Renewable Energy Services (RES) has been selected as project developer; their experience and track record in wind development throughout North America is broad and deep. Since August 2021, RES has been working in collaboration with the project team to develop the project configuration, which has taken into consideration exclusion zones (environmentally sensitive zones) and regulations such as local by-laws, sound rules, resource assessment results and constructability.
Since the project was first publicly announced in 2019, the project team has undertaken significant due diligence work and project development activities. A project summary level has been developed, envisioning construction activities will commence in 2024, and anticipating project completion and operation by 2025.
Detailed meteorological and wind resource assessments and data have been collected since January 2021. Two 60-metre-tall meteorological towers and two LiDAR sensors (remote sensing equipment) have been located within the project site to collect wind speed and direction data. The data has confirmed that the site has a favourable wind resource; this data collection also allows the project team to optimize and confirm exact turbine locations. Project siting: A constraints assessment has been conducted to identify all exclusion zones or buffer areas in which no project infrastructure will be constructed. The project area is relatively remote in a low population area, and no turbine will be sitting closer than 1 km of any permanent residences or communities. Environmentally sensitive areas, such as wetlands, watercourses and protected areas are avoided.
Nova Scotia’s Environment Assessment branch has established a limit of 40 dBA (outdoors) for receptors and this is taken into consideration in the project configuration and choice of turbine locations. For reference, 40dB is commonly known as equivalent to a quiet library or refrigerator sound level. The Goose Harbour Lake Wind Farm’s levels will not exceed these provincial regulatory standards.
