This is a fun video with interesting and serious facts about energy and renewables.
Green Energy Assistance • Solar Shed • Non-Profit Trust • Cúnamh Fuinnimh Glas • Teach Beag Gréine • Neamh-Bhrabúis Iontaobhas
The Future Of Renewable Energy
This is a fun video with interesting and serious facts about energy and renewables.
Energy Awareness Video By Transition Year Students
This is a video made by transition year students from Blackwater Community School, Lismore in Co Waterford. As part of the project, students conducted an energy audit of the school and discovered simple ways to save energy and promote energy awareness among students and staff alike.
Green Schools Travel Competition Judges' Winner
The Green Schools Travel Competition had over 2,000 entries from schools around Ireland. Jessica McGrane, Dublin, age 12, won the Judges' Award for this Green Schools Digital Animation.
Taking The Green Schools' Message Home
With over 88% of schools in Ireland participating in the Green Schools program, the key to change in the home may lie in the schools. So children have been asked how they can bring their green school practices involving energy, waste, biodiversity, travel, etc. to their homes.
The Green Home scheme, introduced by An Taisce in partnership with the EPA was brought to schools across Ireland for that purpose. Parents attend meetings concerning environmental issues once a week. The initiative supports, advises and encourages households to reduce their impact on the environment and save money!
For an accessible version of this video, and associated educational resources for second level teachers, click here.
ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 2012
Ireland's biggest celebration of youth ECO-Action. If you want to take part simply register online for free here.
Green Economy Is A Jobs Creation Success Story
The green economy is delivering more jobs in Northern Ireland than the motor trade, financial services sector and telecommunications combined. A new report claims the UK's general economy is predicted only to return to 2007 levels by 2014, but the green economy is tipped to grow by 40% in that time.
The 'UK Success Story' report by environmental think tank Green Alliance reveals there was a £180m investment in renewable energy in Northern Ireland during 2011/12, as revealed by Department of Energy and Climate Change figures, creating 767 jobs. And Northern Ireland is now the second largest consumer of renewable energy in the UK at 11% - lying behind Scotland at 22%.
Life's A Breeze!
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| Life's a breeze. And then you thrive! |
Primary School Energy Initiative
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| The school's Energy Tracker monitors generation, benefits and weather! |
The Energy Tracker displays the environmental benefits of green energy production at their facilities in terms of equivalent coal offset and homes powered along with a summary of weather data including irradiance and wind speed. The school district has begun work on the installation of solar panels at nine of their facilities.
Young Environmentalist Awards 2013
ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards is an all-Ireland environmental awards program that recognizes and rewards young people who raise environmental awareness and improve the environment.
Registration for the Young Environmentalist Awards 2013 ends 30th November 2012. Project submission deadline is 22 February 2013.
Local Farmers Get On Board With Wind Co-op
Local farmers are propelling wind power through leasing their land for the development of Northern Ireland’s first wind energy co-operative – Drumlin Wind Energy Co-op – and are calling on the rest of the agri-sector to invest in and benefit from this democratic venture.
Drumlin Wind Energy Co-operative has launched a public share offer and is aiming to raise up to £3.4m to build five 250KW single wind turbines across five sites in Northern Ireland including Pomeroy, Kells, Larne and Ballyclare. The innovative model allows local people to take direct ownership of renewable energy, deriving both financial and environmental benefits from the scheme. Individuals, businesses and organisations may invest between £250 and £20,000 in the shares, which are eligible for Enterprise Investment Tax Relief at 30%, and will receive an attractive return on their investment averaging approximately 7% – 10% per annum over a 20 year period. The share offer period ends on 21st September 2012.
Mainstream, Portugal, China To Study Irish Wind Link
Mainstream Renewable Power, a Dublin-based renewable-energy developer, will team up with utilities from Portugal and China to study building a 5,000 MW link to export wind power from Ireland to the UK.
