SOFTWARE firm Linknode believes its new mobile device app can help architects and planners better estimate the visual impact of wind farms and allow them to make more efficient decisions.

The Glasgow company has just completed a pilot project which saw its updated VentusAR product being used by architect Brindley Associates on a single turbine at Auchenlosh, near Dalbeattie.

An impact assessment tool which can be combined with the app, being showcased at the All-Energy trade show which starts in Glasgow today, draws on a database of 28,500 turbine locations across the UK.

It can then quickly search for nearby developments or those already going through planning when new sites are being proposed. The software then also allows for 3D visual representations of wind farms in the field using a tablet device.

Linknode believes the 'one-stop shop' nature of the app can radically cut the time involved for those building wind farms in areas including site assessment, consulting with clients and illustrating potential visual changes with local residents.

Crispin Hoult, director at Linknode, said: "As the number of existing and proposed wind farms across the UK continues to grow, the challenge of assessing cumulative visual impact has become increasingly time consuming and expensive for all of those involved in the development and assessment of wind farm planning applications.

Ross Wilkie, director of Brindley Associates, confirmed the business planned to use Ventus AR for all its wind farm projects and said: "VentusAR makes our site assessments faster and more robust, it allows us to quickly microsite viewpoint locations and it allows us to very quickly gain access to cumulative data."

All-Energy, the UK's largest renewable energy event and which The Herald is a media partner with, is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.