Dublin Sustainable Energy Community
Dublin based Energy Agency Codema are working with Dublin City Council, the private sector and Dublin’s major third level institutions to help Dublin City establish itself as a leading Sustainable City. It is estimated that €397,000 will be saved in energy costs every year while also improving quality of life for Dublin city inhabitants.
The Dublin Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) programme encompasses a whole range of projects-from reducing the energy demands of commercial buildings so that businesses in Dublin survive rising energy costs, to improving energy efficiencies of social housing at Dominick Street and Ballymun to cut energy costs and increase comfort for inhabitants, all the while reducing Dublin’s overall carbon emissions.
Gerry Wardell Director of Sustainable Energy Agency Codema explains: “There are lots of individual sustainable energy projects being carried out in Dublin which focus on reducing carbon emissions, switching to renewable sources of energy and reducing overall costs associated with energy use. The Sustainable Energy Community brings companies and organisations associated with these projects together so that ideas and expertise can be shared. The overall result is that the benefits to Dublin as a city are maximised.”
One such project within the Sustainable Energy Community is the energy efficiency improvements at the Mansion House. These works were designed to have minimal impact on the historic nature of the existing protected building; this was achieved by installing energy efficient LED lights, solar panels on the roof for hot water and a high efficiency gas boiler for heating. Similarly, recently improved social housing in Ballymun is saving over €230, 000 per year through the installation of energy efficient measures such as solar panels, high efficiency insulation and home heating systems. These measures cost €550,000 to install but will have paid for themselves in terms of energy saved in just over two years, highlighting the importance of making investments in energy efficiency as a means of actually saving the city money.
Codema are co-ordinating the Sustainable Energy Community on behalf of Dublin City Council, other organisations involved include Siemens, Google, Trinity College, DIT and Ballymun Regeneration. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)strongly support the programme, and have encouraged Local Authorities across Ireland to get involved in forming communities similar to what is being done on a bigger scale in Dublin.
The Dublin Sustainable Energy Community is defined as a 4km2 area within the city centre. This zone extends E-W from the national Convention Centre to the Civic Offices on Wood Quay and N-S from Mountyjoy Square to St. Stephen’s Green. The Dublin Sustainable Energy Community positions itself within the largest Local Authority in Ireland, in the centre of our capital city and at the heart of the nation’s government and business centre.
The energy use of the buildings in the zone is very mixed which is typical of any vibrant city centre, including public buildings, residential, retail, business & financial services, third level research, education and media. Mr. Wardell of Codema added that it is a great opportunity for the sustainable energy stakeholders in the city to collaborate in developing an effective sustainable energy zone that will reach out into other communities, the Dublin region and even beyond.
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