The Irish company struck a preliminary deal with Portugal’s REN-Redes Energeticas Nacionais, part-held by China State Grid, that may result in a joint venture to finance and build the Energy Bridge link, Mainstream said today. Britain’s National Grid would also be involved in any partnership. The Energy Bridge venture has already secured an offer for 5,000 MW of grid connection to the UK, Mainstream said in a statement. The transmission line, which would transport power from Irish wind parks under the sea, is slated to deliver electricity in an initial 1,200 MW phase by 2017.
Solar Energy Is Fastest Growing Industry In US
The new numbers for solar PV’s Q2, just reported by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), make solar, according to SEIA President Rhone Resch, “the fastest growing industry in the United States.”
Resch kicked off the opening session of Solar Power International (SPI) 2012 by briefly recounting those numbers: 742 MW installed in 2Q 2012, a 45% jump over the first quarter and twice the Q2 2011 total. Solar’s total installed US capacity is now 5,700 MW, he said, and there are 3,400 MW under construction. The 2012 total PV installed capacity for the US is projected to be 3,200 MW, 71% higher than the 2011 total.
Wind And Solar Energy Power Peru Education
The solar shed has come to Camacho, San Clemente, Pisco in Peru. The shed provides the school there with all of its energy needs. A renewable energy program comprised of a windmill and seven solar panels - donations from the European Union - are powering the eager young students' laptops.
The rural community of Camacho was the first community out of the 130 beneficiary communities in Peru to benefit from the Euro-Solar Program which has installed the first kit for its 240 inhabitants. Alongside the fitting out of the premises and the installation of the equipment, training was provided to the three members of each community who will be responsible for the technical management and maintenance of the kit.
School Switches On To Solar Power
Tekapo school's pupils were so pleased about their new solar panels that they made a song and dance about it. State-owned generator Genesis has spent $40,000 installing photovoltaic solar heating panels and a battery system inside the school, which could also be used as a back-up source of power.
As part of the process, the school has had classes on the benefits of energy efficiency and solar power - which culminated in a performance at the local community theatre this week featuring all the school's 22 pupils. Kyle Bell, aged 11, said he had learned a lot about how to be a good "green" user.
European Mobility Week September 16-22, 2012
Green Schools Ireland celebrates European Mobility Week September 16-22, 2012. Why not walk, cycle, park 'n' ride, carpool or bus to school for European Mobility Week. What about a car-free day!
Contact your local Travel Education Officer for more information or visit: Green Schools Ireland
Taoiseach Addresses Renewable Energy Conference
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, addressed a major renewable energy conference in Co. Mayo this week. He gave the opening address at a major conference which took place in Mount Falcon, Ballina. It was attended by around 140 delegates and was an initiative of Mayo County Council and was organised with the support of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and Mainstream Renewable Power.
The conference, ‘Offshore renewable energy: Exploring supply chain opportunities’ focused on how policy-makers can work with industry to take advantage of Ireland’s location as home to some of the best wind and wave resources in the world to become a world-leader in renewable energy development.
Addressing the conference the Taoiseach spoke of the Government’s full commitment to exploiting the benefits associated with the development of renewable energy, particularly in the marine sector.
He outlined the purpose of the Government’s first integrated marine plan as being “to put the days of underachievement in the marine area behind us and to ensure that our ocean wealth is a key component of economic recovery and sustainable growth into the future”.
A key theme explored during the conference was the economic benefits associated with the development of renewable energy, particularly for the western region. The ocean energy sector alone has the potential to create employment opportunities of up to 70,000 jobs and has a potential to cumulative economic benefit of up to €120 billion by 2050.
Mayo Today, September 6, 2012
The Growing Popularity of Solar Panels
The solar panel is becoming an increasingly popular form of alternative energy around the world, using photovoltaic and silicon solar cells to convert radiation into power. Solar power has had a long history of failed starts and limited distribution. As an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels, solar panels rank alongside wind and hydropower as essential energy options for the future of the planet, and offer the additional benefit of being easier to integrate into the home.
Recent rises in popularity and use can be linked to lower costs for installation and operation, with small and medium sized panels becoming more practical for home use over more remote locations and larger buildings. At the same time, companies offering solar power solutions have been able to lower their fees for usage, with most deriving profits from extended leases, as well as from tax credits and deductions.
