Pressbriefing18thFebruary2020

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TheLoopHeadEnergyActionPartnership(LEAP):FindingsonlocalrenewableenergyopportunitiestobepresentedinKilkeeonthe29thofFebruary.AseminarpresentingthefindingsoftheresearchandplanningthestepsgoingforwardwillbeheldintheKilkeeBayHotelfrom9:30to14:30onSaturdaythe29thFebruary.Everyonewelcome.Speakerswill includethe leaders fromtheresearch team, Brian McNally from the Western Development Commission(WDC),JohnAstonfromAstonecoManagement,Representative(s)fromNUIG,andothersstilltobeconfirmed.Thiscommunity-ledprojectworkswithitsparticipantstounderstandthecomponentsoftheenergyrevolutionenoughtomasteritspotentialastheyfaceuptothemanyeconomic,socialandenvironmentalchallengesinruralIreland.TheprojectisdevelopedinpartnershipwiththeUniversityofFlensburg,Germany,fromwhom15to17researchershavebeenbasedinCarrigaholtsincethe27thofJanuary.Theremaining15stayuntilthe1stofMarch.

Progressmadesofarwithintheresearchteam,asreportedbyProfBerndMoeller,theleaderoftheFlensburgUniversityteam,includes:

• Thefirstweekswentquicklywiththepreparationofworkshopswithcommunitymembersandanumberoffieldinterviewswithlocalresidents,farmers,andbusinesses.Studentshaveacquiredageneraloverviewoflocalenergydemandsandtheirdistribution.Theyhaveidentifiedanumberofhomes,farmsandbusinessesascasestudiesforpre-feasibilitystudiesofenergyefficiencyandrenewableenergyinvestments.Here,individualinterventionsliketheinsulationofbuildings,the

Pressbriefing18thFebruary2020

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installationofroof-topsolar,orthereplacementofinefficientheatingsystemshavebeenstudiedindetail.

• Theinternationalgroupofengineeringstudentsarecurrentlydevelopinganenergymodel,whichmayserveasadashboardforallaspectsoftheLoopHeadenergysystem.Theenergymodelprovidesaninformationbasisonthecurrentdistributionsofenergydemands,andtheassociatedenvironmentalimpactandthecosts.Whencomplete,themodelwillbethebasisfortheformulationofanenergyvisionforthepeninsula.Withthetoolathand,thecommunitycanverifytheimpactandthebenefitsoflocalprojectsinhomesandbusinesses.Aparticularemphasisisoncommunity-ledprojectsaroundthethemesbuildingretrofit,biogas,solarPV,andwindenergy.

• Todatetheprojectincludedcommunitymeetings,interviews,presentationsfromtheAranIslandEnergyCoopandtheleaderofSEAI’ssustainableenergycommunityprogram.Allthematerialgeneratedtodateandthepresentationsmadeareavailableon:https://www.astoneco.com/en/file-sharing-for-LEAP

“ThestudentsarenowworkinghardtomeettheirdeadlineonSaturdaythe29th,wheretheresultsoftheirprojectwillbepresentedtothecommunity,”saidProfBerndMoeller.Headded“TheyfeelhighlymotivatedbytherealchallengesprovidedbytheInternationalClassproject.Thegoodcooperationwiththelocalsandtheircooperationpartnersisadriverfortheirdedication.Asapreviousstudentexpressedit:‘Itwouldn’tbewrongtosaythatinternationalclasswasoneofthebestexperiences(bothprofessionallyandsocially)Ihavehadinmylife.Thosemomentswillremainmemorable.’Thatwasin2017inScotland.2020inIrelandwillleaveanequallyimpressivemarkonthestudents,thelecturersbelieve.”

BackgroundThis project is being facilitated byAstonecoManagement in a partnershipwith FlensburgUniversity from Germany, Loop Head Tourism and the local community developmentorganisations from Carrigaholt, Kilballyowen and Kilkee together with local residents,businessowners,andindividuals.Thepartnershipwillenlargeastheprogramadvancesandasinterestisshown.

Thispartnership ispartofa larger initiative tocombatapopulationdeclineof30% in theLoopHeadarea,which includesthedevelopmentofsustainabletourismandasustainabledevelopmentstrategyunderavisionof‘aplaceyoulovetobein’.Astoneco is partly supported for this project by THE SEAI’s Research, Development andDemonstration fund to help develop responsible renewable energy projects and energyconservationinIreland.

FormoreinformationcontactJohnAstonatoffice@astoneco.comoranyoftheotherLEAPpartners.