Impact analysis of wind farms on telecommunication services

Wind power is one of the fastest-growing technologies for renewable energy generation. Unfortunately, in the recent years some cases of degradation on certain telecommunication systems have arisen due to the presence of wind farms, and expensive and technically complex corrective measurements have been needed. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the impact of wind turbines on the telecommunication services. The paper describes the potential affections to several telecommunication services, the methodology to evaluate this impact, and mitigation measures to be taken in case of potential degradation, both preventive and corrective. The telecommunication services included in this review are those that have demonstrated to be more sensitive to nearby wind turbines: weather, air traffic control and marine radars, radio navigation systems, terrestrial television and fixed radio links. The methods described in the paper allow a thorough case-by-case analysis before the wind farm is installed, taking into account the particular features of each installation and the involved services. The prediction of the potential impact makes it possible to propose alternative solutions in order to assure the coexistence between the wind turbines and the telecommunication services.