Stakeholders from bioenergy and renewables sector gathered in Croke Park for major bioenergy conference

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The IrBEA (Irish Bioenergy Association) National Bioenergy Conference looked at several opportunities to expand Ireland’s bioenergy sector – including opportunities for agriculture in terms of on-farm bioenergy. 

 

The purpose of the conference, and of IrBEA itself, is to serve the renewable heat agenda by improving access to Irish biomass supplies, enabled by improvements to the biomass supply chain infrastructure from mobilisation of the private forestry supply, and also the promotion of energy crops.

 

Our CEO Paddy Phelan & the Vice President of  IrBEA, opened the event on the 26th of February in Croke Park, Dublin.
bioenergy, renewable heat
The IrBEA conference titled “Bioenergy – Inspiring the Industry with Opportunity and Vision” brought together professionals, industry representatives, researchers, farmers, foresters, technology providers and many important stakeholders across the bioenergy sectors of biomass, biogas, biofuels, energy crops and wood fuels.

 

The conference provided a platform to discuss all aspects of the bioenergy industry, its role in the transition to a low carbon economy and the opportunity and role bioenergy has in addressing climate change.

 

3 Counties Energy Agency team members Shane and Patrick were in attendance with a stand on REGENERGY.  Read more about the RegEnergy Project here.

Take the Housing (H4.0E) User Needs Survey to be in with a chance of winning a One4all Voucher

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Housing 4.0 Energy: Affordable and Sustainable Housing through Digitization – User Needs Analysis Survey

Take the Survey Here

The 3 Counties Energy Agency (3CEA) together with the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), we are working on providing affordable housing as part of a project called Housing 4.0 Energy: Affordable and Sustainable Housing through Digitization. The goal is to find new, affordable, and zero-energy housing solutions for the Irish market for this reason we are interested in knowing more about your housing preferences and current housing situation.

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The launch of 3 Counties Energy Agency Energy Transition Strategy 2020-2030

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Click here to see photos from the event.

Regional Partnership to Locally Deliver at Scale to Meet 2030 Climate Action Targets

The 3 Counties Energy Agency (3cea) works locally and regionally, across Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford, as a trusted intermediary, to support and co-ordinate actions on the ground that contribute to the larger goals of the Climate Action Plan.

We are delighted to be launching our Regional Strategy to 2030 – a strategy that helps map the path we are going to have to follow together. The partnership underpins the capacity to deliver the Climate Action Plan at the regional level through public and private actors supported by the 3cea as the Trusted Intermediary.

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Breakfast Briefing Events to guide your business to a Low Carbon Economy

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Free Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Office initiative to increase awareness around sustainability and the low carbon economy

MANUFACTURING businesses across the south east employing less than 10 people are being offered a unique opportunity to cut harmful emissions and make significant energy, waste, water and other savings through the landmark Green for Micro programme.

Local Enterprise Offices in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and Tipperary are pooling their resources, talents and skills for ‘Green for Micro’. The ground-breaking Enterprise Ireland-funded initiative will assist businesses in transitioning to a low-carbon economy and could be rolled out nationally, those behind the initiative say.

Hands-on tips, expertise, mentoring, audits and more will be provided by project collaborators, the 3 Counties Energy Agency (3cea). The independent, not-for-profit team of energy engineers at 3cea will help participating enterprises examine their energy, waste, water, procurement and transport needs and make more informed, environmentally-friendly choices.

The first in a series of free breakfast briefings explaining Green for Micro to industry and to increase awareness around sustainability and the low carbon economy begins on Tuesday, January 28 at Wexford’s Ferrycarrig Hotel, starting at 8.00am.

Sessions follow in Waterford’s Tower Hotel on Tuesday, February 11; Kilkenny’s Newpark Hotel on Thursday, February 13; Horse & Jockey in Tipperary on Tuesday, February 18 with the final, free breakfast briefing takes place in Carlow’s Woodford Dolmen Hotel on Thursday, February 20. Each breakfast briefing runs from 8.30am to 9.30am sharp.

Phase two of the project will then involve energy audits carried out on ten micro, manufacturing businesses – two in each of the five participating counties. The results of their findings will be showcased at a conference as part of phase three of the initiative. The final phase of the Enterprise Ireland-funded programme will see monitoring equipment installed at various enterprises.

Enterprise Ireland Regional Executive, Brian Fives said: “Micro enterprises across the South East are eager to play their part in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Green for Micro shows them the way. Auditing their energy consumption, mapping the results and monitoring their transition will provide an invaluable insight into how every enterprise can play its part in Ireland meeting its 2030 climate targets. We are proud to be leading the way here in the South East.”

Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny’s Aileen McGrath : “We urge qualifying micro enterprises to attend the no obligation breakfast briefing, pick up an expression of interest form and see how even the smallest of changes in their manufacturing processes and general business decisions can make a big difference. While our primary target is manufacturing, micro enterprises in other sectors may also qualify and we encourage them to attend,” she said.

3cea Energy Engineer, Shane Faulkner, said: “We will provide each participating enterprise with up to nine days of expert help which will include audits, reports and mentoring. The level of buy-in from manufacturers in the region is extremely encouraging and are really looking forward to playing our part. The fact we’re working at a regional level rather than with individual manufacturing enterprises and in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices across the region makes Green for Micro a massive game changer for the entire South East, beyond even,” he said.

