Wind Farm Developments: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:56, 26 May 2009

Wind Farm Developments in Northern Ireland by Radek Chanas

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<googlemap version="0.9" lat="64.960766" lon="-18.918457" zoom="6" width="300" height="200"> http:// 64.947899, -19.196045 </googlemap>

Rationale: Why is this case study interesting?

The wind energy can be regarded as one of the most sustainable energy resources. Wind farms actively reduce our carbon footprint and help safeguarding the existing resources for future generation. At the moment Northern Ireland is highly dependant on imported oil and coal to sustain its development. The geological history didn't provide inhabitants of this area with many fossil fuels. However it did create a unique landscape which mostly due to its elevated form, benefits from high wind speed. Those elevated landscapes are also recognised as being of high amenity value. Bare, woodless upland areas and dramatic escarpments with distant views are one of the reasons why people visit Northern Ireland. They are one of the main assetts of Northern Ireland which greatly benefits from tourist industry. Those amenity value and uniqueness were recognised by the Goverment and protected through many national and local designations. Like everywhere else there is a great pressure from developments upon those designated landscapes. The Planning Service is very reluctant to approve any major developments within those areas. Due to their nature, wind farms can have a major impact upon the visual amenity and therefor are the subject to a long Environmental Imapct Assessment process.

The wind farm developments are becoming more common and more acceptable form of energy. Despite the fact that they introduce a vertical, man-made aspect into an open, rural landscape more often Northern Ireland sees wind farms being approved and built.

Please summarise:- e.g. Design Innovation? Planning Exemplar? Theoretical Insights? Lessons learned from its failure? [It doesn’t have to have been successful]

Think about it from the view of another educator/student in a different country. Why should I use this case study in my teaching/education?

Author's perspective

Through my professional work I've been involved in many wind farm developments. This work involves site study, desk study, choosing viewpoint locations, taking photographs, preparing wirelines,photomontages and ZTVs. At the end of this process is a Visual Impact Assessment report which combine all gathered information and describe the methodology, Landscape Character Areas, designations and assess impact that the proposed wind farm may have upon the study area.

Landscape and/or urban context

Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics

Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses

Cultural/social/political context

Brief explanation of culture, political economy, legal framework

Illustration: Bullet points, image, background notes

History

How did the area/project/plan at the focus of the case study evolve?

Illustration: Table or time line