The Irish Wind Farmers Association (IWFA) is set to host its annual conference on Thursday 28 November, where a key focus will be on the Government's Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS).

SRESS is designed to offer a 15-year guaranteed tariff on electricity sold to the grid from small-scale wind turbines and solar farms.

However, the scheme has been criticised before it is even launched, due to low proposed tariffs.

IWFA chair Paddy Phelan said: "The recent SRESS is a welcome step, but is it enough? The IWFA members say the proposed scheme does not provide sufficient financial certainty for small-scale wind farmers.”

Organisers are inviting SMEs, community groups, and farmers from across Co Waterford to learn from the real-life experiences of small-scale wind farmers and industry experts.

Speakers

This year's keynote speaker is chair of Renewable Energy Ireland Jim Breslin. He will be joined by principal officer in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Paul O'Neill, alongside wind farmers Tom Ryan and Michael Quirk.

Tom and Michael will discuss the reapplication processes, followed by a series of panels discussing key challenges in the wind sector, planning, grid and markets.

'Killed their own ambition'

Michael Quirk is a tillage farmer at Crocane Farm, Aghada, Co Cork, who developed a 1.7MW wind farm and Cork's first grid-connected solar farm (the 5.2MW Lurrig Solar Farm).

He believes the current system presents too many challenges for new entrants.

He said: "The SRESS scheme has made the terms so restrictive that they've killed their own ambition. Everything is more difficult now than it was when I started in the late 1990s.

"Planning, regulation and construction costs have gone through the roof and grid connection is almost impossible for smaller projects."

These challenges will be discussed at the IWFA annual conference, sponsored by Flogas, on Thursday 28 November 2024 at Lyrath Estate in Co Kilkenny.