News

A new survey has shown that public support for onshore wind turbines has increased to 68 per cent. Moreover, the opposition has fallen to a new low of 10 percent whilst support for fracking has dropped to 24 per cent. These are all very encouraging figures and it is reassuring to know that the general public understand the importance of energy independence and consequently approve wind turbine projects.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published the Public Attitudes Tracker, Wave 12 in February of this year and the summary of findings proved that the UK is not anti-wind.

David Cameron argues that people are frustrated with the idea of even more wind turbines going into the ground, and certainly a proportion of the population will not like them, however the overwhelming majority of citizens do support this form of renewable energy and he should not ignore this fact. It is not realistic for the Conservatives to make rash decisions regarding renewable energy policies in the UK. They should focus on the bigger picture and understand that in order to achieve their dream of being the greenest government, they need to stop waging war on wind.

An important part of the development process is first identifying potential wind sites, and we do this with the help of our in-house geographical information systems (GIS) team. We begin by identifying areas of the UK which have a wind speed of more than 5.5 m/s. This speed is crucial when siting a turbine as anything less than 4 m/s  will drastically reduce a turbine’s productivity.

This method ensures we contact as many people as possible by posting out letters to the relevant addresses. We also encourage interested landowners to get in touch with us! You can do this by visiting our website, calling our offices or sending us an email to sites@fineenergy.co.uk

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

As mentioned in the previous post, we have 10 small scale wind turbines on the Orkney Islands, and this last week we have been reviewing their production figures.

We are pleased to say that the turbines have performed fantastically well over the past 12 months, exceeding their targets and contributing enormously to the energy needs of the landowners’ households.

They are small but mighty, and as with every wind turbine that is installed, they help to reduce the need for power stations in the UK.

Fine Energy own, operate and maintain 10 small scale wind turbines in the Orkneys, including 1 Bergey Excel 10 kW machine and 9 Evance R9000 5kW turbines.

Back in December 2014 we were invited to join a group called the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF). The purpose of this organisation is to promote Orkney renewable energy sources, share information, analyse data and develop local expertise.

Being a member allows you, in the case of wind turbines, to submit monthly meter readings, join discussions and take part in events. In addition, it is a good way of seeing how your turbines are performing in comparison to others in the area.

Referred to as the Energy Islands, the Orkney archipelago, made up of 70 islands, is a fantastic base for the development of homegrown renewable technology. OREF both encourage the day to day use of renewables as well as the research and development into energy efficiency.

We look forward to being a part of this group in 2015 and recommend that you check out their website www.oref.co.uk

This week, Fine Energy will be showing its face at two special events. Both take place on Thursday 29 January and are held in different locations -so you will have to decide which takes your fancy unless you can time travel.

The first is a breakfast business meeting at the Novotel Hotel on Broad Street as hosted by the BNI organisation and this looks to offer a superb range of potential clients and partners. There are some very interesting names on the guest list and we hope to exchange business cards, at the very least, during the networking event.

Secondly, The Rushlight Show is something a little different. Featuring an exhibition which showcases innovative clean technology solutions, this event is for investors, developers, entrepreneurs, community representatives, local authority members or anyone who is interested in the renewables industry. The venue is the Royal College of Surgeons of England in London and we will be happy to stop and have a chat with you if you are a landowner interested in leasing a parcel of land, or if you are a business who wants to improve your green credentials.