The Government is being urged to introduce new schemes that would further encourage the development of wind microgeneration in Ireland and on Irish farms

The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) maintains said it could have significant benefits to farmers and the farming industry.

Microgeneration is the production of energy on a small scale for farms, businesses or domestic homes. Typical microgeneration technologies include Wind Turbines, Solar Photovoltaic, Hydro Power and Combined Heat & Power (CHP) with equipment ratings below 11kW.

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Speaking in advance of IWEA's annual conference in Kilkenny, Caitriona Diviney, Chief Operations Officer of IWEA, said that electricity costs rank among the main overheads for Irish farmers and that more wind microgeneration could help reduce costs, while allowing farmers to earn additional income by contributing the surplus electricity from their farms to the national grid. On Irish dairy farms alone research from Teagasc has shown that electricity usage contributes on average, 0.49 cent/litre to milk production costs.

She said: "When compared to neighbouring countries such as the UK, the significant potential for wind microgeneration in Ireland still remains relatively untapped. Locally generated electricity can be yet another guaranteed Irish farm product, and can give farmers more control over their own electricity production.

"We believe greater wind microgeneration can lead to more sustainable livelihoods on Irish farms and form part of the solution to reduce the overall carbon emissions of the industry."

(CD/JP)