Capability Statements

Below are some of the services that our clients regularly ask us to provide - of course, there's much more to what we do than this, so if you can't find information relating to your needs, please contact us to find out how we can help you.

Access Design Including Swept Path Analysis

We offer a range of access services to developers, custom designed to our client's specific requirements. These services include:

Review of mapping data to identify potential routes to project sites from appropriate ports, motorway or trunk road networks including a review of routes used by existing developments
Visual route inspection identifying potential pinch points
Swept path analysis of pinch points identifying load path requirements and areas of temporary works including third party land
Land registry searches on third party land and negotiations with land owners on land take requirements
Sightline survey and assessment for planning and EIA
Indivisible load applications to the relevant authorities to determine consultee opinion
Production of full EIA chapter and planning consultation with the relevant authorities

Collision Risk Model

The Collision Risk Model (CRM), devised by Band et al, is used to predict the theoretical annual mortality rate for bird species and can form part of the overall assessment of the potential impact on local bird populations within the Environmental Statement.

Analysis within the CRM is undertaken in three parts. Firstly a prediction, based on field observations, is made on the potential number of birds passing through the rotors. Secondly, the probability of a bird being hit is calculated. Finally, this overall risk is corrected to take into consideration active avoidance by the birds.

Atmos has developed a unique GIS-based process which undertakes bespoke analysis for our clients in the most efficient and robust way, providing full transparency for interested stakeholders.

Community and Stakeholder Consultations

We offer the following services:

Representation at public exhibitions
Graphical presentations for PR and exhibitions
Project management / coordination
Environmental coordination and liaison

Community Renewables

We are active in a range of community-based renewable energy projects, including feasibility for wind energy, small hydro, biomass and tidal energy, EIA and planning applications, grid connection support and ongoing post planning support.

Community groups that we've supported include:

Coll
Dervaig (Mull)
Raasay
Assynt
Coigach
Tolsta (Lewis)
Baile an Truiseil (Lewis)
Horshader (Lewis)
Beinn Greidaig (Lewis)
South Uist
Barra
Glenelg
Sleat
Kerrera
Newburgh

As the UK's leading consultancy with respect to community wind energy developments, we are uniquely placed to advise and manage projects, seeking to maximise project understanding and acceptability locally.

Due Diligence

We offer a high level Due Diligence service for objective reviews of site and project portfolios before purchase agreements are finalised.

We've created a team of specialists and, in conjunction with our respected partners, we're able to review all aspects of wind farms including legal, technical, environmental and financial concerns. This enables an objective view on the suitability and value of a prospective site/portfolio purchase.

Find out more about our due diligence services.

Ecological Clerk of Works

To ensure that consented development projects can be efficiently realised in a coordinated, environmentally acceptable manner, we have a dedicated team providing Clerk of Works services. The team is supported by our ecological, ornithological and hydrological specialists and offer the following:

Development of practical and deliverable Pollution Prevention Plans (PPP), habitat and species management plans, monitoring programmes and pollution event response protocols
Negotiation of agreements with key stakeholders and statutory authorities over the content of such plans and programmes
Provision of Hydrological and Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) services for site investigations, enabling works, during construction, watching briefs and monitoring
Data management and analysis, client reporting and representation on management groups

Ecological Survey and Assessment

Below is a full list of the surveys and assessments carried out by our ecologists:

Aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate surveys/monitoring
Biological and chemical water quality analysis using a combination of hand held multi-parameter probes and fixed remote telemetry probes
Extended Phase 1 and NVC Phase 2 habitat surveys
Extended Phase 1 and National Vegetation Classification Phase 2 habitat surveys
Freshwater, marine and terrestrial invertebrate surveys and monitoring
Fisheries habitat assessment and fish surveys and health assessment
Non-native species survey, such as Japanese knotweed
Peat depth surveys
Protected species surveys: otter, water vole, great crested newts, freshwater pearl mussel, white clawed crayfish, and all species of bat and reptile
River Corridor Survey and accredited River Habitat Survey
Surveys for aquatic species, such as great crested newts and water voles
Tree surveys, in accordance with the British Standard for Trees, in relation to Construction BS:5387 2005
Vascular plant and bryophyte surveys
Water quality monitoring using a combination of hand held multi-parameter probes, and fixed remote telemetry probes Electrical Design

Find out more about our ecological survey and assessment services.

Electrical Design

Our technical services include:

Grid connection capacity study

A study of information available from DNOs (Distribution Network Operators) and transmission asset owners combined with proprietry information held by Atmos Consulting is used to determine the likely cost and timescales of a grid connection. Up to three connection strategies are usually considered and the limitations and opportunities of each are discussed.

