Eco Evolution Blog

Over the past few months the children of Scoil Naomh Maodhóg in Ferns, Co. Wexford have been busy collecting two litre plastic bottles to construct their latest eco-friendly project. The bottles have now found a new lease of  life as the school’s eco-friendly greenhouse.

Plastic bottle greenhouse

The lids and labels were removed and the bottoms were trimmed to allow them to slot into each other to create a long tube. The tubes were then stacked side by side and secured into the timber  frame with wires spaced at intervals up the frame and roof.  The wires hold the bottle in place and it is the cross tie wire that binds it into a solid wall, closing most of the gaps.

This is the perfect project for schools as it is a great re-use educational structure that really works.

The school has a ‘green’ ethos that is to be admired and is working towards becoming a more environmentally friendly and sustainable school.  School projects to date include the creating of  raised flower and vegetable beds, wildlife garden and pond, a  newly planted woodland area, the erection of bird boxes, butterfly boxes and an insect hotel that are all tended by the children. They make their own compost and water the plants with the rainwater they collect.

Cold frame protecting the young plant

The children are introduced to growing their own vegetables. They plant the seeds and wait patiently for them to germinate.  They are then planted out when weather permits and  each class take turns to water and keep them weed free. There is great excitement when its time to harvest the produce as they get to divide it and bring it home.

Last year the potatoes were harvested and the children cut them into chips. They were then brought to the local diner to be cooked. A very tasty meal was had by all!

Planting the seeds in one of the many raised vegetable beds

Pond and wild flower garden

Along side the pond the children have planted a variety of nectar producing plants and shrubs to encourage butterflies and other nectar loving insects into the garden. Rough grass margins have also been successfully established and this provides an excellent habitat for many insects and is ideal for the newly-emerged frogs that are a great attraction for the children every year.

Students watering the native tree sapplings

Last year the school  began the task of extending the existing Woodland area. It was decided to plant only native species to the area  so the children brought in tree sapplings from their own gardens and created a nursery. When they were strong  enough they were planted out in the well prepared area. Their aim is to create natural habitats so as to introduce various insects, butterflies and birds into the school grounds. The children have great fun walking through the Woodland, turning up stones and wood to see what insects are lurking beneath.

Newly planted woodland area

Last year a Tidy Towns Junior Committee was formed. They are a great asset to the community as they are involved in keeping the school litter free, promote energy efficiency and recycling and reusing in the school. They were also involved with the development of the Community Park.  They were presented with an Endeavour Award  in recognition of their great work and achievements. They are busy planning some very exciting projects at the moment which are so top secret thet they won’t even divulge the details to the Ferns Tidy Towns Committee. May just watch this space!

Members of Junior Tidy Towns enjoying the end of year party organised by Ferns Tidy Towns Committee.

It is one of the most energy efficient schools in the area. Over the years the school has taken on projects such as upgrading their insulation, installing new windows and replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs. The children have a great awareness of energy saving. Simple measures like turning off lights and closing doors when leaving a room help to conserve energy.

The farm of Focus Farmer Eoin McCambridge recently played host to a large group of farmers for a workshop on micro-hydropower.

Nigel Moore, CAFRE, and Eoin McCambridge, Focus Farmer (centre) with John Henderson, Ballykelly and Liam Corry, Castlederg, who attended a CAFRE workshop on Energy from Micro-hydro on Eoin’s farm near Ballycastle recently.

In a suitable location small-scale hydropower is one of the most cost-effective and reliable of the renewable energy technologies.   It has several advantages over wind and solar power, with a high level of predictability, varying with annual rainfall patterns. It is a long-lasting and robust technology and systems can readily be engineered to last for 50 years or more.

Those attending were given an understanding of the principles of micro-hydro, connecting to the Grid and the economics of potential systems. Eoin was then able to demonstrate the plant on Ballynalough Farm.

Renewable Energy Event at CAFRE’s Enniskillen Campus on 22 February 2012:

Organising committee. From left: Gareth Gormley, DARD, Connor Maguire, CAFRE, Lindsay Easson, AFBI, Kieran Coulter, DARD, Eric Long and David Trimble, CAFRE.

