wind turbines at castlebar

adharc

There is a proliferation of wind turbines on the hills overlooking Castlebar. Wind energy is fine but our landscape has been spoiled and many visitors have commented on it. Watch all planning for these type of turbines in future. They are very ugly and not disguised in any way. They should not be put in an area of scenic beauty.

The Saint

They should not be put in an area of scenic beauty.

They should put them in Dublin suburbs so.:p

Mailman

There is nothing aesthetically displeasing about modern wind turbines.

You're not looking at a natural landscape anyhow. You are looking at one moulded by man over many centuries.
If it was a natural landscape then it would be wooded just as it was before man made his appearance on this island.

Eurorunner

There is nothing aesthetically displeasing about modern wind turbines.

Agree completely. If they are a scar on the landscape, then theres no end to that line of argument. we should go back to living in forts and mud huts..

Typedef

I object to mud huts.

I think they scar the landscape.

Eurorunner

Originally posted by Typedef
I object to mud huts.

I think they scar the landscape.

I'm sure twas a topic of great debate in them days...damn upstarts and their fancy mud huts:D

bonkey

Originally posted by adharc
They are very ugly and not disguised in any way.

Neither is your house, I'm willing to bet. Nor any of the rest of the town, its roads, etc. etc. etc.

Does this mean you're willing to move out and live under the skies for the rest of your days if it would get rid of the turbines too? Same for the shopkeepers etc. etc. etc. ???

And let me guess....if it was just built to overlook somneone else's town...that would be fine too.

jc

Capt'n Midnight

Uggg - betcha only got it on a section 20

What you want to do is dig a hole in the ground and une the earth to build low walls and then cover it with the Sods

Even then it would displease some people.


OK then who is going to pay for the Salters Ducks or the tidal turbines like they are installing in Wales ?

Victor

Yeah they should put them turbines undergound or something.

The Saint

Yeah they should put them turbines undergound or something.

Yip, we all know how windy it is "underground". Although I dont remember ever seeing and wind turbines in Fraggle Rock.

irishguy

dont have any problem with the turbines would you prefer them to put a coal burning station there? your entitled to your opinion about them looking ugly but if your so concerned with the way they look then, stop using electricity and if enough people do this then we wouldnt need as many turbines and you get to look at the scenery.there is a nice solution and everyone is happy

ur mentor

still tilting at windmills.
any chance of lighting them at night so we can see them 24/7? cant see natural scenic beauty at night. I need electric to help see in the dark. i think windmills are scenic and beautiful. The swoosh is so peaceful too.

The Saint

any chance of lighting them at night so we can see them 24/7

You can if you want 747's landing in your garden.:D

ur mentor

that would save on car parking charges!!

Typedef

Say something on topic gents.

Kell

Originally posted by adharc
There is a proliferation of wind turbines on the hills overlooking Castlebar. Wind energy is fine but our landscape has been spoiled and many visitors have commented on it. Watch all planning for these type of turbines in future. They are very ugly and not disguised in any way. They should not be put in an area of scenic beauty.

I drove past them weekend before last and for the first time noticed them having driven past them at least 4/5 times during the summer.

They are therefore NOT THAT NOTICABLE OR UGLY. Trust me, I would notice these things.

K-

K2

I drive past them twice a day every day, and think they look okay. Given the choice between renewable resources and burning fossil fuels I think we should put up with some visual pollution as it is certainly the lesser of the two evils. Btw I think the actual development has been halted over some planning hitch so some of the turbines are just stalks, no windmills attached. I will buy the western people newspaper this week and see if there is any news on it.

K2

Taken from western news:


"Wednesday, July 16, 2003 :

FRONT | NEWS | SPORT | LOCAL NEWS | OTHER NEWS
High winds delay erection of Castlebar’s E22m wind farm

HIGH winds at the weekend delayed the erection of a number of wind turbines at a €22 million wind farm in the Raheenbar area close to Castlebar.
Construction of the turbines, twenty two in all.
The wind farm is being constructed on commonage. The twenty-six owners of the commonage are leasing the ground to the power company and have taken shareholdings in the project. The farm is one of the biggest to date in Ireland and will generate sufficient electricity for the national grid to cater for a town the size of Castlebar.
A director of Ecopower, Ms Phil Kenealy, said the farm would generate up to 60 m kw hours a year, which would be sufficient to meet the domestic energy needs of Castlebar. In environmental terms it would mean that 45,000 tonnes less of harmful greenhouse gases would be released to the air.

She added that the company was also well advanced in the planning of a second Mayo wind farm in Erris at a site near Carramore lake."


_______________________________
If their figures are correct, then I think thats a result. 22 turbines supplying enough juice to power a town the size of castlebar is far more acceptable than burning god knows how many tons of fossil fuels. Oh and all turbines now appear complete, pulled over last night for a look. I think the planning problem is with the second site but cannot find anything on the web.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/1577940?view=Eircomnet

Wind could yield 16% of power by 2010
From:ireland.com
Monday, 29th September, 2003

Wind energy could provide 16 per cent of energy needs on the island of Ireland by 2010 if the governments north and south make the right decisions, a new report has concluded.

Ireland is in a unique position to promote the growth of wind energy and at least 2,000 megawatts of wind generation could be added to our electricity system in future years, it adds.

The report, by Scottish consultants, Garrad Hassan, says the Republic and Northern Ireland could replicate what Denmark and parts of Germany have done to grow wind power. Two thousand megawatts is equivalent to several large gas- or coal-fired stations.

