To counter our dependence on oil
 
Fossil fuel reserves are not inexhaustible. It is essential that we prepare for the post-oil era now, as in 50 years' time, if our oil consumption continues to grow at the current rate, the world we will leave our children will have depleted a large part of its fossil fuel resources and the mean global temperature will have increased by 5 to 7°C due to the greenhouse effect. New conflicts will have flared up over the remaining oil reserves and tens of millions of people will no longer have access to fresh water due to global warming.
This dependence on oil can only be offset by two industries: nuclear energy and renewable energy sources. Nuclear energy production only increases 2.4% a year worldwide, even if we can anticipate the necessity to return to faster growth in this field. Conversely, out of renewable energy sources, wind power stands out with its high growth rate, exceeding that of all other sources of electricity production (25% a year in 2003 worldwide): the wind power market doubles every 4 years.
 
Kyoto protocol
 
Through the Kyoto Protocol signed in 1997 and confirmed at the Johannesburg Earth Summit in 2002, every country of the European Union is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% by 2012 in comparison to their 1990 levels.
EU countries have collectively undertaken to take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or reduce the causes of climate changes and limit their harmful effects. In concrete terms, all EU countries are obliged to publish inventories of their greenhouse gas emissions, as well as set up, implement and publish national programmes containing measures aimed at curbing climate changes.
The Kyoto Protocol goes even further as it proposes a timetable for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions which are considered as the main cause of global warming over the past fifty years.
 
European Directive
 
European Directive 2001/77/EC sets out objectives to increase the proportion of renewable energy sources in the electricity consumption of Member States, and lays down a timetable for the set-up of compulsory quotas for each country, starting in 2006.
To apply this directive, each country has set up regulations aimed at promoting the consumption and production of electricity from renewable sources (e.g. French law targets an objective of 10,000 MW of wind power in France by 2010, representing market growth of 70% a year until then).
In the countries selected by Eolfi, these measures always include the obligation to purchase all the power produced by wind farms over long periods of time (15 to 20 years depending on the countries), at regulated prices.
Moreover, the wind power sector is eligible for a certain number of tax incentives which can increase the IRR (internal rate of return) of the wind farms in the fund by 30%. These incentives include the possibility of accelerating the amortisation of production facilities over a 12-month period.

CO2 emission permit
 
One of the keystones of the Kyoto Protocol is the creation of a European CO2 Trading System as from 1st January 2005. To fight against climate changes, the Kyoto agreements signed in 1997 commit Europe to lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% between 1990 and 2010.
In practice, companies either fulfil their obligations by reducing polluting emissions at the least cost, notably by improving their technologies, or purchase emission quotas from those who do better, or pay a penalty of 40 euros per ton of surplus CO2 equivalent emitted (this penalty will be increased to 100 euros between 2008 and 2012), a high price to pay, as economic models are banking on a price ranging between 10 and 15 euros per ton of CO2 on that future market.
The European Directive of 22 July 2003 sets out the general rules but each country must lay down its own National Allocation Plan for greenhouse gas emission. Thus, each industrial site (and not each company) will receive a free quota from the State, corresponding to its emission permit. Over the initial period (2005-2007), the only greenhouse gas concerned is CO2 (the chemical and agro-food industries are exempt).
The finger is pointed at France due to its late response in presenting its plan, and more generally for its lax attitude and restrictive interpretation of the directive. Nevertheless, some 700 to 1,450 industrial sites are concerned (2,300 in Germany and 1,500 in Great Britain). The most polluting sectors are metalworking, cement manufacturing, glasswork, ceramics, paper pulp and energy. Current totals vary between 113 and 129 million tons of CO2 emitted per year, versus 109 million tons in 2002, and 116 million in 1990.
European industrialists have voiced their discontent with the set up of these quotas as they deem that they might distort competition with foreign groups. As the United States have rejected the Kyoto Protocol (a situation which is liable to change), the other signatories are not obliged to abide by it. Thus, certain groups are threatening to postpone their capital expenditures. Steel producer Arcelor even filed a complaint against this directive with the Luxembourg court!
 