Benefits
Those who install solar panels benefit from more efficient energy usage than electricity, as well as decreasing prices after initial installation. With coal, gas and oil prices continuing to rise, finding an alternative platform for energy is going to become more essential as consumers look to reduce rather than fuel spiraling demand.
The more recent practicality of solar power prices should consequently continue to draw more people and businesses into renewable energy schemes. Solar panel companies with large stocks have also had to make some concessions towards a slow moving market, while businesses are being attracted by the energy-saving potential of solar roofs and green storage of data.
Worldwide Usage
A recent International Energy Agency report suggests that a quarter of energy usage and supply may derive from solar power by 2050, and various governments have been investing in subsidies for solar power expansion to emulate, or at least complement the capacity of energy grids currently handled by electricity and traditional fossil fuel sources.
The United States has experienced an average growth of 40% in residential solar power usage in tandem with state federal incentives; high sun areas like Florida are enjoying particular growth. The United Kingdom has similarly benefited from shifts away from solar power being used in areas like the South West of England and richer regions towards more general application, with the energy regulator Ofgem noting steady rises nationwide over the past few years. However, the UK still lags behind longer term implementation of solar panels in countries like Germany, Spain and Belgium, as well as the development of environmentally friendly solutions in Scandinavia.
Further afield, China is continuing to expand its photovoltaic use, with an expanding grid system and growth around major cities and towns. China’s development into one of the world’s leading solar power producers and users is also being accelerated by an oligopoly of manufacturers, which include CHINT Group Corporation and Jinniu Energy. China is also at the forefront of developing more efficient silicon cells for energy conversion. Given the potential for large countries to deliver super grids of solar energy, with India reported to have a 5,000 trillion kilowatt capacity, speeding up these systems will ultimately result in a long lasting energy option.
Lisa Gan, Renewable Energy World, September 4, 2012
Modern Wind Turbines Will Last For 20 Years
At present, there are 176 wind farms operational, in 27 counties on the island of Ireland. A wind farm is a group of wind turbines located in the same area which are usually interconnected through underground cables. A substation is also located on site. The electricity produced by the wind turbines is then transferred through underground cables or overhead power lines for connection to the national grid. A fiber-optic communications cable is also installed in conjunction with the power line to allow remote monitoring of each individual wind turbine on the wind farm.
What is the current installed wind capacity of Ireland?
The current grid-connected and operational wind capacity on the island of Ireland is 2054.86 megawatts (MW). A modern wind turbine produces electricity 90pc to 95pc of the time, but it generates different amounts depending on wind speed. Over the course of a year, it will generate about 31pc of the theoretical maximum output.
For example, a wind turbine with a rating of 2MW can theoretically generate 2MW of electricity per hour or 48MW in a day. Over a full year, it can potentially generate 17,520MW but in reality, it will only generate about 31pc of that or 5,431MW. It is estimated that 1MW of wind capacity can provide enough electricity to supply approximately 650 homes. Based on this figure, an installed capacity of 2040.66MW can provide enough electricity to power more 1.3 million homes on the island of Ireland.
The average wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within three to five months of operation. A modern wind turbine is designed to operate for more than 20 years and at the end of its working life, the area can be restored at low financial and environmental cost.
The Independent, August 28, 2012. Originally published in 'Farming'.
Element Power to Build Tipperary Wind Farm
At the weekend, it confirmed it is going ahead with plans to develop a 36-megawatt (MW) wind farm at Monaincha, Co Tipperary, which it hopes will be close to completion in a year’s time. Element would not say how much the project is likely to cost. On the basis of an industry rule of thumb that such developments cost about €2 million per MW, it has a €70 million-plus price tag.
The turbines, which form a large part of the investment involved, are likely to cost at least €30 million. Online trade publication reNews said Element had chosen Nordex as the preferred turbine supplier. The project will require 15 machines capable of generating 2.4 MW each. These cost about €900,000 per MW of output, putting the cost at just short of €33 million.
