Planning and Development Guidance Recommendations and GIS Toolkit to support the Solar Energy Sector in Ireland

Project Description

This proposal will deliver three deliverables; 1) Recommendations which will form the basis of Section 28 (planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended)) planning guidance for solar energy development in urban and rural areas; 2) A Geographical Information System (GIS) solar planning application monitoring tool; and; 3) A Geographical Information System (GIS) site selection tool for solar energy schemes; At present, there is no specific planning policy guidance which considers the development implications of solar energy developments in an Irish context. The absence of guidance is an issue for planning authorities and the development sector and local communities, as it introduces uncertainty into the manner in which solar energy schemes will be considered with reference to areas of concern. In order to support the evolution of solar technology in Ireland, this project with devise a GIS toolkit containing a planning application monitor for solar energy schemes. Drawing on the outputs of the research foundations for the guidance mentioned above, this GIS toolkit will contain a site selection tool. The spatial scale of the tool will be customisable enabling it to be adapted should planning criteria for solar energy development be drafted