Cinque Stelle (Sv)
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To see all the pictures concerning the Wind Farm and the inauguration, please click here
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Site:
Stella’s municipality is situated in the Ligurian Apennines, in the Sansobbia stream high basin.
The district is part of the "Comunità Montana del Giovo" (Giovo Mountain Community) and of Bigua’s regional natural park. It is 12 km away from the provincial chief town.
Stella is situated along the Sassello Provincial Road 334 which links Albisola Marina and Acqui Terme. As the town cannot be reached directly from motorway, Albisola toolgate on the A10 is therefore the recommended exit to reach Stella. Plant area develops for about 400 mt and extends for approx. 3 ha, at an height between 570 and 620 amsl: only 20 sqm of that area will host the plant structures, while most of it will not be altered as for conformation and purpose.
The wind farm will develop in a high naturalistic environment. The ground interested by the plant is mainly grassland surrounded by a wood (pines, holm-oaks, chestnut trees, etc.) with large sub-level areas that offer beautiful views on the coast; there are also small portions of forest land. - Wind Farm description:
Stella’s wind farm is one of the most innovative wind plant built in Italy in the last 10 years as for:
- the attention paid to environmental aspects.
- territory optimisation.
- its commitment to promote wind energy in Liguria.
- the participation of European firms to plant construction, each of them in its particular technical field.
The wind farm is made of three Enercon E-48 aerogenerators.
- Impact mitigation:
The visual impact study has been extremely important for the machines lay-out determination.
Apart from a detailed study on aerogenerators visual impact and the attention paid to the choice of the project alternative which better blended with the landscape, we have studied different strategies in order to mitigate impact arising from wind farm creation.
The cartroad leading to the site, for example, was restructured so as not to have a great impact on the natural site: excavation wreckage was used for the infilling, in order to introduce in the area as little exogenous material as possible. We also executed all the necessary superficial runoff water retention works and we adjusted the existing culverts, for a proper hydraulic layout.
All works really improved the cartroad practicability, which was before in terrible conditions. Another tactic was to build the electrical substation following the style of the sheds used to house agricultural equipments scattered on the territory. - Avifauna and chiropterofauna monitoring:
An avifauna monitoring structured as follows: ante operam, during wind farm building and post operam is under way. This monitoring follows a special Protocol FERA created in 2005 in cooperation with Regione Liguria and the University of Genova.
This in-depth monitoring confirmed the limited ornithological and chiropterological interest of the area.
Today, Stella' s wind farm is the smallest wind plant in the world subjected to a monitoring of that kind. Thanks to the collected data, it will be possible to prepare an innovative study in order to quantify the real impact of little wind stations on birds and bats. - Technology:
The chosen aerogenerators, ENERCON E-48, represent the latest technical innovation in this field: their blades can exploit the wind as much as possible, the turbines do not have any step up gear (the noisiest and most delicate part of an aerogenerator) and there is a system remote control.
Machine foundations have been built by WKA, a German company specialized in wind farm foundations. - Ecological route 'Le Vie del Vento' (wind roads):
Along the cartroad between the asphalt road and the wind farm, F.E.R.A. has created an ecological route called 'Le Vie del Vento'.
Surveys carried out in different European countries show that in case of initial distrust or hostility to wind farms, public opinion can change after knowing wind energy particular characteristics. For that kind of works, it is essential to inform and share the initiative with the citizens who are more directly involved. As for Stella’s wind farm and in order to involve and make people aware of the problem, F.E.R.A. has created an ecological path to led the visitor to the discovery of wind energy.
Along the cartroad between the asphalt road and the wind farm, there is a series of panels on general themes related to wind energy even very controversial ones, such as acoustic, avifauna and chiropterofauna impact as well as specific topics related to Stella’s wind farm, or information of the local fauna and flora.
Click here to enter in the virtual map of the wind route "5 Stelle" and to read the information panels along the road. - Estimated energy production:
6000 MWh/year, that means the energy requirements of about 1500 families or, since Stella has approximately 3000 inhabitants, the energy requirements of the whole municipality.
Greenhouse gas emissions avoided:
polluting: t/year avoided
CO2 : 5.350
SO2 : 35.3
NOx : 24.6
Dust: 3.2
Ashes : 294
Oil : 2300
- Inauguration:
The Wind Farm "Cinque Stelle" was opened on June 29th with great success.
The Councillor for the environment of the Regione Liguria Ing. Franco Zumino, the Coucillor of the Province Enrico Paliotto, the Vice-Provincial Governor, a representative of the Navy, Stella’s Mayor Mr. Anselmo Biale and the President of Fabbriche Energie Rinnovabili Alternative, Ing. Cesare Fera, attended the event. Representatives of the municipal administrations of Albisola Superiore, Rialto, Pontinvrea, Cogoleto, the inhabitants of the area and many people who wanted to have more information as well as a closer look to the Wind Farm, were also present. Everybody appreciated both aerogenerators noiselessness, the latest Enercon models, and the ecological route called 'Le Vie del Vento', that thanks to the information panels placed along the road leading to the plant introduces the visitor to wind energy.
The buffet, served at the inauguration of the wind farm, greatly appreciated by who attended the event, was made of Stella’s typical products as well as Ligurian gastronomy recipes, such as the organic goat’s milk cheese or the salami produced by the Azienda Agricola - Agriturismo 'Il Mulino' (Frazione San Martino – Stella), the delicious Ligurian focaccia (flat bread) produced by the Panificio Mangini in Stella San Martino, Usai sheep’s milk cheese, Bove’s macaroons from Santa Giustina or the Ligurian red wine produced by Silvio Gallo.
- Conclusions:
The use of a renewable energy source such as wind energy makes the project unique in terms of costs and benefits among the existing technologies for the production of electrical power.
After a long work of mediation between a meticulous attention to the environment and the legitimate productive needs, we finally presented this project which envisages the creation of a wind farm made of 3 modern, innovative aerogenerators with a nominal power of 800 kW. The environmental impact generated by the creation and the use of the wind farm is reduced to zero for many aspects, such as dangerous emissions or pollution, while for others is limited or marginal.
The creation of the wind farm has moreover many positive effects at a global and socio-economical level: first of all it involves a reduction in the concentration of polluting particles in the atmosphere; the use of wind resources, without hindering in any way the activities developed in the occupied lands, contributes to the creation of new jobs, both during the implementation and the working phases of the plant; finally, it allows the creation of a modern tourist attraction in the area.
Thanks to the educational panels placed in the wind farm, the citizens will be involved in the efforts made by Stella, Regione Liguria, Italy and Europe in order to guarantee a sustainable development for the future generations, trying to create and growth in anyone a true European "environmental feeling" .
Click here to open “5 Stelle” wind farm path virtual map and to read the information panels along the road.