As part of our efforts to inform and consult with local residents, we sent out leaflets with short questionnaires to 100 households located within a 1km radius of Skelmonae Windfarm and the windfarm at Hill of Skilmafilly. Of these, 31 questionnaires were returned and the split between them was 21 in favour of the Hill of Skilmafilly windfarm development, 3 who were undecided and 7 who opposed it.

Some of the positive comments that we received from local residents within this 1km zone include:

• “Like the turbines much more than pylons, which cover countryside.”
• “I have no objection to more wind turbines or their size. All in favour of renewable energy.”
• “Too far away from our location for us to comment on.”
• “No objections whatever.”
• “We need renewable energy. I think they are quite grac​eful, and often disappear into the mist.”
• “Don’t have a problem with the wind turbines, they are not a blot on the landscape, pylons are.”
• “Environmental and potentially of benefit to the local community.”
• “We need power from somewhere.”
• “We never objected in the first place and are positive about such developments.”
• “Good luck with your next phase – forward thinking and investment for future energy are what’s needed.”

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A group of local parents and children from Home-Start (a charity that supports families) visited in April 2011, to give the children a fun and educational day out.  We first showed them around Skelmonae Farm and allowed the children to climb onboard some of the big machinery that we used during construction of the windfarm, before taking everyone on a tour in and around the wind turbines and the viewpoint at the top of the hill.

A group of Methlick Beaver Cubs came to visit Skelmonae Windfarm in May 2010 and had a guided tour to look around the site and inside the towers. They learned how electricity can be generated by using just the power of the wind. The children were very interested to get close to the turbines and many commented on how quietly the blades turned. Methlick Beaver Cubs wrote in our visitors’ book: “Thank you for our visit to see the fantastic quiet windmills.” Please click here to see the lovely drawings and Thank You notes that they also sent to us after their tour.

One 10-year old schoolchild who attended a guided tour of the windfarm sent us a Thank You card saying: “It was really amazing and I couldn’t believe how tall they were and how quiet they were.”

NFU Scotland renewable energy event at S​kelmonae Windfarm attended by 120 local farmers

Date : 8 July 2010
No : 104/10
Contact : Wendy Fleming
Telephone : 0131 472 4020
Email : wendy.fleming@nfus.org.uk

Renewables event hailed as great success

North East farmers turned out in droves to the NFU Scotland renewable energy event, confirming that interest in on-farm energy generation has reached new levels.

The event, staged jointly by the Turriff and New Deer branches of the Union on 6th July 2010, attracted 120 farmers, all showing their enthusiasm for learning more about the potential benefits of using renewables to enhance their farm businesses.

The event focussed on local renewable suppliers and helped to showcase to farmers what products they have on offer. Exhibitors included Allathan Associates, Keenan Green Recycling and Kalvas Biomass Boilers. The highlight of the evening for many was being given a tour of the wind turbines at Skelmonae Windfarm, near Methlick.

NFUS Vice-President, Nigel Miller, who spoke at the event said:

“It really was a fantastic event, quite ground-breaking really, and one which I believe everyone got a lot out of. It allowed us all to look through the window to the challenges of moving into renewables, but also to the opportunities available for farmers as a result.

“The centrepiece of the evening was undoubtedly getting to see the wind turbines at Skelmonae up close. While the process of installing these can be a significant planning exercise, and significant investment, it can be something that feeds money into the local community as well as into farmers’ own farm businesses.

“There are certainly opportunities to be grasped, particularly with the feed-in tariffs that are currently available, and while this event showcased a farm business that now has significant power generation capacity, there are smaller wind turbine options that can be attractive to farmers too.

“Renewable options are something that many farmers are looking at as a potentially viable choice on-farm and events such as this are exactly what we need, to provide the catalyst to get farmers interested in the options available. As a Union we will be looking into how we can support members as they do just that.”

David Smith wins M&S Renewable Energy award

Marks & Spencer has announced a new, “Renewable Energy”, prize at its annual Farming for the Future Awards

The inaugural award was presented on Thursday 23rd June 2011 at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh.

The new award, created in conjunction with M&S and its energy partner Greenspan Energy, celebrates Scottish farmers who are going the extra mile to develop a truly sustainable business that ties in with the M&S Plan A initiative.

The winner of the award was David Smith from Skelmonae Windfarm in Aberdeenshire, who had not only installed four wind turbines on his own farm to supply electricity to M&S, but went to great lengths to share best practice by encouraging his peers to follow suit and hosted many visits to his farm to show the turbine process in action.

For the last five years, M&S has partnered with consultancy and development firm Greenspan Energy to support small cluster wind turbines across Scotland.

Through Greenspan, M&S offers a long term purchase agreement which enables farmers to invest in wind energy with a secure return. M&S purchases over 7,000 MWh per month from these suppliers – enough to power 120 Simply Food stores.

Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business for M&S, said: “Our partnership with Greenspan has enabled us to link up with local producers across Scotland who were interested in renewable energy, but were perhaps struggling to get it off the ground. We now have 16 energy suppliers in Scotland.

“We are very pleased to present this award to David, whose enthusiasm and willingness to share his experience with his peers has been outstanding.”

Grant Mackie, Director of Greenspan Energy, said: “I am delighted to celebrate the partnership with M&S on this project and pleased to recognise the outstanding efforts by our winner, David.

“Over the last five years, we have successfully made the connection between local farmers and M&S. Renewable energy offers a wonderful diversification opportunity for farmers to grow their business so we look forward to working with more farmers throughout the country as the initiative evolves.

“We are continuing to work with suppliers,​ both within and outside the current M&S supply base, with half a dozen projects currently in the pipeline and more to come.”