Kilkenny and Carlow have surpassed their energy reduction targets.
The two local authorities, with Wexford’s, had set a goal of 33% cuts in tandem with the 3 Counties Energy Agency (3CEA).
All exceeded that target.
Carlow County Council alone has increased its efficiency by 40% and this is being put down to the delivery of 17 energy-saving projects. Including in public lighting with long-lasting LED bulbs and photocell controls saving €29,000 per annum, zero energy housing and a revamp of the Carlow Fire Station heating system and the addition of solar panels.
The county is now 39.9% more energy-efficient, beating the 33.3% target.
Carlow’s Climate Change Officer Jannette O’Brien on KCLR’s The Way It Is says a lot of her work is trying to make the climate crisis real for people, noting “People would say to me climate change is not real, the weather has been changing for generations and generations, sure look, didn’t we have the Ice Age and all of those things are true, I suppose what I’m trying to do is put it back in terms that I myself can understand, it’s not that the weather is changing it’s changing too fast for Mother Earth to cope with”.
Hear her conversation with our Brian Redmond in full here:
Kilkenny County Council’s saving delivery was even higher at 41.6%, with public Lighting the single biggest user of energy for the Council and multiple upgrades, including in the Kilkenny Machinery Yard have been carried out. Heating reduction such as in Castlecomer Library contributed to the overall energy reduction.
Sean McKeown, Director of Services, Kilkenny County Council says “Energy management is an all-encompassing process and includes every aspect of the organisation from finance, human resources and buildings to maintenance, purchasing and planning. Our commitment to improving energy performance is reflected in our Energy Policy and in our Climate Action Charter. We have also secured the ISO 50001 leading international energy management which will help us deliver the statutory target of 50% improvement in energy efficiency over the next 10 years, as set in the National Climate Action Plan. 3CEA are a tremendous and invaluable asset available to the local authority and that proactively work with us to help ensure we deliver on these ambitious targets.”
While CEO of 3CEA, Paddy Phelan, says “It is really making a difference. 3CEA technical support ensures that project opportunities are identified and acted upon promptly where practical. The 3 Counties Energy Agency worked with the Councils’ Energy Teams to deliver projects that will deliver ongoing long term sustained energy reduction in each case resulting in a cumulative saving of €19.97M. All three Local Authorities are participating in several EU energy-saving projects with the assistance of 3CEA.”
