Pensioner going to prison: For generating his own electricity

74-year-old Mads Kjær live in Vejlby Dune in Lemvig Municipality. On June 26, he eight days in jail because of his 11-year-old windmill.

Furthest out in Vejlby Dune by Lemvig live Mads. Mads would like to live as cheaply as possible - he has only his state pension - which is why he installed a wind turbine in 2003 that could produce power for refrigerators, reading lamp and computer.

It was also fine around in the first 10 years, but since 2006, the municipality has been following his mill because they believe it is noisy.

After local authority intervened, there are recent years committed serious vandalism at the mill that the last year has been laid down. And it does Mads also, the other day he received a letter from the Probation Service that he must serve eight days in jail because of the fines local authorities has issued monthly since 2013.

Requires noise test
- They believe that my mill is illegal because I have not got the noise tested, but the noise testers who have been here have not be able to hear the mill, so they're gone again, says Mads.

A noise test as the municipality requires costs 32,500 kr ($5.900) According to Max, who thinks that is nonsense to Lemvig Municipality provides that, but it makes other municipalities not. It runs 300 turbines of the same type across the country, and according to the dealer Pro-Cure is, in allotments without bothering neighbors and outside the municipality requires:

- But even if the mill is down at the moment, the municipality kept sending fine of 5,000 kr. ($907) a month, and now I'm going to prison, says Mads, who feels that he is exposed to a completely unfair treatment from the local authorities, just because he wants to make his own CO2-free power.

- There are other of the mills here around the country, and they should not noise tested. I think the municipality should withdraw their claims back and then come up with an excuse, says Mads whose total debt to the municipality because of the mill has reached 50,000. ($9.100)

Technical Director in Lemvig Municipality, Claus Borg, confirms to the nation! That there is a case of a windmill, and that they maintain that even if it is smaller than normal wind turbines must meet the requirements of the municipality regularly releases - including the need to make a noise test.

- And remember that it blows out here in Jutland, and when the fan so noisy turbines therefore, Claus Borg.

Torben Olsen from the company Pro-Cure, which has sold the mill to Mads and the 300 other owners have not heard of other municipalities that require noise test. Torben has helped to noise test with a client who would put his turbine up close to adjoining properties, but the noise test fell through twice:

- The birds whistled so loud that you could not measure the mill, says Torben Olsen.

SOURCE: http://ekstrabladet.dk/nationen/article2304545.ece