Location Identification

Many factors were taken into consideration when carrying out a feasibility test and these included: 

• The capacity to achieve a suitable set back distances for the turbines to houses in the local area.
• The impact that shadow flicker curtailment or the elimination of shadow flicker would have on the viability of the project.
• How the existing environment and landscape could accommodate a wind energy project.
   

Other considerations include the County Development Plan, how the wind farm would work in terms of the local environment and the suitability of the roads infrastructure for construction. 

Another important aspect of this assessment is the potential for the proposal to play a positive role in the future development of the local area. We would welcome feedback from people in the area on the potential opportunities that they would see and what the needs and wants of the local area are. 

 
The location under consideration was initially identified following a review of areas that could provide suitable distances from houses and which were identified within the Carlow County Development Plan. At the initial stages of consideration, designers drafted a project outline that would maximise the wind energy potential of the site.  

Some of the reasons that this area would appear to be suitable include the following:

• It centres around an area of forestry
• It is possible to get separation distances between houses and turbines of 520m and upwards
• The type of landscape in the area would lend itself to accommodating wind energy
• There are no designated environmentally sensitive areas in the area under consideration
• The area has been identified in the Carlow County Development Plan as being suitable for wind energy development
• Shadow Flicker can be eliminated
• There is the potential to bring a significant economic benefit to the local area