Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Contrary to what the previous several chapters might suggest, the
message of this topic is not that renewable energy development is too
laden with obstacles and challenges to be worth the effort. True, some
wind turbines pose hazards to birds or create irritating flicker effects.
Rooftop solar energy systems can stick out like a sore thumb in some
historic neighborhoods. However, despite these sorts of issues, valuable
wind and solar energy development is proliferating at an astounding rate
throughout the world. Every day, developers are finding ways to navigate
through the countless conlicts and diiculties highlighted in this topic,
actively guiding renewable energy projects to completion. There has
arguably never been a more promising time for energy technology over
the course of human history, and the prospects for future growth have
never been brighter.
Of course, to state that renewable energy development is often doable
and worthwhile is not to imply that it is easy. Anyone who has had heavy
involvement in a large wind or solar energy project can attest to the high
degree of determination that developers and their teams must have to
succeed. For the largest projects, the work associated with identifying a
favorable project site, securing the requisite property interests and financing,
gaining all necessary approvals, and ultimately completing construction can
take a decade or longer. Experienced renewable energy developers seem
to embrace the heavy workload and incessant challenges inherent in their
industry. To them, all of the effort is worth it in the end, when they make
their first visit to a completed project that has at last begun generating
clean, renewable electricity from the wind or sun.
The developers who are most successful at shepherding large wind
and solar energy projects from start to finish tend to view them as more
than mere financial investments for economic gain. They recognize that,
although wind farms and solar energy projects generally benefit the planet
as a whole, they can also greatly impact the lives of real people living
nearby. Accordingly, the savviest of developers understand the value of
listening sincerely to stakeholder concerns, encouraging open dialogue with
adversaries, and generously giving back to host communities.
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