Scottish golf club appeals decision not to let it add solar panels to clubhouse

-

 We always enjoy hearing about successful solar projects, but it is also worth remembering that there are some solar projects which face a fight to go ahead, which is the case with the story we bring you today.

Cardross Golf Club, a beautiful coastal course just north of Glasgow, is currently appealing a decision to deny them permission to go ahead with adding a collection of 108 solar panels to the roof of its clubhouse. The proposal was recently rejected by Argyll and Bute Council, but the club are not willing to give up hope.

A council official is quoted as saying that the addition of the panels would prove to be ‘dominant, visually obtrusive and discordant’. The club found this to be odd, given that no objections were received from either members of the public or Historic Environment Scotland.

A statement from Cardross Golf Club said: “Further to our conversations with the planning office and the original approval of the application from the department, we are very disappointed to hear of the differing opinion from the senior planning officer around the project and its potential visual impact. The proposed installer had a communication with an officer who mentioned during a call that he hadn’t looked at the project in great detail, which was our first concern that the review process hadn’t been given due care and attention.

“The plans demonstrate that the actual visual effect of an array of this size is very minimal – especially considering the vast amount of other roof obstructions which sit higher on the roof than what the proposed solar array would. It was also commented around being able to see the array from a height, which again is confusing as from the front of the building that would appear to be impossible, and from the back is the golf course. We have looked at every possibility, but the installation needs to be roof-mounted to make the project financially beneficial to the course.”

Argyll and Bute Council had a strongly different take, with their report for the appeal hearing including the following: “Before a final decision to refuse was made, the appellant was asked to consider alternative locations for the panels. The appellant did not advise if this had been done. Moreover, no examination was undertaken by the applicant to explore and discount alternative renewable installations such as ground source heat pumps, wind turbines located throughout the course greens, or hydroelectric generation from the adjacent Kilmahew Burn.

“The council therefore disagrees with the appellant’s statement and considers there are alternative options for renewable energy schemes in this location. The proposal is therefore still considered to be contrary to policy, and there are no other material considerations of sufficient significance to indicate that it would be appropriate to grant planning permission in this instance as a departure to the Development Plan. Taking account of the above, it is respectfully requested that the application for review be dismissed.”

Hopefully an amicable resolution can be found that helps some form of solar project go ahead that is economically viable for the golf club, visually acceptable to the council and environmentally beneficial to the local area.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shropshire hospital adds 1,750 solar panels to its roof

-
It was great to see news recently that a Shropshire hospital, in addition to all it already does to help people, is choosing to add further benefit to their community by sourcing their ongoing power requirements from solar energy. The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is the hospital in question, and is planning to transform their energy usage through a series of projects, the first of which will be achieved through the installation of 1,760 solar panels across the hospital site. On a summer’s day, the installation will be capable of generating in the region of 2,300kWh of electricity, with more than 99.9% of this energy going directly toward the hospital’s own electricity system, which in addition to reducing the hospital’s carbon footprint, will also reduce day-to-day running costs. This level of generation is roughly equivalent to supplying 280 family homes with 100% of their electricity for an average day’s consumption. The hospital will send the remaining fraction o
Read more

Two new solar panel factories to open in Algeria

-
Another positive announcement for the global solar industry came with the news that there will soon be two new solar panel factories opening in Algeria, built by Milltech and Zergoun Green Energy and equipped to supply around 260 MWp of solar panels per year. Algeria’s energy commission Cerefe, standing for Commissariat aux énergies renouvelables et à l’efficacité énergétique, announced the new factories in its first annual report, published recently. Cerefe stated that the factory under construction in the industrial zone of Boukherana, which is around 250 miles from Algiers, could be commissioned before the end of the year. It belongs to Milltech and is projected to produce around 100 MWp of solar panels per year.  Milltech say of their solar production process: “Thanks to our ability to produce standard and high voltage modules in monocrystalline and polycrystalline technologies, glass-glass and bifacial modules, as well as half cut cell modules, we believe that our product series,
Read more

Chinese solar panel supplier Amerisolar to open large new factory in Brazil in 2021

-
While many industries have been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19, with some even becoming obsolete, solar is certainly one that is continuing to grow in its impact and importance. There are many countries who are leading the way with solar panel production and widespread implementation, but it is China who has been making many of the most large-scale moves, often alongside international partners. This is certainly the case with a new production centre opening in Brazil. The Brazilian arm of Amerisolar, a Chinese maker of solar panels, will open a new factory in early 20201, with the new site it is building being near the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, as reported by Brazilian media outlet Estado de Minas.  The Brazilian newspaper says the factory will employ 100 people directly and help create up to 2,200 new jobs in other companies. The story also says that the factory is meant to produce 30,000 panels a month, with around half of them likely to be used for export
Read more