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Linknode provides a national cumulative database service through a mobile tablet application called VentusAR. This product is used by developers to asses the cumulative impact of wind turbines which are in planning, undergoing construction or have been commissioned and are now producing renewable energy.

It is essential that this information is kept up to date and Linknode has recently completed a data refresh which has updated all information across the UK relating to wind turbine planning applications.

Read more at: http://blog.linknode.co.uk/2015/03/cumulative-data-refresh/

Each member of Fine Energy brings a particular skill to the team which helps separate us from our competitors. It is crucial for us as a developer of wind energy sites to prepare and deliver both technical and planning products in-house. We are always on the look out for the next best GIS Technician, Planner or LVIA specialist because it is important to be prepared for the future.

As such, we are attending Birmingham City University’s (BCU) Computing, Engineering and Built Environment Fair on Wednesday 11 March 2015. This event will be from 11am-3pm and is being held at Millennium Point, Birmingham City University, City Centre Campus. We take advantage of opportunities to source talent locally, and BCU is a perfect example of this. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as professional qualifications.

If you are interested in finding out a little more about a career with Fine Energy, please come and talk to us at our stand next week.

Entering the appeal process is a very tense time because this truly is the last chance of gaining planning consent for a wind site. Often, the appointed Inspector is generic in their reasoning for granting or refusing planning permission, perhaps quoting phrases which have been used 50 times before. However, when reading the comments for one particular appeal decision, we were pleasantly surprised:

The proposed wind turbines would be a distinctly modern form of development. However, it is material to note that historically, the Pevensey Levels were characterised by a number of windmills, powering pumps to keep the land from flooding. Some windmills still remain, and the image of a windmill features on a variety of locational signs in the area. Clearly, the wind turbines would be structures of vastly greater scale than the earlier windmills. But against the background of this historic use of wind power to keep the land from flooding, in the light of the current environmental threat posed by climate change, and in the context of this wide, open landscape where the trees are few and windswept, there would be a certain functional and visual logic to their presence, harnessing energy from the wind. (Appeal ref: APP/C1435/A/13/2208526)

The Inspector rightly considered both the historic role of wind energy and its place in the future, forming a strong and persuasive argument which ultimately granted the developer consent for the installation of three wind turbines.

For some, selecting a holiday destination is much more difficult than simply deciding between sun and snow. The fuel consumption of an aircraft is enough to put some travellers off distant shores such as Australia and America, and they choose instead to holiday on the British Isles, limiting their impact on the environment.

For those who look forward to a lavish 14 nights away in a 5 star hotel on a beach in Dubai, the thought of camping in a not-so-waterproof tent in wet and windy Wales is a far cry from paradise. It’s not to say that eco-sensitive holidays are unpopular, but for the average family they can be quite expensive and for those who have one vacation a year, comfort is often prioritized over concerns for the earth and its natural resources. But what if there was a compromise?

The Dutch Windwheel is an innovative design concept which will not only generate wind energy silently, but will also capture rainwater, recycle tap water, produce biogas, house 72 apartments and offer 160 hotel rooms. Some of the cabins will even rotate in order to provide a unique tourist attraction, that being views of the Rotterdam skyline. There will be a significantly sized commercial outlet and a restaurant which, in addition to the inner city location, will be sure to make this an impressive landmark.

Architectural ideas such as the Windwheel have the potential to close the gap between environmentalists and the general public by making it more convenient – and fashionable – to be concerned with our carbon footprints.

Fine Energy develops wind energy sites for Norvento Wind Energy and has recently been working on a project which will see the installation of two nED100 models.

As a company, Norvento are constantly looking at ways to improve and develop their machines and they have kicked off the new year with the launch of a new, 24 metre rotor for the nED100 wind turbine. Significantly, the Annual Energy Production (AEP) of the 100 kW machine will increase by eight per cent, the swept area will increase to 72m² and the rotor can operate in Norvento’s unique low noise mode.

Ivo Arnus, Director of UK Business Development, has confirmed that although each blade has been lengthened by one metre, the overall visual impact of the turbine is unaffected and, most importantly, the improved model is available at no additional cost.

We look forward to finding sites for Norvento’s new rotor design in 2015!