Skyllermarks helps changing Swedish Law

Submitted by Albert Säfström on Thu, 06/08/2009 - 16:09 Ämne:

On the first of August this year, the rules for building permit requirements for small wind turbines changed in Sweden. The limit over which a planning permission is required was increased to three meters diameter (from two meters) as a result of successful lobbying by Skyllermarks.

vindkraft-flagga.jpgLast spring we were invited to a wind turbine hearing at cabinet office Rosenbad in Stockholm. At the hearing we proposed that the requirement for planning permission for wind turbines should be increased to three meters diameter (up from two meters). Our argument was that the wind turbines would still be smaller and and sound less than ordinary flags, while the swept area and hence the energy production would more than double.

Excerpt from Skyllermarks' statement:

A Swedish flag pole is often about 15 m high and has a flag that is almost 4 m tall. These flagpoles can be installed without any special permission using inexpensive standard components. The limit for not requiring a planning permission is set for wind turbines with a turbine diameter of 2 meter, which seems disproportionately low. The audio-visual nuisance for local residents are not more for a wind turbine than for a flag. Add to that the fact that the flag does not serve any real purpose [like generating electricity] we believe that the maximum rotor diameter to be allowed without special authorization should be increased. An increase of the diameter of the wind turbine from 2 to 3 meters would increase the swept area and hence the energy production by 125%.

The fact that the energy production is increased by 125 percent, that is, becomes 2.25 times larger, if the diameter is increased by 50 percent is easy to show using a simple sketch. For those who are mathematically inclined (and remember the formula for calculation the area of a circle from school) it is even easier. vindkraftverk-tre-meter-utankaffe.jpg

Our proposal has survived through all the democratic institutions and came into effect as a Swedish law on the first of August this year.

The new passage about wind turbines in the Planning and Building Act, Chapter eight, section two is the following:

In terms of facilities other than buildings, planning permissions is required for wind turbines that
a) is higher than 20 meters over the ground;
b) is located at a distance from the border which is less than the height [of the wind turbine],
c) is mounted on a building, or
d) have a wind turbine with a diameter greater than three meters,

Everyone knows that it is difficult to become a "prophet in his own city" and we had anticipated that success of this type would come abroad first, but this really shows the power of our ideas.

Här kan du läsa om ändringarna i Plan- och bygglagen.
Här kan du ladda ner vår inlaga till Vindkrafthearingen.