Solar PV farm for Blessington

Hoagy

Solas Eireann Development LTD. are applying for planning permission for a 19MWp solar PV farm at Three Castles Blessington.

This is an ad in the Wicklow Times of July 19th, but there seems to be nothing yet on WCC Planning enquiries

I don't like this move to finance big private investors to consume agricultural land and fill the grid capacity with their investments while the public cannot get paid the market value for their own export at point of use. ie. on domestic and commercial rooftops.

PV belongs on a roof not on a ground array stealing light from vegetation.

quentingargan

I agree with Sir Liamalot here. In the UK, solar parks quickly gobbled up grid capacity so that now many areas are unable to connect even domestic systems. On large scale industrial sites, it is also cheaper to install on roofs than to ground mount. The grid infrastructure is already in place, and at least some if not most of the energy produced can be consumed on-site.

That last bit is the issue. The grid and utility companies here must be horrified at the possibility of people producing their own electricity.

But the public pays the PSO levy which will fund the subsidies, and the public should have a say in how they are used. Presently, it looks like the PSO levy will be used to facilitate overseas investment funds who will build utility scale solar parks and we will be left subsidising a blight on the landscape. Most planning applications so far have not required and EIS.

quentingargan

Interesting report on the future solar Irish market HERE. In case anyone thought that the lobbyists were looking to increase employment and community ownership;

"Solar related companies across Europe are desperately looking for new solar development opportunities to compensate for the downturn in demand from countries such as the UK. On the plus side however, supply chains are already in place and many EPC-based companies have the expertise to deploy solar quickly if called upon to build solar farms in Ireland"

Ben D Bus

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

PV belongs on a roof not on a ground array stealing light from vegetation.

PV surely belongs much closer to the equator until such time as there is an overabundance of much more efficient plant available to deploy in less productive locations.

ted1

Ben D Bus wrote: »

PV surely belongs much closer to the equator until such time as there is an overabundance of much more efficient plant available to deploy in less productive locations.

No it's at a price point where by it makes sense to install here

quentingargan

Agree with Ted here. On an industrial roof, the cost of electricity per kwHr over the life of the system is about 7c. Not much more than the current cost from gas or oil.

Ben D Bus

quentingargan wrote: »

Agree with Ted here. On an industrial roof, the cost of electricity per kwHr over the life of the system is about 7c. Not much more than the current cost from gas or oil.

Thinking globally, and environmentally, is there sufficient PV supply to deal with demand or is deployment in Ireland at the expense of deployment elsewhere where the same installation would give a greater return?

It's a genuine question, just in case it comes across as being argumentative

quentingargan

quentingargan wrote: »

Interesting report on the future solar Irish market HERE.

Solar Power Portal wrote:

Ireland has one of the most ambitious renewable energy targets of any country in Europe, aiming for 16% of total energy (including heat, transport and electricity) to come from renewables by 2020, with 40% of electricity to come from renewable sources.

Hard to take a journalist seriously when they don't do their homework.
:rolleyes:

Sweden currently 52%
Norway 67.5% target 2020.
Germany is aiming realistically at 35% by 2020
..all with with a far higher demand and populations.

ted1

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Hard to take a journalist seriously when they don't do their homework.
:rolleyes:

Sweden currently 52%
Norway 67.5% target 2020.
Germany is aiming realistically at 35% by 2020
..all with with a far higher demand and populations.

She said out average load is 5GW, which is our peak.

She then said out total consumption was 30861Gwh which /365/24 gives an average of 3.6GW

bozd

hi our next door neighbouring farmer is applying to fill maybe 60 acres with solar panels. is anybody living beside one of these ? Do they make any noise ? Blot on the landscape is an understatement and I am surprised as some of the houses are quiet close-by but its good for the planet ?????

quentingargan

bozd wrote: »

hi our next door neighbouring farmer is applying to fill maybe 60 acres with solar panels. is anybody living beside one of these ? Do they make any noise ? Blot on the landscape is an understatement and I am surprised as some of the houses are quiet close-by but its good for the planet ?????

