Listowel earmarked for solar farm project
LISTOWEL is set to become one of the first towns in Ireland to develop dedicated solar farms to generate renewable energy if a €30m proposal by solar energy company, Terra Solar, comes to fruition.
The company has announced plans to invest €30 million in six solar farms in Kerry within the next 18 months – three of which will be located at Trieneragh outside Listowel, with a further three planned for Killarney.
The company is expected to lodge planning applications for the first two farms within weeks and have said that up to 60 jobs will be created during the construction phase.
A LEADING company in the development of solar energy in Ireland has announced plans to invest €30 million in six solar farms in Listowel and Killarney within the next 18 months.
Terra Solar will submit plans to Kerry County Council in the coming weeks for the development of its first two farms which will be located in Trieneragh outside Listowel and Madam’s Hill near Killarney.
Up to 60 jobs will be created during the construction phase of each farm, each of which, the company predicts, will generate power to an estimated 1,200 homes and businesses in their respective areas.
Director of Terra Solar, Andre Fernon, was in Kerry this week to announce details of the project - the first of its type in Ireland - and told The Kerryman that the company has received a very positive response from both the local authority and the landowners in each area.
“We are delighted to be bringing this project to Kerry and there has been a hugely positive reaction from people who realise that we need to hit climate change targets,” he said.
Mr Fernon explained that the farms will measure an average 20 hectares acres each, with the panels not exceeding nine feet in height
“No noise is generated by the panels, they are rarely visible above the existing hedge grows and trees and because we use panels with an anti-reflective surface any reflection will be dull and minimal,” Mr Fernon explained.
“Every care has been taken so that we are sensitive to the natural environment and the land will remain in agricultural use , even when the solar panels are installed.”
Planning is due to be submitted for the first two farms within two weeks, and once permission is granted there will be a 10-12 week construction period for each farm.
However, because the solar farms will be connected to the national grid, their operation will be determined by the ESB, but Mr Fernon expects that they should be up and running by the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018.
Each project has an operational lifespan of 25 years so once this period has lapsed, the facility will be decommissioned and the land will be returned to its original condition.
“Solar power is one of the cleanest sources of energy and has minimal impact on the environment as it does not emit any pollution when it’s produced and consumed,” Mr Fernon told The Kerryman.
“This is very important in a county of natural beauty like Kerry, which has a very strong tourism industry.
The county has huge potential to derive energy from its natural sources and Kerry County Council is committed to increasing energy supplies from renewable sources.”