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A Toast to Donegal's Wind
Donegal's five wind farms are now generating around
150 million units of electricity annually- that's enough
to provide the power to pop 9,000,000,000 slices of
toast!
And with further wind farm projects at various stages
of planning, there is little doubt that they will soon
be providing even more power. "At the moment the
wind farms in Donegal can produce up to 43 megawatts
of electricity," a spokesman for the ESB told the
Democrat. "All the electricity produced is bought
under the Alternative Energy Requirement contract and
we expect to add another 20 megawatts to that figure
in the next few years," he added
Acknowledging that megawatts and units don't mean much
to most people, he pointed out that one unit of electricity
provides enough power to light a 100 watt bulb for ten
hours, to heat 60 slices of toast, or to run a television
for twelve hours. Put it another way: over a year the
amount of power produced by Donegal's wind farms is
enough to light one 100 watt bulb for 1,500,000,000
hours, or to run a television for 1,800,000,000 hours.
Donegal currently has five major wind farms, at Barnesmore,
Cark, Meenderrygamph (Gweedore), Crockahenny and Drumlough
Hill.
Ireland is under increasing pressure to reduce the
levels of harmful emissions produced from the burning
of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. It is already
exceeding guidelines laid down at the Kyoto summit.
Green energy- chiefly produced from hydro stations-
accounts for less than 10% of all power generated in
Ireland. The wind farms in Donegal contribute just over
1% of the total amount of power.
The recent windy weather is obviously good news for
the operators of the five wind farms around the county
as it means that they can also generate power when wind
speeds are low, sometimes at as little as seven miles
per hour. The total estimated output this year form
Donegal's wind farms should be in the region of 150
million units.
Meanwhile, the Government is proposing to introduce
a green levy on ESB bills. This will be a voluntary
option for consumers. By opting for the green levy,
they will actually pay slightly more for their electricity.
But, in return, the ESB will promise to acquire one
additional unit of electricity from renewable sources
for each green unit bought.
In essence it allows those with an environmentally
minded conscience to pay a little bit extra, almost
as if there is a personal feel good factor. Experience
in other countries shows that anything from 1-9% of
consumers will take up the option. At present, renewable
energy still tends to cost more to produce than that
from fossil fuels or from nuclear stations.
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NB: Since the above article went to press,
in addition to the windfarm at Cark, the Finn
Valley has gained another at nearby Culliagh mountain.
Standing on Culliagh, with a panoramic view
of the Blue Stack Mountains to your left and the
Derryveagh Mountains to your right, it would be
hard to imagine any place nearer to God. Far from
being the eyesore that local people once thought
they would be, these towering, majestic windmills
only add to the breathtaking beauty of this ancient,
unspoiled land. Like gargantuan white birds, the
whoosh whoosh of their turbines somehow
seem to sing in harmony with the wind.
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