The Monaincha wind farm is designed to supply electricity to the Irish national grid rather than export it to Britain. Kevin O’Donovan, the company’s chief development officer for Ireland, said energy minister Pat Rabbitte’s recent decision to introduce a new round of supports for green energy had prompted it to move ahead with the project.
“There are a lot of things that you need to have in place for a wind energy project,” he said. “That was one of them, so we decided to go ahead.” Mr O’Donovan said the turbines the company intends to install at Monaincha are designed to operate at lower wind speeds than those generally used in Ireland. “In that respect, they are new technology,” he added.
The project is at the end of the planning stage. Mr O’Donovan said the company hopes to have the turbines on site in Tipperary in about 12 months’ time.
Last month, Element said it planned to invest €8 billion in Ireland on the back of a deal with the British national grid company National Grid Transmission. The company proposes building 40 new wind farms in midland counties and channeling the energy to Britain via dedicated underwater cables.
It said this would create 10,000 jobs during the construction phase and 3,000 long-term operational and manufacturing jobs in Ireland and the UK.
Element said it had a deal with the British national grid to take 3,000MW of electricity annually, paving the way for energy exports worth an estimated €1.2 billion a year. Mr O’Donovan said the company was making “reasonable progress” in identifying suitable sites in the midlands for this project.
Element Power is a multinational backed by US-based Hudson Clean Energy, a private equity firm specializing in sectors such as wind and solar power, which manages $1 billion worth of investments.
It has operations in 14 countries. Businessman Tim Cowhig is chief executive of Element’s Irish division. Before taking on his current role, Mr Cowhig set up SWS Energy in west Cork and was its chief executive until its sale for €500 million in 2009 to State-owned Bord Gáis.
Barry O'Halloran, The Irish Times, August 13, 2012
Solar Panels 'Best Chance' of Meeting Energy Needs
The half-day event included presentations from a number of senior scientists based at the University of Notre Dame. Their participation was linked to this weekend’s American football game between Notre Dame and the US Navy team, which will be played at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow. Yesterday’s proceedings were introduced by Prof Peter Kilpatrick, the McCloskey dean of engineering at the Indiana-based university. He introduced Mr Rabbitte who began to speak only to be interrupted by the protesters.
...Ireland had a “total dependence” on fossil fuels but the rapid introduction of renewables, particularly wind turbines, could help reduce this, he said. Geopolitical uncertainty meant the country remained exposed to energy “shocks” and needed to escape this. “We have seen good progress in the past 10 years,” he said, with a tripling of wind capacity. Several speakers talked about the potential of solar power, including Dr Mazhar Bari, co-founder of Irish company SolarPrint. “In Ireland, people believe there is no sunlight here, but Ireland gets the same amount as Germany,” he said.
New flexible panels were being developed that could be rolled out or even painted onto surfaces to produce solar electricity. Total world energy demand was 15 or 16 trillion watts but the sun each day delivered 120 trillion watts to the Earth, said Prof Prashant Kamat of Notre Dame. Even if the countries of the world built a new 1 billion-watt nuclear power plant each day, this could not keep pace with the estimated doubling of demand over the next 35 years, he said.
“Clean energy is the way to go for the future,” said Prof Don MacElroy, principal investigator at UCD working on solar energy conversion. Solar power could be collected during the day and used to split water into hydrogen fuel, create chemicals or charge batteries – storage methods that could be used to supply electricity at night.
Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, August 31, 2012
Teach Bheag Gréine Metric Dimensions
The total roof area is approximately 13 square meters. With this area utilized photovoltaic capture, an estimated 13,000 KWH of electricity is provided.
Using the current average price for 2011 of $0.10/KWH or 2 €/W for PVs, the entire 13m² PV roof of the Teach Bheag Gréine costs approximately €1,500.
