Renewable Energy – Myth or Reality?
Cavan-Monaghan Rural Development Co –op and Louth LEADER in conjunction with the recently opened Centre for Renewable Energy (CREDIT) at Dundalk Institute of Technology are currently working on a feasibility study and implementation plan for a renewable energy project to involve the counties of Louth, Cavan and Monaghan.
CREDIT was formed in 2002 with the overall goal of promoting renewable energy in Ireland. The official opening of the centre took place on Monday 10th November. CREDIT’s activities will cover research and development and academic programmes. The centre has already received full planning for a 60-metre wind turbine, which will be located on campus at Dundalk Institute.
Lawrence Staudt, the manager of the centre for Renewable Energy has a long background in renewable energy. He has installed over 50 solar hot water heating systems and built and lived in two solar powered homes. He has also helped design and install over 1200 small wind turbines and 500 large wind turbines. He was Chief Executive of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) and Vice- President of the European Wind Energy Association. He is presently a council member of the IWEA. According to Mr. Staudt “the main value of renewable energy to Ireland is for supply security and pollution reduction. Ireland’s transition to renewable energy is desirable, possible and inevitable.”
As part of the feasibility study two Renewable Energy Information Workshops were held in Louth and Cavan. A workshop held on Tuesday 18th November at the White Horse Hotel, Cootehill attracted a large attendance, which in some way reflects the enormous interest in the border region. The emphasis of the workshops was to give a general introduction to renewable energy and focused on costs, installation and practicalities. A questions and answers session followed each technology and information packs were distributed.
The workshop included presentations on a number of renewable energy technologies including Small Scale Wind Power, Solar Hot Water Heating, Photovoltaic Solar Panels and Ground Source Heat Pumps. It was outlined that the high dependency on fossil fuels that currently exists was not a feasible option in the long term. With ever increasing prices for fossil fuels and decreasing supply volume it was suggested that change is inevitable.
Mr. Staudt gave an example of the situation in Germany where if the entire Wind energy resource currently harnessed there was to be transferred to Ireland, two thirds of this countries energy needs would be catered for. It was also outlined that we not only have an obligation under the Kyoto Agreement to reduce fossil fuel usage, but that we also had a moral obligation to the next generation to ensure significant progress was made.
Nigel Brady of WREAN (Northern Ireland’s Western Regional Energy Agency) gave a brief presentation on some renewable energy case studies in Enniskillen and Fermanagh. The level of grant support available in Northern Ireland is significantly greater than currently available in the Republic. Mainstream government support amounting to almost (£20m stg) €30m equivalent is available under the current programme.
No such scheme is in place as of yet in Southern Ireland. The issue of net-metering and grid connection was discussed at length, and as this facility is still not available in the south, it was agreed that this issue was the single greatest impediment to the sustainable development of small scale facilities generating electricity.
The LEADER funded proposal was outlined in detail and consists of the formulating of a plan for the development of small/medium scale renewable energy projects in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. Secondly in the first half of 2004 it is planned to hold a number of short ‘Introduction to Renewable Energy Courses’ in the region. In tandem with this course, capital grant support of up to 50% will be provided on a pilot basis to a small number of small scale renewable energy projects.
Potential recipients of funding will be prioritized and it is envisaged that priority will be given to community based projects, tourism providers (eco-tourism) and small businesses. For further information of the Renewable Energy Initiative please contact Allen McAdam at the LEADER office.
Cavan-Monaghan Rural Development Co –op and Louth LEADER in conjunction with the recently opened Centre for Renewable Energy (CREDIT) at Dundalk Institute of Technology are currently working on a feasibility study and implementation plan for a renewable energy project to involve the counties of Louth, Cavan and Monaghan.
CREDIT was formed in 2002 with the overall goal of promoting renewable energy in Ireland. The official opening of the centre took place on Monday 10th November. CREDIT’s activities will cover research and development and academic programmes. The centre has already received full planning for a 60-metre wind turbine, which will be located on campus at Dundalk Institute.
Lawrence Staudt, the manager of the centre for Renewable Energy has a long background in renewable energy. He has installed over 50 solar hot water heating systems and built and lived in two solar powered homes. He has also helped design and install over 1200 small wind turbines and 500 large wind turbines. He was Chief Executive of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) and Vice- President of the European Wind Energy Association. He is presently a council member of the IWEA. According to Mr. Staudt “the main value of renewable energy to Ireland is for supply security and pollution reduction. Ireland’s transition to renewable energy is desirable, possible and inevitable.”
As part of the feasibility study two Renewable Energy Information Workshops were held in Louth and Cavan. A workshop held on Tuesday 18th November at the White Horse Hotel, Cootehill attracted a large attendance, which in some way reflects the enormous interest in the border region. The emphasis of the workshops was to give a general introduction to renewable energy and focused on costs, installation and practicalities. A questions and answers session followed each technology and information packs were distributed.
The workshop included presentations on a number of renewable energy technologies including Small Scale Wind Power, Solar Hot Water Heating, Photovoltaic Solar Panels and Ground Source Heat Pumps. It was outlined that the high dependency on fossil fuels that currently exists was not a feasible option in the long term. With ever increasing prices for fossil fuels and decreasing supply volume it was suggested that change is inevitable.
Mr. Staudt gave an example of the situation in Germany where if the entire Wind energy resource currently harnessed there was to be transferred to Ireland, two thirds of this countries energy needs would be catered for. It was also outlined that we not only have an obligation under the Kyoto Agreement to reduce fossil fuel usage, but that we also had a moral obligation to the next generation to ensure significant progress was made.
Nigel Brady of WREAN (Northern Ireland’s Western Regional Energy Agency) gave a brief presentation on some renewable energy case studies in Enniskillen and Fermanagh. The level of grant support available in Northern Ireland is significantly greater than currently available in the Republic. Mainstream government support amounting to almost (£20m stg) €30m equivalent is available under the current programme.
No such scheme is in place as of yet in Southern Ireland. The issue of net-metering and grid connection was discussed at length, and as this facility is still not available in the south, it was agreed that this issue was the single greatest impediment to the sustainable development of small scale facilities generating electricity.
The LEADER funded proposal was outlined in detail and consists of the formulating of a plan for the development of small/medium scale renewable energy projects in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. Secondly in the first half of 2004 it is planned to hold a number of short ‘Introduction to Renewable Energy Courses’ in the region. In tandem with this course, capital grant support of up to 50% will be provided on a pilot basis to a small number of small scale renewable energy projects.
Potential recipients of funding will be prioritized and it is envisaged that priority will be given to community based projects, tourism providers (eco-tourism) and small businesses. For further information of the Renewable Energy Initiative please contact Allen McAdam at the LEADER office.