Green Certificates (R.E.C.S: Renewable Energy Certificate System)
 
The green certificate markets now seem to be the green electricity support instruments best suited to the creation of liberalised electricity markets.
European Directive 2001/77/EC of 27 September 2001 concerning the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources (RES) in the internal electricity market, sets out ambitious development objectives for Member States as it aims to increase the contribution of these energy sources by 8%, to reach 22% of total electricity consumption within the EU by 2010 (France has undertaken to go from 15 to 21%). The means to be used to achieve those objectives have been left up to the Member States. Moreover, this directive sets out consumption percentages for Member States rather than production percentages.
Out of those instruments, the green certificate markets now seem to be the green electricity support instruments best suited to the creation of liberalised electricity markets.
The green certificate provides "proof" that the electricity injected into the grid by a producer is from a renewable source. This certificate is a document (paper or electronic) which contains information on the operator and its facilities: company name, address of operators, location of the facilities, capacity, commissioning date, technology, sector, subsidies that may have been received. A certificate is issued by a competent body – the issuing institute – every time a MWh of electricity is produced from a renewable energy source.
Four European countries have set up systems concerning green certificates: the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and England.
 
EDF's purchase obligation
 
The Act of 10 February 2000 commits EDF to buy for a period of 15 years the electricity produced by wind farms in France according to a set price schedule. When EDF receives a duly filled-in, valid request, it is obliged to sign a compulsory purchase contract whose main terms are the following:
 
• Duration: 15 years (renewable)
• Base prise: €0.082 / kWh (since July 2006):
  - For the first 5 years of operation of the farm: constant
  - For the 10 subsequent years: according to the reference production ratio (mean production of the 3 median years out of the first 5 years of operation) and the facility's power capacity.

Growth of the French market
 
Lagging far behind its major neighbouring countries, France still ranks among emerging countries in terms of wind power in Europe. The French market, which has been growing steadily since 2002, is developing along the same lines as the German market but is ten years behind.
While Germany's production currently amounts to 20,000 MW, France only ranks 8th in Europe with a little over 2 GW produced by over 150 wind farms.
The objective of the French government is to produce 10,000 MW by 2010.
 
In Europe
 
For once, Europe holds the lead on this high-growth market, thanks to forceful industrial policies and vast maritime areas. Europe's 48,000 MW of wind power cover 4.1% of the EU's total domestic electricity needs (60 million people). Wind power is the world's fastest growing source of electricity production. This growth is even stronger in Europe. In 20 years' time, it is assumed that 10% of the electricity consumed in Europe will stem from wind power.

The construction of a wind farm comprises 3 phases:
 
Development
 
This phase consists in:
1) Carrying out wind analyses and designing the park,
2) 2) Securing the land, getting the required licenses, applying for and obtaining the building permits,
3) Signing a 15-year contract (as a minimum) with EDF (or equivalent) with a commitment for the purchase of the entire production at a regulated price known on the signing of the contract.
 
Prior wind analyses are essential to be able to predict the productivity of the park. They are carried out by several independent experts over a period of at least 1 year on the site. They are then compared with measurements taken over several dozen years by national weather boards at nearby sites.
 
Construction
 
The construction phase lasts from 8 to 12 months.
An average-size farm consists of 6 to 15 wind turbines (the average capacity of a wind turbine is of the order of 2 MW).
The wind turbines are made by manufacturers such as General Electric, Siemens or Vestas, and their life cycle is at least 20 years.
They are under manufacturer guarantee for a minimum of 5 years which can be extended to 12 years (the manufacturer guarantees an availability rate of some 97% during the guarantee period).
The farm is built by a top-ranking builder under the control of a reputable project manager.
 
Operation
 
The electricity company is obliged to purchase the entire electricity production at a regulated price laid out in the contract for 15 to 20 years, depending on countries.
 
The wind farm is operated within the scope of a contract of 5 to 12 years with a leading industrial operator. Wind turbine developers and manufacturers always offer this service.

By definition, a wind turbine is obviously ecological. Its operation is totally natural: no gas or particle emission, no waste, no effluent, no discharge, total respect for the quality of the air… in other words, the ultimate in clean energy.
 
