CASE STUDY
SSE Renewables LIDAR Data for Wind Farm Site Selection & Planning
and archaeology. This “location intelligence” plays an important part in the planning, design and siting of wind farms.
SSE Renewables operate 21 onshore wind farms in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2008 they started the preconstruction phase for two new farms: Drumnahough and Lenalea in Donegal, and Clydaghroe wind farm in Kerry. Aware of the important role that terrain data can play, not only in providing a greater understanding of factors affecting wind speed, but also in the accurate placement of turbines, SSE Renewables commissioned Geomatics Group to carry out a detailed topographical survey of the sites and surrounding areas, using aerial LIDAR and digital aerial photography.
Over the last seven years wind energy has been the world’s fastest growing renewable energy source. In the UK it is now the leading renewable, contributing over 2.2% of the electricity supply. This trend is only set to continue, with the increasingly urgent need to tackle CO2 emissions and climate change, backed up by an ambitious commitment to generate 15% of all the UK’s energy needs from renewables by 2020.
SSE Renewables Formerly Airtricity’s renewable development business, SSE Renewables is responsible for the development and construction of SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) Group’s renewable energy projects across Ireland, Great Britain and Europe. SSE is the leading generator of renewable energy in Ireland and the UK, with over 2,200MW of renewable electricity generation capacity (wind, hydro, and biomass) and a portfolio of over 15,000MW of renewable energy projects in construction, with consent or in development.
The Challenge Selecting the most suitable locations for onshore wind farms is critical to the long-term profitability of a renewable energy business. There are many factors to consider including wind resource, urban areas, ecology
The two sites under investigation were in remote locations with rough terrain, creating difficulties not only for the design and construction of the wind farm, but also for surveying. In such an inaccessible setting, traditional survey techniques are inappropriate and could take months to complete. Accurate aerial mapping using LIDAR, digital aerial photography and other techniques, reduces the extent of field survey required and streamlines the civil design process, saving time, effort, and money.
The Survey and Data Geomatics Group surveyed an area of 38km2 using a fixed wing aircraft flying at a height of 800m. Within a matter of hours, LIDAR data at a spatial resolution of 50cm was captured using an Optech ALTM 3100. Simultaneously, 12.5cm resolution digital photography was acquired. The Optech LIDAR system is capable of recording 167,000 heighted co-ordinates per second, giving an extremely dense network of accurate ground points that Geomatics Group is a leading provider of high quality survey solutions. As a specialist business unit within the Environment Agency, we deliver integrated spatial data products to Government and commercial clients. Combining cutting edge technology with expert personnel, we work to the highest scientific and ethical
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