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Bad feng shui reason for relocation of wind turbine in Taiwan's Penghu

Just before Ghost Month, decision made to relocate wind turbine due to bad feng shui with cemetery in Penghu, Taiwan

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Old spot (top), new area (bottom) (Environmental impact assessment map)

Old spot (top), new area (bottom) (Environmental impact assessment map)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Just before Ghost Month, it was announced that a wind turbine in Taiwan's Penghu County is to be relocated because it is considered to have bad for feng shui (風水) for a nearby cemetery, reported the Taiwan Environmental Information Center (TEIA).

Wind Turbine A-01 at Longmen is to be relocated 180 meters south-southwest of its current location on a beach because residents say it negatively affects the feng shui of a nearby cemetery. Chen Yi-Cheng (陳一成), Head of Taipower's Renewable Energy Department, said that although the wind turbine meets all legal standards, the developer Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), respects the input from residents.

On Aug. 8, days before Ghost Month started this year, it was announced that the wind turbine would be relocated 180 meters south-southwest of the original site and 40 meters away from the cemetery. Though this move inland will diminish the generation efficiency of the wind turbine, the new location is considered to still be within the minimum voltage limit.

The wind turbine is part of Longmen section of the proposed Penghu Low Carbon Island Development (澎湖低碳島計畫), which includes a planned six wind turbines. Together with two turbines in Jiangmei and three in Dachikan, Taipower estimates the 11 wind turbines will provide 116 megawatts hours per (mwh) year.

In addition to the bad feng shui, residents also been protesting over potential noise and shadow flicker pollution caused by the turbine in question, which will be even closer to residents once it is moved. Taipower claims that their simulation and assessment estimated that the sound pressure level at the nearest house would be 25.1 dB(A), while the low-frequency noise would be 22.0 dB(A), both within the EPA's daytime limit of 50 dB(A) and evening limit of 40 dB(A).

Jeng Ming-Shiou (鄭明修) of Taiwan EPA's Environmental Impact Assessment Review Committee raised the concern that the flickering effect caused by rotating turbine blades after sunrise could negatively impair resident's vision and cause discomfort. However, Taipower said that shadow flickers mainly occur in higher latitudes and given Taiwan's lower latitude, the effects should should be "modest."