Sarah DooleyBSc MRM Hons AIEMA

Development Manager

Wind Prospect

Content

• Degree• Getting a Job• Wind Prospect• My Role• Future Prospects• How My Degree Helped• Would I Do Things Differently?• Advice• Questions

Degree

• 1999 – 2003 Marine Resource Management, Land Economy Department

• Specialised in Environmental Issues – Marine & Environmental Management

• Dissertation on offshore wind energy developments

• Work experience – BWEA, 2003

• Graduated 2003 with 2:1 Honours Degree

Getting a Job

• Began applying for jobs as soon as final exams finished

• Invited to three interviews (SNH, SEPA & Wind Prospect)

• Wind Prospect interview – 120 applicants, short listed 4 for interview

• Started work 4 weeks after my last exam, before graduation

Wind Prospect

• Specialisms:– Development– Construction– Operations

• 90% planning success rate in the UK

• Company Growth:– 2 in 1997 to 70 in 2006

• Offices:– UK (7)– Ireland– Australia (2)– New Zealand– Canada– China– Hong Kong

Initial Duties

• Development Officer– Site Assessment– Site Visits– Planning Application Forms– Production of ES Figures– Organisation of Public Exhibitions– Consultation with the MoD & Telecom

Operators

ES Figures – Examples

ES Figures – Examples

ES Figures – Examples

Additional Duties

• Walkway Wind Farm Planning Application– Management of consultants– Budget management– Production of the ES text and figures– Submission of the planning application– Meetings with planning officer & local organisations

• Consent granted February 2005• Fastest determination of a wind farm planning

application in the UK to date – 4 months

Job Swap

• Brisbane…!?

Brisbane

Working Life in Brisbane

• 3 months work– New South Wales Site Visits

– China Site Finding

– Wind Diesel in Malaysia

– New Zealand Site Assessments

• 1 month holiday

Development Manager

• Promotion to Development Manager, January 2006

• Burnfoot Hill Wind Farm– 13 turbine development in Clackmannanshire– 26 MW– Application submitted April 2006, consented March

2007– Application straddles two local authority boundaries

• Associate membership of IEMA obtained September 2006

Future Prospects

• Burnfoot Hill post consent work – legal agreements, discharge of planning conditions etc.

• More onshore sites up and coming• Opportunities within other Wind Prospect

offices• Opportunities to diversify

– Wind Direct (Small Scale Direct to Industry)– Ocean Prospect (Wave & Tidal Energy)– Carbon Prospect (Biomass)

How my Degree Helped

• Aberdeen University

• Computer Literacy

• Geographical Information Systems

• Environmental Background

• Knowledge of Renewables

• Scottish Planning System

• Dissertation Subject

• Communication Skills

Would I Do Things Differently?

• No!

• Great job

• Good benefits

• Future opportunities in a growing market

• Right Place, Right Time!

Advice

• Speculative applications

• Read other peoples CVs, they might remind you of something important you have forgotten

• Include your school exam grades on your CV (e.g. Highers/A Levels)

• Do some work experience

• Keep applying

Questions