Dundalk Saves X10M In Energy Bill

Dundalk 2020 Project: Big Projects To Sustain Wee County

An EU funded project on sustainable technologies involving communities in Dundalk, Switzerland and Austria has achieved in excess of €20 million in energy savings, €10 million of which were achieved in Dundalk.

The outcomes of the HOLISTIC Project (Holistic Optimisation Leading to Integration of Sustainable Technologies In Communities) were presented to the international partners at the final project board meeting in Dundalk which was hosted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and Louth County Council.

Connemara Ireland Wind Turbine Installation

The video set to music by the Marcus Hernon family is of the installation of the Proven Energy 6kW wind turbine supplied by RES Wicklow by Paraic Conneely Electrical in Connemara, Co Galway.

Ten Years of Community Energy In Scotland

School Wants Credit For Energy It Produces

Note the wind turbine in the school's crest!

A school in Co Galway yesterday turned its playground into a farmyard complete with livestock in an unusual protest directed at the Government’s energy policy. Lisheenkyle National School, four miles from Athenry, Co Galway, claims to be the only school in the Republic with its own wind turbine.

Teachers and pupils were protesting against restrictive green energy regulations that preclude a school – as opposed to a farm or other kind of enterprise – from obtaining credits or cash for the wind energy it produces out of school hours. As the turbine quietly sliced the air in the windswept school yard, the pupils eagerly got involved in the “farm sit-in”. They petted a pony, a calf, chickens and pups brought along for the day by local farmers, parents and friends.

Community Energy Scotland

Stronger, more self reliant and resilient communities through energy generation and efficiency.

Community Energy Scotland is an independent charity that provides advice and financial support for renewable energy and conservation projects developed by community groups in Scotland. The renewable energy potential of their area of operation is considerable, with a large number of small communities which are pioneering community owned and led projects. 

Their stated objective: "We believe that communities can become stronger, more self reliant and resilient by generating their own energy and using it efficiently."

Many of these renewable energy projects are being undertaken by social enterprises such as development trusts. The charity works closely with its members to develop projects which bring most benefit to their local communities.

Scotland Shows The Way On Community Ownership

Public opinion is largely in favor of wind energy in Germany and Denmark -- arguably Europe's original wind powerhouses. This social acceptance is driven by a high ownership of projects by communities since the 1980s. Nearly half of the total wind capacity in Germany is owned by farmers or cooperatives, while in Denmark, the figure is 88%. Indeed, in Germany, the public has embraced the idea so wholeheartedly that in some parts of the country it is generally accepted that the only people who can build a wind farm are those living in that area and such projects are expected to be virtually immune to legal challenge.

On the other side of the North Sea, however, such involvement by communities in wind farm development is almost unheard of. When plans for a wind farm are unveiled in the UK, most of the action tends to come from those in opposition, while those in favor often remain silent. Permitting rates by project dropped to 54% in the UK in 2011. If involvement by communities has had such positive benefits in Germany and Denmark, why has it not taken off in the UK?

Ireland and Climate Change

Ireland and Climate Change, a photo by Guaire Glas on Flickr.

The National Trust For Ireland

An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland set up Environmental Education in 1993 and now runs a wide range of education and awareness raising programs including:

National Spring Clean
Blue Flag Ireland
Green Home
Green Schools Ireland
Clean Coast Ireland
Learning About Forests 
Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE)

Ray Anderson on Intergenerational Tyranny

In this video, the late Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface, the largest carpet maker in the world, describes the concept of "Intergenerational Tyranny". In 1994, Ray began to champion industrial ecology and steer the company towards zero-waste, zero-carbon sustainability.

Ray explains, "There's not a single scientific peer-reviewed paper published in the last 25 years that would contradict this scenario: Every living system of Earth is in decline, every life support system of Earth is in decline." 

"The typical company of the 20th century, extractive, wasteful, abusive, linear, in all of its processes. Taking from the earth, making, wasting, sending its products back to the biosphere. We're leaving a terrible legacy of poison and diminishment of the environment for our grandchildren. It's the wrong thing to do."

Global Warming Documented In WMO Report

The World Meteorological Organization has released a new report that summarizes a number of global climate changes and documents increasing climate extremes. One graph in particular is gaining considerable attention, a histogram of aggregate global temperature over the past 13 decades which shows that the world is getting warmer.

The first decade of this century was the warmest since measurement recording began in 1850. Additionally, nine of the earth's 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. 

Global Wind Day Photo Competition

Wind energy is more than a technology. It is our past, our present imperative and our future. It captures the imagination, inspires, fascinates and captivates. We each have a wind energy story to tell – so why not share yours? "Discover the Power of Wind Energy" is a photo competition by Global Wind Day.

Entries must be received by May 5, 2013. Click here for the entry form and more information.

Ádh mór ort!

Aesthetic Aero Art

Horst Gläsker Aero Art - A novel combination of aesthetics and technology.

Fintry Community Renewable Energy Project

Fintry in Stirlingshire, Scotland is a small community of around 700 inhabitants. Like many rural communities, the town has sought to address the serious issues of depopulation, service cuts and rising energy costs.

In 2007, the town formed the Fintry Development Trust which broadly aims to reduce energy use in the village and ultimately make the village a zero-carbon, zero-waste community. This video tells their inspiring story.