Connection route design and analysis

Investigations can be made to determine the merits of particular connection routes. This can be used in an ES (Environmental Statement), as some councils request, or as part of negotiations with a DNO.

Advice on policy and queue management

The policies and procedures governing grid connections are in a period of change. We can advise on the latest developments and on the timing of connection applications and the costs involved.

Grid connection application

We can submit a grid connection application along with supporting diagrams and information. This includes a discussion of the connection offer once received, and can reveal large elements of the connection works, which are not included in the offer.

Electrical considerations for site design

This covers Electrical engineering factors that are integrated into the wind farm design process and include implementing electrical substations to minimise electrical losses and cable routes that satisfy ecological and engineering considerations.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

Wind turbines have the potential to disrupt fixed radio and microwave communication links through reflective interference. With the significant expansion of telecommunications masts and infrastructure in recent years, most new wind farm developments will encounter Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) issues. We can provide:

Accurate identification of fixed communication link broadcast masts using high resolution aerial photography.
Fresnel and clearance zone identification.
Consultation with communication link operators to determine clearances required.

We also advise on mitigation options including fixed link re-routing via underground, terrestrial and satellite links.

Energy Yield assessment

We provide a robust and comprehensive range of energy yield assessment services to clients, using our technical skills and software programmes, tailored to our client's specific requirements. These services include:

Met mast specification, locating, planning, owners engineer through installation and ongoing data collection and screening including remote sensing technologies
Screening and detailed analysis of met data, presented into any format required by the client
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and analysis including assessment of complex terrain
Long term prediction through MCP (Measure Correlate Predict), turbine model energy comparison, turbulence analysis, energy yield prediction and sensitivity analysis

Expert Witness

We have recently provided Expert Witnesses at Public Inquiries on a number of issues including ecology, ornithology, planning, operational matters plus access and recreational impacts.

Hydrological Assessment

We appreciate that each individual project has its own unique hydrological challenges and are experienced in working closely with clients, regulatory bodies and local authorities to determine the most effective and compliant solution.

Our clients can choose from a range of service consultancy offerings as required for their individual project, including:

Hydrological and hydrogeological assessments
Water quality monitoring plans
Private water supply assessments
Contaminated land assessments and remediation
Hydrology, Drainage, and Silt Management chapters for EIA
Preparation of Sustainable Drainage System Design Philosophy Statements
Development of Pollution Prevention Plans
Development of Flood Risk and Mitigation Plans
Analysis of water dependent ecosystems
Catchment Characterisation and Management
Surface Water Management Policy Advice
Due diligence

Industrial Renewables

Our expertise in site design and turbine optimisation, electrical engineering, planning and environmental analysis allows us to provide all the required services in relation to 'industrial' or 'merchant wind' energy development (where a user of energy such as a farm, factory, housing scheme or business park chooses to generate energy on-site).

We have been retained by Scottish and Southern Energy's Community and Commercial Wind team to provide screening, feasibility and EIA support. We are also advising a number of independent site operators who are seeking to generate renewable energy to offset rising electricity costs as well as meeting corporate objectives for carbon footprint reduction.

Our work in screening and designing tightly constrained industrial sites has given us unrivalled expertise in constraints analysis and site optimisation.

Landscape Architecture

Our landscape associates are skilled in landscape planning, assessment and design for infrastructure and development projects, in both urban and rural locations. Our landscape consultants have been involved in the preparation and delivery of best practice landscape guidance and advice.

Our specialist landscape architecture skills lend themselves to partnering with architects, engineers, planners and developers as well as regulatory authorities, providing a holistic approach to environmentally sustainable projects.

Noise Monitoring and Analysis

We can provide noise monitoring and noise assessment services for all forms of development, ranging from feasibility through to planning, EIA assessment and reporting. These services include:

Noise analysis and advice for feasibility assessments linked to the site design process. A range of criteria can be used and bespoke analysis performed where required
Liaison with environmental health departments within local authorities to determine scope of assessments required for planning and EIA
Background noise monitoring at potentially noise sensitive locations to a defined methodology and incorporation of concurrent wind speed measurement through traditional met mast or remote sensing
Analysis of noise and wind speed data to provide baseline criteria for project design
Environmental statement reporting for consideration by planning authorities

Ornithology

Ornithological studies are planned and managed by our ornithology team throughout the UK, with current casework involving a range of proposed or completed developments, from pipelines to wind farms.

As part of our service we provide detailed site and species-specific surveys, to quantify breeding and non-breeding bird populations and/or assess bird behaviour and flight activity.

Once surveys have been completed the ornithological data we collect is used to inform statutory bodies (such as SNH, Natural England or the Countryside Council for Wales) of the potential impact a development may have on species identified during our surveys. This data may, depending on the scale of a development, be presented within an Environmental Statement as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

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