ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF WIND ENERGY INSTALLATIONS DURING THEIR LIFE CYCLE

The impact of wind power plants on the environmental components is assessed taking into account a number of their parameters, in particular the technical characteristics of wind turbines, the characteristics of networks, engineering and other structures. To do this, the scope of the study of wind power plants is determined, the aim and subject of the study are established, and the life cycle of the wind power plants is described taking into account (by way of inventory) all the necessary materials and resources. Based on the inventory and input data on the wind farm under study, a diagram is generated - a tree of life cycle processes of the wind power plant - to determine the potential environmental impacts. A list of impact categories that represent the load on the environment caused by the wind power plant is defined; also, the relative contribution of harmful factors is determined for each category, taking into account possible scenarios of waste management. After normalization and determination of significance (weighing), individual estimates of all indicators and their distribution in three categories of lesions were obtained: human health, ecosystem quality and resources, as well as four stages of the wind farm life cycle: production, dismantling and disposal, operation, transportation and installation.