Introduction

The James Hutton Institute offers expertise and experience in a range of consultancy and products relating to renewable energy. This exploits the Institute’s unique combination of research and knowledge exchange which contributes to understanding of the policy and strategic needs for renewable energy, requirements for planning and regulators, and tools and expertise for assessing specific proposals for renewable energy developments.

Services and consultancy to both public and private sectors:

• Strategic and tactical planning for wind energy developments for local authorities

• Site suitability for renewable energy developments
  • Environmental Impact Assessments
  • Visualisations, 3D modelling, photomontage and wireframe modelling
  • Landscape and visual assessments of wind turbines and windfarms
  • ZTV mapping
  • Shadow flicker
  • Hydrological assessments
  • Peat slide risks
  • Ecological assessments
  • Social impact assessments

• Raising public awareness and public consultations for renewable developments
• Reviewing Environmental Statements for windfarm developers and government
• Modelling and decision support tools
• Maps and environmental data for sites in Scotland

Example current and past projects

• Public consultations for windfarm proposals in central, north and north-east Scotland, and east England
• Virtual reality modelling of windfarm proposals – Aberdeen offshore windfarm
• Spatial strategy for wind energy development for the Scottish Borders
• Visibility mapping for windfram development - The Scottish Borders
• Cumulative visual impacts of wind farms - North Ayrshire
• Landscape sensitivity to wind turbine development in Highland
• Landscape Potential for Wind Farms in North and East Highland and Moray
• Cumulative visual impacts of windfarms developments – Mid-Wales (public enquiries)
• Visual impacts and screening options for windfarms (e.g. Lissett Airfield, Lincolnshire)
• Fly/drive-throughs of renewables developments
• Cumulative visual impact of windfarms – along track analysis
• Biofuels assessment for Fife
• Communicating new concepts – wave power linked with exploration structures

These consultancies are supported by underlying research on:

• Attitudes and behaviours towards renewables energy (e.g. Coleby et al., 2009)
• Visualization techniques to support planning of renewable energy developments (e.g. Miller et al., 2007)
• Carbon payback of wind turbine developments on peatland (e.g. Nayak et al., 2010)
• Visual assessment of offshore windfarms (Bishop and Miller, 2007)
• Visual impacts of wind turbines
• Attitudes to energy landscapes