Like any large structure, wind turbines can potentially interfere with communication systems that use electromagnetic waves as the transmission medium (e.g. television, radio or microwaves links). It is possible that the moving blades of the wind turbine can sometimes cause signal variations, due to obstruction, reflection or refraction. These effects were more of a problem with first generation wind turbines, which had metal blades. The blades of modern wind turbines are made exclusively of synthetic materials, which have a minimal impact on the transmission of electromagnetic radiation.
In designing a wind farm site careful consideration must be taken by the wind farm developer to ensure wind turbines do not interfere with radio, TV signals and mobile receptions. Any possible interference problems identified during the wind farm’s design phase can be rectified by proper design and location the wind turbines or corrected at a relatively low cost through simple technical mitigations, such as the installation of additional transmitter masts.
With regard to compatibility and interference in telecommunications, it is worth mentioning that in many European countries, wind turbine towers not only do not create obstacles, but are already being used for the installation of aerials to improve communications, such as mobile telephone services.