Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2013
413. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 408 of 4 October 2011, the status of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland wind atlas; if the update to the wind atlas is now complete; if the semi-State energy companies in his remit supplied their wind data to SEAI for inclusion in the updated atlas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49480/13]
View answerOn 25 August 2011 the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) advertised a Request for Tenders on the Government eTenders website for Provision of Services to Update the Wind Atlas for Ireland. Arising from this process, UK Met Office Consulting Services were selected to carry out the work and issued with a contract in May 2012. To support the execution of the contract, SEAI requested Bord na Móna and ESB to provide meteorological mast monitoring data from their wind farm sites to UK Met Office Consulting Services. This data was used by the contractor in the validation of the remodelled wind atlas datasets.
SEAI is currently in the process of updating its online Geographical Information System to make the wind atlas available to the public. This is expected to be completed in Q3 of 2014. In the interim, SEAI has made the new wind atlas datasets available on request to professional Geographical Information Systems users, in Local Authorities and other organisations. The wind atlas was primarily intended as an information tool for Local Authorities in identifying areas suitable for renewable energy development within County Development Plans. Local Authorities have subsequently utilised the SEAI wind atlas as a basis for developing county wind energy strategies.
