There are several stages critical to the successful development of a wind farm over its lifetime

Preliminary Site Suitability

The first step in the development process is a desktop study of site suitability followed by a field assessment to determine:

• available wind resource,

• proximity to suitable electrical grid connection

• suitability of road access for turbine equipment delivery, and

• likelihood of successfully obtaining planning permission

If there is a high degree of confidence in achieving a successful planning result on an application for erection of wind turbines and connected works an agreement is made with the landowner for an option to lease the land and the project progresses into full site assessment.

Site Assessment and Planning

DP Energy’s goal is to develop and build sites and to achieve operation as quickly as possible to ensure that income is generated in as short a timeframe as possible. In order to achieve this development activities are undertaken in parallel rather than sequentially:

• Resource: A wind monitoring program will be required to characterise the site resource and provide data for due diligence and funding requirements.

• Planning: Environmental surveys, cultural heritage assessments and visual impact assessments are likely to be required in order to satisfy planning requirements. Consultation will also be required with various statutory bodies and local stakeholders.

• Engineering: Assessments will be required for grid connection, for onsite civil works, and for offsite transportation issues.

Financing and Contracting

Even small projects require significant investment and it is important that the site assessment work is conducted with this in mind from the outset. This is often an area misunderstood by inexperienced developers.

A number of contracts are required to build and operate a wind farm including key contracts for the project construction, turbine supply, warranty, operation & maintenance, civil works and electrical contracts. However, a range of other agreements and contracts are also required including grid connection agreements and FIT contracts.

Construction through to Commissioning

On a straight forward site a small project of 1-3 turbines can be constructed and commissioned within a period of around six – nine months from breaking ground.

Operation

After construction is completed and the wind farm has entered commercial operation, land use can continue as before up to the base of the tower. During operation it is vitally important that the availability of the turbines is maximized in order to ensure the revenue is maximized. This requires constant supervision and interaction with the manufacturer and careful management of contracts. DP Energy has operated wind farms both within the term of manufacturer’s warranty period and after its expiry.

Decommissioning

At the end of the life of the project (usually 20/25 years), the turbines are removed and the land re-instated to its former condition unless it is decided to continue the use and repair or replace the turbines.