Power to the people in energy communities, says Holly Hughes …
Ireland is a country whose dependence on fossil fuels – which we are supposed to be reducing by 4.8 per cent every year until 2025 – is actually increasing. Energy-related emissions rose by 5.4 per cent in 2021, a hike only surpassed by the rise in energy costs themselves and, consequently, the increase in people now living in energy poverty (29 per cent, the highest figure ever recorded). It’s time for a solution. The solution lies in the idea of cooperation – working together towards a common goal.
Across Ireland, there are more than 700 Sustainable Energy Communities finding community-based solutions to the global energy crisis. These cooperatives are bursting with ideas their members can use to reduce their energy usage, switch to renewable alternatives and even find an income source in local energy generation.
The Kerry Sustainable Energy Cooperative (KSEC) is one such group working to bring energy resilience and self-sufficiency to its community. Its secretary, Anne-Marie Fuller, tells me that KSEC has three primary objectives: “To substitute reliance on imported and non-renewable energy with locally sourced, locally owned sustainable energy; to educate, assist and support individuals, families, and communities in their drive to reduce energy consumption; and to provide 100 per cent renewable energy supply in Kerry by 2030.” This first objective is being achieved by retrofitting projects and a wood purchase scheme based in Tralee. Under the Better Energy Community Scheme, KSEC has retrofitted eight homes, several Kerry businesses, cultural centres and County Council offices. These retrofits, a number of which were combined with the installion of renewable energy-generation technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps, resulted in significant carbon savings.
The wood purchase scheme is also generating carbon savings as well as local income. Wood, a renewable resource whose production boosts the local economy, is infinitely preferable to imported oil or gas. Homeowners living around Tralee can have locally, sustainably produced firewood delivered to their home. To reduce carbon emissions, wood is also transported in bulk. “As far as it’s practical, we group orders by location to reduce transport emissions,” says Anne-Marie.
Of the 650 houses on the Aran Islands, 300 of them have already been retrofitted…
KSEC puts an emphasis on education for members and the wider community. It has hosted information sessions for almost 200 homeowners around the county on subjects from ways to reduce energy use in the home to information around biomass, solar and district heating. The focus of these meetings, according to Anne-Marie, is empowerment through knowledge. “We want people to be properly informed. The more information people have, the more empowered they are to make changes.”
Empowerment is the driving force behind Ireland’s energy communities. On the Aran Islands, the award-winning energy cooperative known as CFOAT (the acronym comes from its name as gaeilge) is just as focused on safeguarding the islands’ heritage and communities as it is in building a sustainable energy microgrid. “The long-term vision for CFOAT is that the three Aran Islands will become energy independent,” says co-op chairperson and co-founder, Dara Ó Maoildhia. “We want to own our own source of energy which will feed back into the community as a form of wealth and will allow us to sustain the communities on the islands in all sorts of ways.”
CFOAT is currently working towards developing a 100 per cent community-owned wind turbine on Inis Meáin and has received a grid connection offer for 650kW. But the most tangible example of CFOAT’s success so far has been the retrofitting of islanders’ homes. Of the 650 houses on the Aran Islands, 300 have already been retrofitted, with plans for all homes to be upgraded. “Almost ten per cent of the houses on the three islands now have rooftop solar panels and most of those also have heat pumps, while a small number also have battery storage,” says Dara. “These measures have removed fossil fuel usage from all those houses. That’s a big decrease in carbon emissions.”
What’s particularly important about the retrofitting and education projects both CFOAT and KSEC are running is that they place people’s comfort at their centre. These upgrades – made possible by the extensive grants now available for energy initiatives (that you too can take advantage of) – aren’t just about reducing fossil fuel use. They are also about building community resilience in rural areas and enhancing the comfort of every cooperative member. Perhaps that’s why membership for CFOAT, KSEC and other cooperatives is growing.
“Local people are excited,” says Dara. “It’s not difficult to get islanders on board as they’re all very keen to have their houses upgraded because they know it will make them more comfortable. And that’s the bottom line for people: to have a more comfortable home.” Another motivating factor is the potential for job creation. “One of the top priorities of islanders is to see new jobs created outside of tourism and we’ve managed to do that,” says Dara. So far, the cooperative has created three new jobs, with two more in the works.
When talking to both Dara and Anne-Marie, what strikes me most is the reminder that progress is shape-shifting and ever-evolving. Because cooperatives are community-fuelled, their development reflects the heterogenous nature of human beings. And, in this fluid system of change, you are free to choose your own adventure – to do what works for you. As Dara says: “We all need to do something but you don’t necessarily need to follow us. What’s important is to do what you feel you can do.” This could mean finding your nearest Sustainable Energy Community on the SEAI website or, should one not exist, starting your own. Or maybe it’s as simple as using the materials KSEC, CFOAT, and other organisations have available to find out how to reduce and optimise your own energy usage. Whatever it is, you are empowered to find your way to cooperate in Ireland’s energy revolution. @holly_hughes_words
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