Green for Micro is one of three projects grant-aided to the tune of €345,000 by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys TD and lead by Kilkenny and Carlow Local Enterprise Offices in collaboration with the Local Enterprise Offices from Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

The other projects include Initium South East and Incrementum South East.  The Initium South East project is an innovative series of start-up programmes led by the South East Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland, and the Ireland South East Office in partnership with South East BIC and IT Carlow. It aims to animate, develop and support the creation of 40 new specialised Start Up companies in the South East.

The Incrementum South East project is a targeted business development programme for the Local Enterprise Office Portfolio of clients over 10 employees which aims to increase their engagement in R&D and Export Activity.

About this event

Registration & breakfast for the event starts at 8 am, the first speaker will begin at 8:30 am.

The Breakfast Briefing events are free to attend but please register your attendance on Eventbrite or by contacting Mari or Patrick on 0567790856 or at events@3cea.ie

Wexford Event – Register Here

Waterford Event – Register Here

Kilkenny Event – Register Here

Carlow Event – Register Here

Tipperary Event – Register Here

There will be speakers representing local businesses to talk about what they have done in improving the environmental and cost competitiveness of their business.

Real life stories and case studies 

At the first Breakfast Briefing event in Wexford, Killowen Farm and Kehoe’s Potatoes will give an overview of the projects they have undertaking including measuring and monitoring, reducing waste, installing LED lights, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity and putting a plan in place to to tackle their rising costs.

3cea will give a presentation on supports available to SMEs and how to access theses supports and grants.

Wishing you a Happy New Year! *Office Opening Hours*

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The 3cea team will be taking a short break to enjoy the festivities. Our office will reopen in the new year,  Monday 6th January 2020.

Stay tuned for more interesting projects and events – including our Regional Strategy to 2030 which we are delighted, now, to be launching – a strategy that helps map the path we are going to have to follow together.

Many thanks to all our partners for your support over the past year. We wish you all a Happy New Year!

Two years in the life of the 3cea electric car

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In December 2017, 3cea purchased a Volkswagen E-Golf, the car was a demo model used by VW to promote their own electric vehicles, we decided to purchase the car with the aim of firstly reducing carbon emissions, promoting the use of electric vehicles and in turn this would also have the advantage of reducing staff travel costs.

 

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Irish Wind Farmers Association Annual Conference 2019

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Description

Main Sponsor: ENERCON

IWFA Annual Conference Thursday 28th November 8:30am

Networking Evening Wednesday 27th November at 8pm
Venue: Lyrath Estate Hotel, Paulstown Road, Kilkenny, R95 F685

 

Lunch Sponsor: EnergyPro  |   Breakfast Sponsor: Temporis

Networking Evening
Wednesday 27th November 8pm

Our networking evening will take place on Wednesday, 27th November at 8pm at Lyrath’s Wine Cellar

  • Finger food menus will be available and orders will be taken from the bar.
  • Please Note: This networking event is available for the delegates, members, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers of the Annual Conference.

Accommodation: Our delegates attending the conference can avail of a rate of €115 single or €125 double one night stay including breakfast at the Lyrath Estate Hotel. To book, please contact the hotel directly at https://www.lyrath.com/

IWFA Annual Conference Agenda
Thursday 28th November, Registration open 8:30-9:30am

Registration Desk Open at 8:30-9:30am
Tea / Coffee and Biscuits will be served in The Exhibiting area between 8:30 to 9:30am

  • 9:30am Welcome Address Chair Grattan Healy
  • 9:40am Keynote Address Minister John Paul Phelan T.D Minister for Local Government and Electoral Reform “Wind Energy Policy and Planning”
  • 10:00am First Session | Commercial Rates / CAP / NECP / RESS / CEP | Chair Grattan Healy
  • 10:05am Brian Carroll, Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, “Climate Action Plan, NECP, RESS”
  • 10:25am Marianne Clayton, Clayton & Segura Lawyers “Update on Commercial rates for windfarms as state aid”
  • 10:45am Andrew Ebrill, CRU, “Key Aspects of the Clean Energy Package”
  • 11:05am JP Wallace, ENERCON “Wind turbine technology – Evolution and Opportunities”
  • 11:25am Q&A
  • 11:40am Exhibiting Viewing & Tea/Coffee Break

 

  • 12:25am Second Session | Operational Issues Chair Tom Ryan
  • 12:30pm Rory Mullan, MullanGrid Consulting “Curtailment Challenges for 2030”
  • 12:50pm Ronan O’Meara, ENERGYPRO “O&M, Cables, Safety”
  • 13:10am Q&A
  • 13:25pm Lunch

 

  • 14:25pm Third Session | Planning Chair Thomas Cooke
  • 14:30pm Brian Keville, MKO “Planning challenges for consenting Irish wind projects in 2020 and beyond””
  • 14:50pm John Kenny BL “Developments on Planning & EU”
  • 15:10pm Q&A
  • 15:30pm Conference Close

 

Exhibitors & Sponsors

For further queries do not hesitate to contact us:

IWFA | +353 5677 90856 | events@mnag.ie

Kilkenny StreetLight LED Retrofit Pilot Project by Kilkenny County Council in partnership with 3cea and Hayes Higgins Partnership shortlisted for the Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award

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The Excellence Awards Spotlight series showcases and celebrates each engineering project, organisation, third-level institute and engineering leader shortlisted for the 10th annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, held in association with ESB. Today, the Excellence Awards spotlight series focuses on the Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award. 

Sponsored by Colas Bitumen Emulsions, the Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award is open to all local authorities to enter an engineering-led initiative which benefits the community in which it has been introduced.

The five initiatives shortlisted for the 2019 Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award are:  Read more