Project Development & Construction
Can anyone build a Windfarm?
Yes, anyone such as private individuals, a company, a group of shareholders (e.g. a community scheme), a mixed economy business can build a windfarm as long as they have suitable land and enough finance. Windfarm owners or investors generally hand over responsibility for the project design, management and maintenance to specialised professional companies.
Can anyone build a Windfarm?
Yes, anyone such as private individuals, a company, a group of shareholders (e.g. a community scheme), a mixed economy business can build a windfarm as long as they have suitable land and enough finance. Windfarm owners or investors generally hand over responsibility for the project design, management and maintenance to specialised professional companies.
Is my site suitable?
Despite Ireland having the best wind resource in Europe, not all sites are suitable for the development of a wind farm. Your site may be suitable if you can answer yes to most of the following questions;
- Is the site windy?
- Is the proposed area on a flat plain, at an elevation of more than 200m in a hilly area or located close to the coast?
- Does it 'face' a southerly or south-westerly direction free of obstacles such as mountains, town?
- Are the nearest dwellings more than 400 metres from your land boundaries?
- Is your land outside a designated SAC (Special Area of Conservation), NHA (National Heritage Area), a national park, or other designated areas?
- Is there access to the National Grid close by?
- Will the proposed site avoid affecting electromagnetic communication systems (e.g. microwave links)?
- Is the site accessible and are ground conditions suitable for development?
- Are there wind farm developments already operational in the area or are there developments granted planning permission close by?
- Have you discussed your proposal with the local planning office and neighbours (adjacent landowners, or landowners in the immediate vicinity, residents at nearby houses etc.) and are they satisfied with your proposals?
Before you take the project further you should get professional support to review all your options including the development of alternative sites.
What are the first steps when developing a windfarm?
See Steps to Developing a Project
Are there serious concerns about the sitting and noise levels from turbines?
There are some concerns and issues that must be addressed, but complaints about excessive noise from turbines are not supportable. Modern turbines are commonly agreed by unbiased commentators to pose a minimal audible intrusion to the environment.
The proposed siting of turbines has been a cause of some concern in certain quarters, but the experience of countries which have a more developed wind power infrastructure is that public approval increases with familiarity. Here again, the modern type of turbine is a more pleasing aesthetically than its fore-runner.
But obviously MnaG recognises that however attractive the mast, there will be instances and sites where turbines will not be acceptable. The co-op members are conscious that early unfavourable publicity will not benefit the long-term future of the national wind resource. To that end there is a need to address any issues and potential difficulties in an honest and forthright manner. The co-operative members are part of the local community and would share the concerns in those particular instances. What Meitheal na Gaoithe will resist are attempts to place blanket bans on wind turbine erections or on wind-speed monitoring masts. Each planning application will be decided on a case-to-case basis.
At a basic level the colour of wind turbines will have an obvious influence on its visual impact. There are documented instances where careful painting in appropriate colours have had a major affect on the appearance of turbines. But at a more subtle level, this matter can be addressed as to why people choose to site wind turbines where they do.