Renewable Energy Goal To Cost Up To €5B
Meeting Irish renewable energy targets will require investment of up to €5 billion between now and 2020, according to a report from stockbrokers Davy. The Government and the administration in Northern Ireland have both set targets to generate 40 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
A report by Davy analysts Caren Crowley, Barry Dixon and David McNamara, published yesterday, estimates this will require the construction of wind farms capable of generating up to 3,500 megawatts of electricity, in addition to the existing renewable generators. Davy’s researchers calculate that this will require a total investment of €5 billion across Ireland. The report, Ireland’s Electricity Future: Policy and Players Shaping Investment, states that this is likely to favour the country’s existing utilities and established large-scale industry players. It points out that the challenges this will pose for operating the electricity supply system, and a tough environment for raising finance, are having an impact on project finance.
“Accordingly, scarce capital is more likely to be channelled into projects via the utilities and larger, more experienced project developers,” the firm’s analysts say. They add that the four existing utilities – ESB, Bord Gáis Energy, SSE Ireland and Viridian – which have both wind and conventional-power generators, are best placed to support the large-scale roll-out of wind power. Their conventional generators can be used when wind generators cannot – about 65 per cent of the time. Davy suggests that other players, including Element Power, Mainstream Renewable Energy and State-owned Bord na Móna and Coillte, could also feature.
The researchers based their calculations on the likelihood that the Republic and Northern Ireland, which have a single electricity market, will focus on onshore wind to deliver renewable targets.
Barry O'Halloran, The Irish Times, Friday, August 17, 2012
50 Things To Do Before You're 11¾
Can technology help get kids outdoors? Kids don’t spend enough time outside, they don’t interact with nature, and 1 in 10 can’t even ride a bike. What can be done? Well, the National Trust has a few ideas, or more accurately, 50 ideas. Visit their new campaign at 50 Things To Do Before You're 11¾.
Green Groups For Fracking Halt
A coalition of 27 environmental groups has called on the Government to “put a stop to all fracking activity” in Ireland because its “known impacts are so serious”. In a new policy document on hydraulic fracturing of shale gas – commonly known as “fracking” – the Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership referred to the “proposed industrialisation and degradation of our environment across at least nine counties”.
Michael Ewing, co-ordinator of the Environmental Pillar, said the environment and long-term development of rural Ireland was “at risk from the secrecy surrounding the polluting processes involved – the damage done to communities, water supplies and wildlife”. Instead, the Government and EU should “focus their attention on increasing energy efficiency and accelerating the move to renewable energy rather than allowing the development of high-risk, inefficient and polluting gas extraction processes that just add to the problem of climate change”.
In its policy document the pillar says there was no scientific agreement that unconventional gas extraction would have significantly lower total greenhouse gas emissions compared to other conventional fossil fuels, and its development “will be at the expense of cheaper and safer policies”.
It warns that fracking “could cause the contamination of surface and ground water (including drinking water) with toxic chemicals used in fracking fluids and increasing the concentration in such water of methane and hazardous and radioactive materials that naturally occur in shale and coal”.
The document notes that fracking “involves pumping vast amounts of freshwater underground, much of which becomes irretrievable and/or contaminated [and] this will create significant social and environmental pressures at a local and regional level, and particularly in regions suffering from water scarcity”. It also caused air pollution from soot, methane and natural gas as well as noise pollution that would affect local residents, livestock and wildlife and “increases the risks of earthquakes, which in turn increases the risk of damage to, and leakages from, gas wells”, according to the document. “Many of these impacts are not only local but can be felt regionally and even globally. Without a comprehensive scientific assessment of the impacts of fracking in Ireland and across Europe, an unconventional gas boom would be an enormous experiment on the environment and human health.”
It says fracking also runs counter to the EU’s commitment to achieving a high level of environmental and human health protection as well as the precautionary principle – especially in the absence of a comprehensive and detailed analysis of fracking by an independent Irish or EU regulatory agency.
Such a study would have to examine fracking-related air pollution and the long-term health impact, fracking-related water contamination and a full cost-benefit analysis of the socioeconomic and environmental impacts – possibly through a European Commission green paper with full public participation of stakeholders.
To date, the pillar says, “there is no consistent process in Ireland or Europe that properly includes citizens and communities in decision-making” related to fracking, while the companies involved “are not disclosing an exhaustive and detailed list of the chemicals used” for each project.
