Renewable energy

7.10.1    Renewable Energy

The potential for each renewable energy type in Carlow is dependent on the abundance of the natural resource available, along with environmental and infrastructural constraints and facilitators. The scale of developments can range from micro to large-scale, providing energy for a single dwelling, a commercial property, or being exported to the electricity grid for distribution.  Renewable energy technologies can also be successfully co-located, or located alongside installations for energy storage, conversion, and grid stability. This approach can help enable greater penetration of renewable energy on the national grid, as well as integration of renewable electricity with transport and the gas grid. Renewable energy development decreases reliance on fossil fuels and imports, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving security of supply.

There is no given context as to "large scale" and nature of such developments, this statement is too open for interpretation. As the "Wind Energy Development Guidelines" are still in draft form it should not be stated that large scale renewable energy developments with energy storage facilities are an acceptable form of development. Due to the scale of such renewable energy develeopments where set back distances of renewable energies and battery storage facilities have not being addresed by government guidelines, such developments  should not be endorsed until acceptable guidlines are issued which encompass renewable energies with co-location of energy storage.  If there are no (up to date) guidelines, Carlow County Council should not endorse this statement.