To whom it may concern,
I wish to strongly object to any further proposed Industrial Wind Energy/Wind Farm development in
Ireland.
There is almost 2000MW of installed Wind Energy in Ireland which is totally adequate for the 'Needs'
of Ireland.
Any further development of the Industrial Wind Energy Sector beyond the existing approx. 2000MW
is complete folly.
Approximately another 3500MW of Wind Energy has received planning permission and with
temporary offers by Eirgrid of a 'Shallow Connection' to the Irish Grid.
Gate 3 talks about 8000MW by 2020.
The IWEA talks about 10,500MW for export.
Anne Ferris TD discovered 23,000MW waiting for approval with the CER.
So far that would bring us to a total of 28,500MW.
If we're talking about the typical 1MW wind turbine then that would equate to approx. 28,500 1MW
wind turbines or 14,250 2MW Wind Turbines.
Either way that is a colossal number of Industrial Wind Turbines potentially blighting our beautiful
landscape for which Ireland is famous.
Ireland's beautiful Landscape is it's major selling point.
And with Industrial Wind Turbines comes all the other related Wind Energy Infrastructure such as
Mega Pylons, High Voltage Powerlines, Sub Stations, additional CCGT Power Plants, Interconnectors
and so on.
They're all interconnected.
I strongly object to our beautiful Landscape potentially blighted by a marching swath of mega Pylons
in the Valleys and mega Wind Turbines on the mountains.
Potentially a massive outbreak of 'PYLONITIS' and 'TURBINITIS'.
28,000MW and for what?
The average National electrical demand is 3500MW.
According to The Hughes Energy Initiative this can easily be reduced to 2000MW through Deep
Retrofits of our national building stock.
And this has to be done anyway to meet EED 2030 and 2050 targets.
In fact to meet the EED 2030 and 2050 targets we as a Nation would need to start rolling out a 1015yr National Deep Retrofit Programme about now.
There is a well known TRIAS ENERGETICA Model of cost and effect.
Basically the most effective and least costly way to reduce energy demand is via Insulation of our
existing buildings.
The insulation of much of our existing building stock can reduce energy demands by potentially up to
75%.
The next medium cost effect band is such things as triple glazing and heat recovery systems.
The final most costly and least effective band is Renewables.
Renewables like wind power and solar panels should only ever be looked at last.
NREAP has it all backwards.
Instead of rolling out Industrial Scale Wind Farms we should only be supplementing Deep Retrofit
Programmes with the occasional community wind turbine using a very local distribution network
such as our existing national grid network.
I call for all currently proposed NREAP Projects to be halted immediately.
I request a Fully Independent Fully Comprehensive Cost Benefit Analysis of existing and proposed
NREAP Projects including all externalised costs to include a Full Needs Analysis.
I object to the blatant Project Spiltting of NREAP Projects which prevents many from seeing the
potential overall detrimental environmental and socioeconomic impact of these projects.
If all the proposed Industrial Wind Power is for export then where is the gauranteed and longterm
demand for Renewable Wind generated electricity?
The rest of Europe is going to have to also meet the 2030 and 2050 EED Targets. That means the
whole of Europe will also be reducing it's energy demand in Buildings at least by about 80% by 2050.
The UK will take it's own wind generated electricity first and then from Scotland and the UK is
returning to nuclear power.
The UK has set a limit on what they will pay per kwH for Renewable Wind Energy.
There is a serious risk that the Irish Citizen will end up having to subsidise any electricity delivered to
the UK consumer.
Germany and Denmark have on occasion had to sell their excess wind energy for fear of blowing
their National Grid.
There is already serious congestion on the European Supergrid at present.
Wherever there has been Industrial Scale Wind Energy development electricity prices have increased
seriously impinging on market competitiveness.
I'm concerned about the potential negative impact of any further development of Industrial Scale
Wind Farms on the Irish Economy.
I'm deeply concerned about the further deepening of 'Energy Poverty' in Ireland.
Industrial Scale Wind Farms are completely unsustainable.
I question whether they do anything to reduce CO2 Emissions which was the primary intention
behind the EU 20:20:20 targets.
I question whether they do anything to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
The Industrial Scale Wind Industry relies on 'Additional' Back Up Power Plants where a lot of valuable
finite fossil fuels can end up being wasted.
I question whether Industrial scale wind farms do anything to reduce energy demand.
Industrial Scale Wind Farms are in the business of Supply. They're in the business of producing
energy rather than reducing energy.
I question the need for any future policy on Industrial Scale Wind Farms when any addition to what
already exists is completely unnecessary and pure folly.
I feel that any attempt to bring in more stringent environmental guidelines and measures is too little
too late.
If anything I think that Environmental Issues surrounding 'Existing' Industrial Scale Wind Farms
should be revisited.
I feel that more stringent guidelines should be drawn up for existing wind farms regarding noise,
flicker, loss of visual amenity, loss to tourism, loss of property values, injury to health, negative
impacts on the Environment and animals and wildlife and so on.
More stringent guidelines should be applied retrospectively.
If that means removing existing industrial scale wind turbines and relocating them to less sensitive
areas and/or doing away with them altogether then so be it.
I ask for my submission to be considered in full and under the spirit of the Aarhus Convention.
I include the following Papers by Mr.David Hughes as part of and in support of my submission.
I totally support The Hughes Energy Initiative and ask that the contents of the attached documents
be considered in full.
I kindly ask for my submission to be responded to in detail.
Yours sincerely,
Carmel McCormack
XXXXXX,
Cahir,
South Co.Tipperary
http://www.phai.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Papers/Energy-Roadmap-Briefing-Document.pdf
http://www.phai.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Papers/The-Hughes-Energy-Initiative-ARoadmap-for-EED-to-2030-and-beyond-RIAI.pdf
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