Renewable Energy – Into the Future
With Ireland relying on imported fuels for 90% of its energy needs, the constraints involved in compliance with the Kyoto agreement on Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and of course the ever increasing price of oil, government and private individuals alike are looking to renewable sources of energy.
That Ireland is an island makes us even more vulnerable to problems with oil and other fossil fuel supplies, problems understood for decades by those living on the offshore islands. Indeed, as far back as 1947, members of the Dáil were discussing the shortage of turf on the Aran islands and the need to ship in extra supplies. Just last autumn residents of Inis Mór who owned cars run on petrol were left stranded as the only petrol station on the island closed because it was no longer viable for the owner to continue to trade.
Pioneers in Cape Clear
It was the series of oil crises in the 1970s and the early 1980s which prompted the people of Cape Clear in Cork to investigate the possibility of generating their own energy, using a resource which was available in abundance – wind. In what was to become the first integrated system of its kind in Europe, in 1986 the community began to use windmills to generate energy, batteries to store it and diesel generators for backup. For ten years the system provided up to seventy per cent of the island’s electricity needs. It had been hoped that the ESB would eventually take over the running of the system but as Mícheál John Ó Céadagáin recalls, they were not interested as it was too small to be commercially viable. Despite the fact that the people of Cape had shown that it was viable, in terms of meeting much of their own energy needs, ‘the door was closed as regards wind power – we were left totally alone.’
What were then rather unsophisticated turbines wore out after a decade and with the connection of the island to the national electricity grid in 1997, the sense of urgency around alternative, locally generated power faded somewhat. While the windmills may have gone out of commission, the islanders continued however to explore alternative means of generating energy and in partnership with Cork County Council have installed solar panels in the local school. Public lighting on the slipway is also powered by solar panels. What Mícheál John is interested in now is in exploring the possibility of the island becoming self-sufficient by integrating wind, solar and wave power.
Wind and Water in Inis Meáin
It was the shortage of fresh water during one summer in the later 1990s, when there was water for two hours on Tuesday and two hours on Thursday only, that drove the people of Inis Meáin to look for alternative methods of generating energy. Consisting of karst limestone rock under a thin layer of soil and sand, Inis Meáin has little fresh water and when the population doubles or more during the summer, getting fresh water for drinking and washing was a real problem.
Pol Ó Foighil, then manager of the local coop, decided that being surrounded by water the islanders should find a way to take the salt from the sea and use the desalinated water for domestic purposes. The difficulty was however that the process, involving the heating of sea water to 70 degrees centigrade, was very expensive in terms of energy. Hence the decision to introduce wind power to the island which would not only power the desalination plant but would also generate extra energy which could be sold via the national grid, thus generating income to repay the capital costs of the system and to cover its maintenance.
While there were those who objected to the installation of the windmills, on the grounds that they would destroy the natural beauty of the island, others, including local poet Dara Beag ó Flatharta, see it differently. Dara likens the three turbines, standing on the southern side of the island, to ‘feathers in the hats of ladies at the Galway races.’
Seáinín Ó Fatharta, who supervises the operation and maintenance of the windmills and the desalination system, recalls the noise of the electricity generators of the past and the dirty smoke they emitted and finds the turbines to be quiet and clean by comparison.
Elephant Grass on Bere Island
Jack O’Sullivan and his colleagues at the abalone farm on Bere island are currently investigating the possibility of growing, harvesting and burning a type of elephant grass known as micantus to reduce their heating bills. Abalone feeds on seaweed, collected at spring tides once every two weeks. There is concern however of the danger in trying to harvest seaweed in bad weather conditions. The solution- to dry it when it is available in abundance and to store it for feed. The high cost of drying the seaweed could be covered by generating heat and hot water through the burning of the grass.
This hybrid grass grows, without fertiliser, for twenty three years without needing to be reseeded. Growing to a height of between ten and twelve feet, it is harvested once a year in the Spring and yields up to eight tons per acre. Farmers would be paid €300 per acre and would also qualify for organic REPS payments. The grass lives on CO2 and is therefore neutral in terms of GHG. The energy generated by the burning of the grass would yield sufficient hot water to heat homes nearby and the electricity generated could be fed back into the national grid at a guaranteed price of 7.2c per KWh. Electricity could then be bought back at about 6 cent per KWh, under a scheme aimed at encouraging the generation of green energy.
Not only would the system save money for the fish farmers and residents alike, it would also provide income for farmers in the production of a sustainable crop and would contribute to the production of GHG neutral energy. The grass, which is native to Asia, needs rain to thrive, a resource which is in plentiful supply on Bere Island!
Solar Panels in Inis Óirr
For the domestic user looking to cut their fuel bills, Eugene Houlihan and his colleagues in Comhar Chaomhán in Inis Óirr suggest that a combination of solar panels and wood pellet burners are possibly the best option. Following a seminar on alternative energy organised by the European Small Islands Network (ESIN)’s Interreg project on the Scottish island of Gigha last year, Eugene returned to Inis Óirr determined to pilot alternative energy projects for the ordinary householder.
Following months of research, he and his colleagues approached Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs with a proposal to install solar panels and wood burners in existing houses on the island. It was finally agreed that the Department would part fund a feasibility study whereby solar panels would be installed in one home and a wood pellet burner in another, in order that their respective performances could be monitored and assessed. It is hope that if this pilot project is successful, the Department may be persuaded to encourage all island homes to pursue alternative sources of energy by providing support to cover part of the cost of installation. The Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen also announced recently that about €30m will be allocated for grants of 35% towards the cost of domestic heat pumps, solar panels, biomass stoves and boilers.
Piloting Projets on the Islands
It was at the same seminar that Aodhán Mac Cormaic of the Islands Division of the Department was inspired to explore ways in which the Irish state could encourage the generation of renewable sources of energy on the islands. Following a seminar organised by him and his colleagues at which Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), amongst others, made presentations, the Department has undertaken to work with SEI and island cooperatives and development companies to pilot renewable energy projects. As Mícheál Ó Céadagáin observes, ‘The islands are particularly well suited to piloting theses type of projects as they are easily isolated from the national grid. Power generation and usage is easily monitored.’
Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann is currently planning a transnational training project for islanders interested in both energy conservation and renewable energy. Representatives of the four regions will attend training seminars in Denmark, Scotland and Wexford in the early Summer and training sessions for islanders will be organised regionally in the Autumn for those interested in investigating the use of alternative energy in their own community or indeed their own home. If you would like further information about this project, please contact Mairéad O’Reilly at 099 75096 mairead@oileain.ie or Séamus Ó Cnaimhsí at 07495 21593 seamus@oileain.ie.
Thanks to Mícheál Ó Céadagáin, Jack O’ Sullivan, Eugene Houlihan, Seáinín Ó Fatharta, Brídín Ní Choncheannain and Aodhán Mac Cormaic