Impact of wind farms on radio systems May 2015

Impacts on radio systems Radars Wind farms have significant impact on microwave radar systems Special legislation and compensation system developed for military radars Radiolinks Wind farms have significant impact on radiolinks. Solutions: The link has to be removed if a wind farm is built in its Fresnel zone Terrestrial TV broadcasting 50% of Finnish homes receive tv via the terrestrial network A new shadow area might occur due to a wind farm Solutions: proper receiving antenna, new gap filler or optimisation of the network Mobile networks High expectations on coverage Coverage problems might occur in areas with weak signal Solutions: improving the network (new base stations or optimisation) Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

Survey on effects of wind power Survey commissioned by FICORA in 2014 carried out by VTT Technical Research Center Finland Background Reports on problems related to wind farms Concern of the impacts to tv-viewers and mobile users Contacts by wind power companies to solve the problems Systems to be studied DVB-T and DVB-T2 on UHF (and VHF) GSM900, LTE800, UMTS900, LTE1800 ja UMTS2100 Field measurements around a wind park in Pori by VTT and TV network operator Digita. Modelling the impact The survey (in Finnish) was publeshed by FICORA in 29.1.2015 https://www.viestintavirasto.fi/attachments/Tutkimusraportti_v68.pdf Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

Conclusions and recommendations: TV-networks Wind power plants cause a shadow area if a wind power plant is located between the transmitter and the reception location The most significant impact is the Doppler shifted reflection from the moving blades Good receiving antennas are crucial Gap fillers are probably needed behind the wind farms. The gap filler should be located outside the impact area so that the angel to the wing farm is large enough. Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

DVB-T -signal behind the wind farm Source: VTT report VTT-R-05999-14, 25.1.2015 Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

Conclusions and recommendations: mobile networks A high-density base station network efficiently limits the areas affected by wind parks The wind farm has an impact on the quality of calls and data services The effects of wind power plants on GSM calls were small. The largest impact was seen on UMTS data services as a delay and decrease in bit rate. In the LTE network any significant interference to e.g. web services. Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

FICORA's recommendations to builders of wind farms The radio system owners/users should be informed on the project within a coordination distance of about 30 km Users of radio location systems and radiolinks, as well as teleoperators should always be informed on the project https://www.viestintavirasto.fi/attachments/VIESTINT AVIRASTO_1153_809_2014_Tiedote_tuulivoimapuisto n_rakentajille.pdf Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

The role of FICORA: terrestrial TV FICORA solves radio interference and supervises network license conditions, such as coverage requirements Three multiplexes have strict requirements regarding shadow areas Shadow are of 50 people within a 20 km circle -> operator must build out the network. If the population in a shadow area is less than 50 people -> using alternative distribution technology e.g. satellite reception. FICORA solves problems based on network license conditions Decision given for Raahe Kopsa area (509/84/2014) Investigations ongoing in Pori, Ii, Merijärvi and Santaskylä Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

The role of FICORA: mobile networks Some problems related to mobile networks also reported close to wind farms FICORA can give a decision to the operator to build out the network if the shortage is obvious. GSM coverage requirements from beginning of 2015 (DNA and TeliaSonera) Own network 80 % of population Own + joint network 99 % of population Coverage raquirements: 800 MHz TeliaSonera: 95 % of population 1.1.2017, 99 % of population 1.1.2019 Elisa and DNA: 97 % of population 1.1.2019 Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015

New legislation? There are no clear obligations for wind park owners to solve the problems caused to radio networks The operators think this is unfair Many wind power companies voluntarily employ antenna contractors to fix consumers' receiving antennas Agreement is rarely reached if a new base station or gap filler is needed Heidi Himmanen 5.5.2015