Noise
 
Are wind turbines noisy?
The law states that wind power must not increase ambient noise by more than 5 decibels in the daytime and 3 dB at night. The improvements made have helped to reduce the noise of wind turbines which is often less than 55 decibels at the foot of the machine. The speed of rotation of the wind turbines is purposely reduced when there is little wind in order to limit aerodynamic noise. Noise doesn't increase with the power of the wind turbine as, over recent years, the increase in size has been matched over the last few years by technological improvements (optimised blade profile and control of mechanical noises through high-precision gear systems and rotor shafts mounted on pads). In addition, blade rotation speed has been slowed down with the increase in the size of the rotor. To limit risks, an impact and opinion survey is always carried out and recommendations are given for the installation of wind turbines at a distance of at least 500 metres from the nearest houses. At this distance, practically no noise is heard.
 
Landscape
 
How to blend a wind turbine into the landscape?
Like a castle or viaduct, a wind turbine can become a structural highlight. Because of their size, wind turbines must not be placed on tourist, emblematic or listed sites. Eolfi undertakes to comply with this constraint and promote their siting either in deserted or industrialised areas. The dismantling of the wind turbines at the end of their useful life is always provided for in the accounts of the fund.
By playing with colours, through their harmony and through their size, we will strive to fit them into existing forms: hills, vegetation, ridge lines, etc. In certain protected areas, if they need to be concealed, their location will have to be chosen according to visibility angles at different distances.
A landscape study is usually conducted in collaboration with the populations concerned. In a landscape, a wind turbine can be a symbol of modernity, respect for the environment, and optimal use of natural resources. It can even become a tourist attraction.
At any rate, since the Act of 03/01/2003, to apply for the building permit, an Impact Study is required for all projects of more than 2.5 MW. In addition, a public enquiry is required for any construction exceeding 25 m. The impact study comprises a landscape analysis of the site and a study of the project's insertion in the environment (landscape, water, fauna, health, etc.). All documents on the wind turbine's integration into the landscape (photo montage, plans, simulations, etc.) must be included in the impact study.
If so required, the wind turbine can be removed as discretely as it was set-up and exploited: easy dismantling and transport, followed by quick restoration of the site, given the little space taken up on the ground. In comparison with facilities whose dismantling requires long and costly operations, the wind turbine is ecologically favourable.
 
Television reception
 
Can wind turbines interfere with the reception of radio or television programmes?
In no way will your favourite programmes be affected. To prevent any interference with radio waves, the National Frequencies Agency is in charge of allocating frequencies and managing radioelectric rights throughout France. The installation of a wind turbine takes account of radioelectric rights linked to the site. As a precautionary measure, the map of radioelectric rights is drawn up in a very broad way; consequently, a wind turbine project located in an area where such rights exist is not necessarily impossible. An in-depth local study may result in a construction authorisation. However, this has to be dealt with right from the start of the project, as the procedure is sometimes long.
 
Birds
 
Are wind turbines dangerous for birds?
Each wind turbine siting project is examined with ornithologists, particularly from the bird protection league. For the past ten years or so, numerous ornithological studies have assessed the impact of the presence of wind turbines on bird life. It has thus been observed that the impact is much less significant than that of road traffic, windows or power lines, since wind turbines rotate slowly, which makes them more visible for birds. It is totally possible to design a bird-friendly wind farm by placing the wind turbines away from cliffs where birds of prey glide or by leaving corridors between some of the wind turbines, making it easier for birds to cross the site.
In the Netherlands, for example, a study showed that the impact of wind turbines on birds is 100 times weaker than that of power lines and 200 times weaker than that of road traffic.

In the future, will we need to make drastic choices in order to choose the best sites to optimise wind turbine production or conversely, will we accept less ideal sites because of the necessity to protect the environment?
There is no shortage of windy sites in the world. Instead, we can say that there are innumerable places where wind power will provide the best energy solution, particularly in southern countries and the USA. Some have even contemplated installing wind turbines in Siberia or Tierra del Fuego, or even at the North Pole! These are vast territories swept by powerful, practically uninterrupted winds.
Ideal locations to install an unlimited number of wind turbines!
 

But things get more complicated when we examine the question of maintenance, not to mention the immense cables required to transport the electricity produced to inhabited areas. At any rate, major international flows are expected, like in other economic areas, whether they concern the exportation of energy, equipment or know-how.
To conclude, we will say that the sector of electricity production from wind power is an investment target worldwide, exploiting an inexhaustible, clean energy source which contributes to the planet's sustainable development!