For those  interested in energy from micro-hydro and other renewable technologies, DARD, in conjunction with the Ulster Farmers’ Union  and Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute are running another Practical On-farm Renewable Energy Event, this time at CAFRE’s Enniskillen Campus on Wednesday 22 February from 1.30pm through to 10.00pm.

The Fair is open FREE of charge to anyone in the farming and rural sector who are interested in reducing their costs through adopting more energy efficient practices and will provide a platform to network, source, meet suppliers and keep up-to-date on energy-saving systems and renewable technologies.

There will again be a series of seminars throughout the day on each of the main renewable energy technologies; wind power, biomass production and utilisation, anaerobic digestion, solar hot water, micro-hydro, and heat pumps.

A second series of seminars will deal with many of the issues facing those considering a green energy source. Topics covered will include the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), grid connection, planning, NI Renewable Obligation Certificates (NIROC’s), business planning, taxation, as well as finance and funding options.

In addition there will be a Trade Exhibition and the opportunity to see the biomass boiler installation at Enniskillen campus. For further details contact Connor Maguire at 028 6634 4853 or connor.maguire@dardni.gov.uk

Hydro projects in Northern Ireland: 

The first ever Archimedean Screw generator in Northern Ireland was only recently installed at Shane’s Castle in Antrim. Rated at 214 kilowatts this is the largest single Archimedean Screw generator ever manufactured. It is now fully commissioned  fully operational.

The predicted annual output is a massive 1,125,000 kilowatt-hours. To put this in perspective, an average household uses less than 5,000 kilowatt-hours per year, so this hydro scheme has the potential to power more than 225 houses. This scheme will also save an impressive 484 tonnes or more of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by generating clean, green electricity.

Shane's Castle Hydro Project, Antrim

Omagh District Council  are  utilising the weir on the Camowen River, adjacent to Omagh Leisure Complex, to generate electricity through an Archimedean Screw hydro turbine. This hydro project is the second of only two Archimedean Screw hydro projects to date in Northern Ireland. The development of the hydro scheme on the Camowen River will generate sufficient power to meet the needs of Omagh Leisure Complex with excess electricity sold back to the national grid. Rated at 121 kilowatts the hydro turbine is predicted to save in excess of 133 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) annually. It is expected that this project will be fully commissioned and operational in the coming weeks.

Omagh Hydro Project, Tyrone

We look forward to meeting you at the show.

We offer a friendly one-stop shop for hydro development, from feasibility studies to licensing, to installation and commissioning and everything in between.

Last week’s violent Atlantic storm brought extremely high winds to the West and North of Scotland, with the Met Office recording maximum wind gusts of 165mph on Cairngorm Summit and 145mph at Aonach Mor.* The Met Office issued its strongest warning – a red alert – for winds in Scotland, and people were warned to stay indoors, schools were forced to close and flights were cancelled.

For owners of Evance R9000 small wind turbines, however, Scotland’s extreme wind speeds didn’t present any challenges. The Evance R9000 turbine is designed to keep running in the highest winds, and features an innovative Reactive Pitch™ mechanism that automatically pitches the turbine’s blades so it can regulate energy capture and blade speed.

Evance has over 50 of its R9000 turbines installed in the Orkney Islands. All continued to perform well during the storm, confirming the applicability of small wind turbines even in these most extreme conditions.

Evance R900 5kW Wind Turbine

One Evance turbine owner, Adam Cockram, lives on Eday – one of Orkney’s Northern Isles – where peak gusts of over 130mph (58 metres per second) were recorded. According to Adam: “on Thursday night and Friday morning last week the wind gusted at up to 138mph. I did wonder whether our Evance turbine would keep going, and I’m glad to say that there were no problems at all!”

“Like many in Orkney we experienced several mains power failures. Each time the turbine started back up with no problems at all,” continued Adam. “I’m certainly impressed by the quality of both the Evance turbine and the installation carried out by Orkney Micro Renewables. It’s certainly been tested here on Eday!”

