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Limerick County Hall and Library Headquarters have become
the first state-owned buildings in the country to install
photovoltaic solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint
and energy usage.
Limerick County Council estimates that the project - delivered
by leading solar electricity provider Cool Power Ltd - will
reduce the local authority's fossil energy consumption in
the buildings by 15%.
Photovoltaic (PV) technology converts sunlight into electricity.
The majority of existing solar technologies used in state-owned
premises throughout the country use sunlight to heat water
only. "When Limerick County Council embarked in the construction
of new corporate buildings, one of the key issues was sustainability"
- stated Chris Barry, Facilities Manager with Limerick County
Council.
He added - "Environmental policies are constantly changing
and, as a local authority, we need to advocate renewable technologies
and how they can be used in an appropriate way. This project
fits in with the overall energy strategy of the council and
the Government's National Climate Change Strategy 2007-12,
which aims to provide for 15% of electricity to be generated
from renewable by 2010."
Limerick County Council's new naturally-ventilated state-of-the-art
County Hall was opened in 2003 and, since then, the Council
has been looking at ways of complementing its highly efficient
design with new technologies to provide sources of renewable
energy. In 2006, the Council started looking at different
proposals to install PV arrays around the building, initially
for the new County Hall.
Mr. Barry explained that capital costs proved to be an important
issue. "Cool Power agreed to install the system and remain
the owner of the arrays, while Limerick County Council buys
the green electricity generated from the system, avoiding
the upfront cost of the installation. In the end, we decided
to install PV arrays not only in the County Hall, but also
in the new Library headquarters, Lissanalta House, which provide
up to 70% of domestic hot water need."
The Council will monitor the new system for the next year
to get accurate data on energy consumption, but it is estimated
the Council will reduce its dependence on mains electricity
by 10 to 15%, generating electricity seven days a week. "The
system will definitely have an impact reducing our carbon
footprint and for compliance purposes with future directives.
It is a significant addition to other strategies we have in
place to reduce our energy usage and we are proud to be the
first local authority taking this step. The Council also provides
staff bicycles for transport between both buildings utilising
the existing cycle path network" - Mr. Barry said.
"Our model can be followed by other organisations. One issue
worrying companies is the capital cost, so this route could
be taken as an example and it might suit other organisations.
Cool Power's method is allowing us flexibility. Depending
on new requirements and how it develops in real time, we have
the option to buy the array over the period of its life span
or keep buying the electricity produced."
Commenting on the project, Mr. Tim Cooper, Managing Director
of Cool Power, said - "This project represents the first large
solar PV system installed on state-owned buildings, the first
independently-financed large PV system and the first sale
of 100% renewable locally-generated electricity to a large
customer."
He pointed out that Cool Power was unique in that it had
a license from the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)
to trade in electricity generated from a renewable source.
For more information on Cool Power Ltd - Click
Here
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