What would you do with the surpluses? Thats very much up to local people: our only suggestion is that 100% of the surpluses (once running costs are paid) should be used to fund community projects in the Portobello, Leith and Craigentinny areas. We have lots of ideas for the kinds of projects that might be funded: improving green space, insulating peoples houses, better cycle-paths, social enterprises, job creation schemes, and educational projects are just a few. But we want to hear your views: what would you like to see the money invested in? Were

planning an extensive consultation with local people to find out what their priorities are: more details will be announced soon. Whats the time scale for this project? Weve already completed the initial feasibility work, but we need to do more wind and bird studies, and we also need to gather lots more local views on the project and what people want to see it achieve. For the wind monitoring we need to put up a temporary meteorological mast on the site. The decision on whether or not to take the project forward to planning submission is likely to be made by April 2012; the planning application for the turbine itself would be submitted around May 2012 and, if approved, the turbine should hopefully be up and running in the spring of 2013. Who would buy the electricity, and where would it be used? The power generated will be sold either to the site owners, Scottish Water, or to a major energy company via the National Grid. Scottish Water could purchase the electricity by offsetting the amount of power the turbine produces against their energy bills; in physical terms the electricity will enter the local distribution system where it would be used within north and east Edinburgh.

Who will own and operate the wind turbine? Once all relevant permissions (e.g. planning, grid connection) are in place, a new organisation will be formed to own and operate the wind turbine. This organisation will be jointly owned by PEDAL, Greener Leith and we hope a community organisation from Craigentinny. The Board of this organisation will comprise volunteers drawn from these organisations. Maintenance of the turbine will be carried out by a professional contractor.

Will the wind turbine be noisy? Noise produced by wind turbines is typical relatively low. It is quite possible to hold a normal conversation directly below a wind turbine without raising ones voice, something that cannot be done beside a busy road. Detailed noise assessment work undertaken in consultation with Edinburgh City Council and involving background noise monitoring at nearby homes shows the project would meet relevant noise limits. How will the wind turbine be paid for? We anticipate that 80 to 90% of the cost of installing the turbine will come from a bank loan. We will apply for grants and explore the possibility of a community share issue to cover the remainder.

How long is the financial payback? The cost of constructing the turbine will depend on the final choice of turbine model. The bank loan will be paid off over a period of around ten years so as to allow for a sizeable community fund. How long is the energy payback? The energy payback of a modern wind turbine - the time it takes to produce the same energy used to manufacture and install the turbine - is around 6 to 9 months. After that, low carbon energy is produced over the life of the machine, usually 2025 years. What will the impact be on local views and the landscape generally? Initial work on the impact of the turbine on local views and Edinburghs cityscape more broadly show it will not be visible from most of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site (the city centre). It will be visible from Calton Hill, Arthurs Seat, Craigmillar Castle and Craigentinny. The City Council has asked us to carry out work on how views from Fife and the East Lothian Coastal footpath will be affected, as well as a detailed study into impacts on Edinburghs cultural landscape.

What will the impact be on the local bird population? The chosen site for the turbine is close to three areas that are of recognised importance for bird populations. We have contracted a professional ornithologist to carry out surveys of the bird population close to the site using methods agreed with Scottish Natural Heritage. Surveys began in April 2011 and must continue for a period of 12 months. Once these are complete, we will be able to assess the possible impact of a turbine on the bird population. Would shadow flicker be an issue? The proposed location near the coast means that shadow flicker could only occur at a few nearby houses in the very early mornings over a few hours each summer. Controls will be used if required to ensure shadow flicker is eliminated by slowing the turbine down during these hours. Will it affect local television, mobile phone or radio reception? Detailed assessments have been carried out to identify the potential effects on television, mobile phone or radio receptions in the surrounding areas. These show that no effects are likely.

Will it be safe? In addition to the usual turbine safety systems, we propose a system that would continuously monitor tiny vibrations within the turbine structure. This system is able to identify potential faults before they manifest themselves materially, and so is able to achieve extremely high safety limits. It is effective in monitoring vibrations, crack formation and any build up of ice. The turbine would also lie in the least frequented part of the site and, being close to the sea, icing would be expected to be infrequent. How can I find out more or show my support? PEDAL and Greener Leith are keen to keep people involved as the project moves forward. We are planning a series of events, static displays and an on-line survey, where people can find out more, ask for feedback on specific questions and show their support. We also hope to have announcements through local newspapers, radio and TV at key points in the project. For the time being, our websites will continue to provide updates see www.greenerleith.org or www.pedal-porty.org.uk You can also sign up to support the project and give us the chance of securing some of the funding needed by registering as a supporter on our Energyshare page at http://tiny.cc/porty-leithwind

Why are you seeking donations from local people? We have secured 90% of the costs of carrying out the necessary technical studies to take the project to planning submission. We are seeking grant funds for the rest as well as donations from local people. If youd like to donate please visit our websites www.pedal-porty.org.uk or www.greenerleith.org