Adam Cockram’s Evance R9000 turbine was commissioned in August 2011, and in five months has already produced 7,343kWh of electricity.

The Evance R9000 installed on a farm near Ferns, Co. Wexford.

Note

*http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2011/research-flight

BirdLife Europe is calling for “ambitious” and “binding” EU renewable energy targets for 2030. In its new report, ‘Meeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature’, the conservation body says that renewable energy targets can be met without harming nature.

Renewable energy technologies do not harm bird populations, provided the most sensitive locations are avoided and established best practices in design and operation are maintained.

Meeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature

Ariel Brunner, Head of EU Policy in BirdLife Europe says: “Climate change is a grave threat to both wildlife and people…….wind, wave and ocean power are essential and effective ways to cut carbon emissions, and do not need to put birds, bats or other wildlife in danger. Our report is essential reading for policy-makers across Europe as renewable energy moves to centre stage in the fight against dangerous climate change.”

Climate change poses an enormous threat to biodiversity all over the world and we need to develop renewable energy solutions quickly in order to cut carbon emissions and keep warming within safe limits. The report notes that “renewable energy must become the backbone of Europe’s energy supply”, but it also says that it must be developed sensitively. “The challenge we face is to protect nature whilst deploying renewables at the scale and pace required.” However, we need to develop the right solutions in the right locations to avoid negatively impacting on biodiversity.

With the effects of climate change already being felt and carbon emissions actually increasing last year, the need for new sustainable energy has never been greater. But we need to be careful that this renewables revolution doesn’t damage the very ecosystems it seeks to protect. With the launch of its new report, ‘Meeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature’, in Brussels on 22 November, BirdLife Europe shows how we can meet our 2020 renewable energy targets without impacting on wildlife.

Meeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature

BirdLife Europe supports achieving and going beyond Europe’s 2020 renewables target, in line with four key principles.

• Renewable energy supply must make a significant difference in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Positive planning frameworks are needed so that the most appropriate energy sources are exploited in the most appropriate places.
• Harm to birds and biodiversity must be avoided when locating and designing renewable energy facilities. Established survey, design and operation practices reduce or eliminate such risks.
• Europe’s most important sites for wildlife must be protected. Where significant impacts on a Natura 2000 site (those protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives) are likely, development may only proceed under strict conditions, which must be robustly applied.

Harnessing the clean, renewable energy provided by the sun, wind, waves and tides is the only sustainable energy future for Europe. The renewables revolution can and must work in harmony with, and not against, nature.

BirdLife Europe/International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. Seventeen organisations participated in the making of the report, including BirdWatch Ireland and the UK’s RSPB.

Read the full report here: Meeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature

Read summary report here: Meeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Targets in Harmony with Nature

The Better Energy Homes scheme temporarily closed for new applications following Budget 2012 and a subsequent announcement by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources reopened for new homeowner applications on December 8th 2011.

A number of scheme revisions have been agreed and the two key changes to the scheme are:

• Revised grant amounts for all wall insulation types and Building Energy Rating (BER)
• Internal and external wall insulation grants will no longer be one single amount, but rather be based upon the house type.

Grants for attic insulation and all heating system upgrades including solar remain unchanged.

A summary of the new grant levels, and how they relate to house type, is shown below:

A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an integral part of all grant applications under the Better Energy Homes scheme, whereby homeowners must undertake a BER on their home after grant aided works have been completed. A homeowner is entitled to BER funding of €50 once per home. This funding will be applied to your grant application automatically provided you have never applied previously for BER funding. You will be informed during the online grant application process if BER funding is available for your home or as part of your Letter of Grant Offer if you have applied through the post. It is advisable that you apply for and undertake all planned grant aided works at the same time to minimise the costs of multiple BER assessments.

Please note the minimum grant amount for the first application must be €400. A BER grant, where applicable, does not count towards the €400 minimum.

Further information on the Better Energy Home Scheme Grants can be found at www.seai.ie