“Will I Be Able to See the Offshore Turbines?”
Bringing the Illawarra / Southern Sydney Offshore Wind Turbine Scale into Perspective
In discussions concerning the offshore wind turbines proposed for Illawarra /Southern Sydney, some might quickly dismiss them, remarking, “You’re not going to see them anyway!” Such views underestimate the visual impact of the turbines, poised at a towering 260 metres high – 20 kilometres from our coastline – and overlook broader considerations. These turbines are set to reside in a whale migration corridor used by 40,000 whales annually, encroach upon valued fishing territories, shipping channels and sit adjacent to beaches that are a staple of our Illawarra way of life. Moreover, our coast also serves as a getaway for Sydney siders seeking a break from urban life.
Visualising the Scale of Change
So, how do we visually communicate the expected scale of these wind turbines proposed to be 260 metres tall? Their stature is nearly twice that of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (135m) and they fall just short of the Sydney Tower’s 309 metres. Locally, the visibility of Bald Hill (180m) or the old Port Kembla ERS stack (198m), is well known across the Illawarra.
Seeing the Unseen: Visualising the Real-World Scale of the Experimental Floating Wind Turbines
In order to fully understand the true impact, we’ve embraced the ‘seeing is believing’ approach and created visualisation tools, which match the scale of the proposed turbines. These tools have transformed the community’s perspective, turning abstract sizes into clear, visual understanding. They bring the reality of the proposed turbines’ size into sharp focus and then act as a conversation starter about the other risks connected to what is proposed.
How to Use the Visualisation Tool
To truly appreciate the impact, we’ve crafted visualisation tools tailored to the scale of the proposed turbines.
This tool has transformed community perception, making the scale of the development strikingly evident. Two models have been designed:
- A handheld plastic sheet, half the size of an A4 paper, meant to be held at arm’s length. The correct distance is one metre for every 10klms, but arm’s length suffices, despite a small scale discrepancy for an approximation of 10klms. To identify the impact of 20klms, have someone stand a metre behind you to view the visualisation. For a distance of 25klms, they should stand 1.5mtres behind you whilst you hold the visualisation at arm’s length.
- A larger perspex model should be viewed from three metres for an accurate representation of 10klm distance.
Position either tool upon the horizon and that will give an indication of the scale of the proposal.
These tools compare the turbines’ scale to ships often seen on the horizon, with surprising accuracy. To enhance understanding, a marine app (vesselfinder.com) can track and compare the real-time position and size of these ships, typically situated 7-9km from the shore.
An Overview of the Calculations
Both the small and perspex models consider the curvature of the earth and use vesselfinder.com for real-time validation. Ships on the horizon provide a live comparative scale, affirming the model’s credibility.
Through this innovative visualisation, the community can now grasp the real-life scale of the turbines, prompting a more informed dialogue on the project’s visual and environmental impact.
Final Thoughts: The Bigger Picture
Our visualisation tools are designed to do more than just show the height of the proposed offshore wind turbines; they highlight the very real ‘wall’ that could rise up from the ocean. Yet, this visual barrier is just the beginning. The true scope of the wind farm proposal encompasses much more, with environmental and community concerns that extend far beyond what meets the eye.
The tools begin the conversation by focusing on the visual impact, but they also open the door to a deeper exploration of the proposal’s effects. From the potential disruption to whale migration paths and local fishing to the transformation of our beloved coastal areas, the wind turbines could reshape our environment in profound ways.
As we bring these considerations to the forefront, Responsible Future encourages the community to look past the immediate visuals and engage with the broader issues at hand. It’s essential that we consider every aspect of the proposal, ensuring that our decisions are informed and that the well-being of the Illawarra and Southern Sydney communities, and our ocean, are safeguarded for the future.
We invite everyone to use these tools to start a dialogue, ask questions, and get involved as we work together to address the potential impacts of the offshore wind farm proposal.
How to Access a Copy of the Visualisation Tool
For any communities looking to access the tools created by Responsible Future, contact admin@responsiblefuture.com.au.
Detailed Notes for the Visualisation Model
Assumptions:
- Assumed as viewed from the shore with the Zone starting at 10km off-shore
- The complete development could be up to 300 turbines and 9 additional transformers
- Spacing of the turbines is assumed to be 3-5 times rotor diameter in rows and 6-8 times the diameter as spacing between rows (Source: https://energypedia.info)
Notes:
- To view to standard 297mm long tool, hold 1m from your eye (approximately 1 arm’s length) and line up the horizon with the horizon on the model.
- The Visualisation is to scale whereby a 260-300m tall structure at 10km away looks exactly the same as a 2.6-3.0mm structure at 1m away (scaled model of 1:10000).
- If the declared Zone is at 20k off-shore, the visualisation tool simply needs to be held 2m away from the viewer’s eye (3m away to visualise turbines 30km away etc.).
- If photographs are being produced to show accurate visualisations, then the tool needs to be held at the requisite distance from the camera lens.
- The software version of the visualisation tool is designed to be printed onto A4 overhead projector foils. If an enlarged version is produced then the viewing distance should be adjusted in proportion to the height of the printed turbines (2.6cm printed turbines from a 1m viewing distance, 5.2cm turbines from a 2m viewing distance, 10.4cm turbines from a 4m viewing distance etc.)
- Due to curvature of the earth, at 10km away, all but the bottom 7.84m of an object is visible (Source: https://www.omnicalculator.com).
- For further validation go to vesselfinder.com where the real-time size and distance of ships on the horizon can be checked for scale comparison. These ships typically anchor 7-9km from shore.
- Some ships have been added to the model to assist in validation of the scale model.
- If the viewpoint is from an elevated coastal position, this does affect the scaling. The only impact is that the 7.84m of turbine that would otherwise be over the horizon would become visible.
- The turbines are coloured black to simulate the look during morning light (with the sun behind the turbines). In the afternoon, the look would be similar except the colour would be white against the horizon. At night the turbines would all be illuminated with bright red flashing lights for air traffic – again clearly visible.
Perspex model:
- The size of the turbines is approximately 8cm high – about 3 times the original tool. Therefore when using the Perspex model, mark a viewing point on the ground 3m away from his new larger visualisation tool. The assumptions remain the same.
Disclaimer
- The whole point of this visualisation tool is to address the challenge of providing an accurate simulation of the size of turbines when viewed from on or near to shore. It is vital to follow the instructions in order to ensure an accurate visualisation. Any other use will not provide an accurate simulation.
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