They don't make any noise. If you are over-looking them, a valid planning issue is glare and reflection. Yes - blot on the landscape, and there doesn't seem to be any thought through policy on this. The industry may be leading us all by the nose.

Solar is a great solution to renewable energy and climate change issues, but there is every good reason to fit them onto factory roofs, which are usually only visible from an airplane, and usually there is a grid infrastructure in place that can absorb the power easily into the network. Your neighbour is going to have to bring a huge grid connection to this site.

But network providers and most of the industry does not relish the prospect that factories generate most of their own electricity, and export their surplus so all the usual suspects prefer large generation sites exporting power across the grid to consumers. So we may end up doing all this the wrong way.

There are several gigawatts of solar in planning. There are almost no industrial roof tops in planning. It is completely the wrong model.

There is every reason to object to solar parks for these reasons.

bozd

So 6 months later and had forgotten about this post. So I put in an objection and won; I had put in lots about glint etc and most points were rejected but got it on the basis of the farms location - too small a road for the development scale - we have many bends and blindspots making traffic management impossible - hooray. So much relief as I didnt relish looking through my hedgerow into a field full of steel struts.

Hoagy

bozd wrote: »

So 6 months later and had forgotten about this post. So I put in an objection and won; I had put in lots about glint etc and most points were rejected but got it on the basis of the farms location - too small a road for the development scale - we have many bends and blindspots making traffic management impossible - hooray. So much relief as I didnt relish looking through my hedgerow into a field full of steel struts.

Well done.

The Blessington proposal was refused permission because the site is an important feeding ground for Greylag geese.

embraer170

quentingargan wrote: »

They don't make any noise. If you are over-looking them, a valid planning issue is glare and reflection. Yes - blot on the landscape, and there doesn't seem to be any thought through policy on this. The industry may be leading us all by the nose.

Solar is a great solution to renewable energy and climate change issues, but there is every good reason to fit them onto factory roofs, which are usually only visible from an airplane, and usually there is a grid infrastructure in place that can absorb the power easily into the network. Your neighbour is going to have to bring a huge grid connection to this site.

But network providers and most of the industry does not relish the prospect that factories generate most of their own electricity, and export their surplus so all the usual suspects prefer large generation sites exporting power across the grid to consumers. So we may end up doing all this the wrong way.

There are several gigawatts of solar in planning. There are almost no industrial roof tops in planning. It is completely the wrong model.

There is every reason to object to solar parks for these reasons.

Are there really that many acres of potential factory rooftop solar?

bozd

So new application came in from solar company and if they put stone on either side of the lane for about 80 feet and a new site entrance it will take a 40 foot truck - lane is 9 feet wide. As a community group we are going to Bord Pleannala - many groups have had to do this and I am afraid no regard is given to these solar farms locations - in amongst houses, being overlooked on any scrap of ground where only very few farmers are giving up land for this use.

This is splitting communities and causing friction within them - yet still there isnt a National strategy on these farms - what it is is riding roughtshod over rural communities. It is backed up by local TDs - have yet to hear of a development near any local ones.

Speaking to a farmer in Waterford, me being in Wexford, he said many farmers have been approached and many have declined as they know they may fall out with neighbours. Not a fear obviously from our local farmer.

In the National |Strategy for development it refers to suitable locations - well - it seems any where will do. Many decisions regarding applications are pending with Pleannala - even they are extending permission dates by 5 years to 10 years.

There is so much wrong with this policy.

Do other people have experience of this; do you know of anybody going through this? please forward my contact details if you do, thanks

Rigor Mortis

What is really interesting in this thread is that a couple of people have reported that the planning authorities have done their job and refused permission due to
1. access issues
2. impact on wildlife

What this shows is that the Councils do not need guidelines in this area, this argument is a smokescreen. Ireland has an incredibly robust planning system. PA - Board - Court Review.

There are planning guidelines for some developments, but not for all. The comparison is made with wind turbines, but wind has specific issues that are unique to that technology.

Congrats to those who got the result they were looking for. I am pro - renewables, but i definitely admire anyone who can make their case well to the planners.