“Until all these problems are adequately addressed, we believe that no further shale gas, shale oil and coal bed methane activities should proceed. We call on the Government and the European Commission to suspend all ongoing activities, to abrogate permits and to place a ban on any new projects,” it said.Membership of the Environmental Pillar, which was set up in 2009, includes An Taisce, Birdwatch Ireland, Feasta, Friends of the Earth Ireland, the Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, the Irish Wildlife Trust, the Organic Centre, Sonairte and Voice.
Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, The Irish Times - Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Michael Ewing, co-ordinator of the Environmental Pillar, said the environment and long-term development of rural Ireland was “at risk from the secrecy surrounding the polluting processes involved – the damage done to communities, water supplies and wildlife”. Instead, the Government and EU should “focus their attention on increasing energy efficiency and accelerating the move to renewable energy rather than allowing the development of high-risk, inefficient and polluting gas extraction processes that just add to the problem of climate change”.
In its policy document the pillar says there was no scientific agreement that unconventional gas extraction would have significantly lower total greenhouse gas emissions compared to other conventional fossil fuels, and its development “will be at the expense of cheaper and safer policies”.
It warns that fracking “could cause the contamination of surface and ground water (including drinking water) with toxic chemicals used in fracking fluids and increasing the concentration in such water of methane and hazardous and radioactive materials that naturally occur in shale and coal”.
The document notes that fracking “involves pumping vast amounts of freshwater underground, much of which becomes irretrievable and/or contaminated [and] this will create significant social and environmental pressures at a local and regional level, and particularly in regions suffering from water scarcity”. It also caused air pollution from soot, methane and natural gas as well as noise pollution that would affect local residents, livestock and wildlife and “increases the risks of earthquakes, which in turn increases the risk of damage to, and leakages from, gas wells”, according to the document. “Many of these impacts are not only local but can be felt regionally and even globally. Without a comprehensive scientific assessment of the impacts of fracking in Ireland and across Europe, an unconventional gas boom would be an enormous experiment on the environment and human health.”
It says fracking also runs counter to the EU’s commitment to achieving a high level of environmental and human health protection as well as the precautionary principle – especially in the absence of a comprehensive and detailed analysis of fracking by an independent Irish or EU regulatory agency.
Such a study would have to examine fracking-related air pollution and the long-term health impact, fracking-related water contamination and a full cost-benefit analysis of the socioeconomic and environmental impacts – possibly through a European Commission green paper with full public participation of stakeholders.
To date, the pillar says, “there is no consistent process in Ireland or Europe that properly includes citizens and communities in decision-making” related to fracking, while the companies involved “are not disclosing an exhaustive and detailed list of the chemicals used” for each project.
“Until all these problems are adequately addressed, we believe that no further shale gas, shale oil and coal bed methane activities should proceed. We call on the Government and the European Commission to suspend all ongoing activities, to abrogate permits and to place a ban on any new projects,” it said.Membership of the Environmental Pillar, which was set up in 2009, includes An Taisce, Birdwatch Ireland, Feasta, Friends of the Earth Ireland, the Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, the Irish Wildlife Trust, the Organic Centre, Sonairte and Voice.
Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, The Irish Times - Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Sustainability Summit Galway
Experts in green finance and clean technology speak about Ireland’s opportunity to innovate and capitalize on its clean energy, ICT and financial expertise to become a global exemplar and an exporter of scale of renewable energy. Last month, July 2012, a sustainability conference – Enabling, Financing and Delivering Sustainable Growth Summit – took place in Galway. More than 150 delegates from the finance, clean-tech, venture capital and sustainability sectors, as well as policy-makers, converged at the conference to share ideas.In the video excerpt, we hear from experts in the finance, climate bonds and green business space who talk about Ireland's opportunity Sean Kidney, chairman, Climate Bonds Initiative, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte, TD, David Guest, chairman, Green IFSC Steering Group, Coillte CEO David Gunning and Dublin City Council's green business officer Mark Bennett.
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