The report says wind currently provides about 2.4 per cent of electricity on the island of Ireland.

The energy regulator in the north, Ofreg (Office for the Regulation of Electricity and Gas), and the regulator in the Republic, the Commission for Energy Regulation, commissioned the report.

The report will give a boost to wind energy companies, some of whom believe the Government is dragging its heels on wind energy. The report makes clear the 2,000 megawatts prediction is a conservative one and more wind power might be added if regulators make certain changes.

However, the report acknowledges the growth of wind could affect other types of power generation, possibly lowering the need for conventional power.

"The most economic conventional generation can expect to be largely unaffected until wind penetration is very high, and less economic plant will be more severely affected.

"If the market arrangements for reimbursement of those generators do not accurately reflect the costs in this new operating regime, these generators can be expected to object to the expansion of wind," it states.

While the report delivers broadly positive news for wind companies, it points out that without an interconnector to Britain, some wind farms might have to curtail their output from time to time so that conventional power plants can take up the slack.

This is because plants that use fossil fuels have to keep running at a certain minimum level or they could face a shutdown. This process, known as "forced curtailment", essentially involves conventional power plants forcing wind farms off the system for a period.

The report, however, indicates that with 2,000 megawatts of wind power connected to the system, only three per cent of annual wind production would be lost.

Typically, curtailment would occur during summer nights when demand is low.

Wind companies like Airtricity point out that wind farm output is low anyway during the summer period.

"That is the great advantage of wind: it can provide its greatest amount of power precisely at a time when demand is greatest - in the winter months", said Mr Eddie O'Connor, managing director of Airtricity.

ednwireland

i don't mind windmills but don't want them on every hillside, currently i can see 3 sets of them around donegal town, across the bluestack mountains (practically from one end to the other) one group of three on group of four and 18 at barnesmore.
there are anenometers on the hill overlooking lough eske a road has just gone in round the back of the the highest point 674. is someone going to tell me this is progress it doesn't look to me like a coherent power generation strategy including grants for insulation and home alternative energy systems - ooh wouldnt want anyone to reduce their power consumption now might affect the privatisation of the esb

Eurorunner

home alternative energy systems

There was a thread on this a couple of months ago...im assuming your refering to energy production as opposed to conservation right?

..apparantly, its just not cost effective..



Wind Turbines are progress - they can cover the country in them - as fars im concerned, i hope they do..

ednwireland

ooh not cost effective eh - i have a german electronics catalogue that has a hundred pages or so of equipment mind their electricity charges are about twice ours. don't think a large german chain would be stocking this stuff if it wasn't.

Eurorunner

Originally posted by ednwireland
ooh not cost effective eh - i have a german electronics catalogue that has a hundred pages or so of equipment mind their electricity charges are about twice ours. don't think a large german chain would be stocking this stuff if it wasn't.

Dont know anything about it - go do it and come back and tell us about it - would love to see this if its feasible.:D

ednwireland

unfortunately when i was rebuilding my house the cost was prohibitive for a solar water heating system this was several years ago nad the systems cost 4 or 5 times these ones, if i was doing it now on the same money it would go in. (since then been laid off and no money to do jack)
admittedly the submarine batteries and electricity generating panels appeal but they are seriously expensive ( but there is loads of room in the shed and the roof is south facing) maybe when i win the lotto.
anyway still don't want every hill covered in concrete and windmills

Victor

For domestic purposes wind turrbines and ground based heat pumps (under your lawn) are the most cost effective in Ireland.

ur mentor

Was in Carnsore last weekend. Some new windmills there. On the site that was to be Irelands first nuclear power plant. Interesting to see animals grazing and laying down just under the windmills as they swooshed overhead.
You should visit rosslare. Huge turbines coming in there to go onto Arklow bank just off coast.
This idea of heat pumps is really interesting. A friend of mine has installed them in his garden- now he has a big garden- like a half acre and he claims that is oil and elec bills are about one third of previous level.
out of sight, very efficient and with a manageable installation cost.
anyone know anything about these?

K2

I only heard of them when victor mentioned them, did a quick search and was impressed. Can you find out what it cost you friend to have it installed?

Btw does anybody know of any reason why these turbines could not be painted a camouflage colour?

ur mentor

gone a bi toff topic. the mods will slap us down.
he says about 7-9,000. but all depends on size of pumps, grdens, length of pipes etc.

Victor

Originally posted by K2
Btw does anybody know of any reason why these turbines could not be painted a camouflage colour?

Sky grey or bog brown?

ednwireland

if you lived in a town surrounded by hills would you want every hill covered in windmills thats where donegals heading, mind you it might provide some tracks through the mountains i could mtb on just thiought of an upside

Victor

Originally posted by ednwireland
if you lived in a town surrounded by hills would you want every hill covered in windmills thats where donegals heading, mind you it might provide some tracks through the mountains i could mtb on just thiought of an upside

Well they might provide some construction and maintainence jobs in an otherwise economic blackspot.

ednwireland

err actually no all construction as far as i know has been done by contractors from outside the area don't even think any of the local plant hire co.s got work, maintenance is done by maintenance crews from the uk, the local work aspect is a myth if a windmill fails its shut down automatically and the crews come from wherever (always fun to see none of the spinning after storm actually they all overspeed for half the winter up here cos the winds too strong )