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Energy / Renewables News
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 Energy Minister Arlene Foster has delivered a welcome speech at an Offshore Energy Supply Chain Event, organized by Invest NI and The Crown Estate. During her speech, the Minister, pictured at the event with Invest NI Chair Mark Ennis and the Crown Estate’s Head of External Relations (Policy & Planning) Dermot Grimson (right), urged businesses here to take advantage of the commercial opportunities available in the offshore renewable energy sector.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has encouraged local companies to grasp the opportunities offered by the offshore renewable energy sector. |
Energy Minister Arlene Foster has met with a number of large energy users to discuss their concerns about the cost of energy.
After the meeting Arlene Foster said: “Energy costs are one of the major issues facing businesses in the current tough economic climate.
“Continuing to develop a competitive energy market is a key aim of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Strategic Energy Framework. |
April 26, 2012 |  |
 Bready based renewable energy and efficiency firm Ecoventi, today announces £50 Million worth of inward investment in renewable energy anaerobic digestion projects, and the creation of 28 new ‘green’ jobs in the North West operations.
They announced that their local agri-business customers, located from right across the province, from Enniskillen to Belfast, are at various stages of Planning and Development of their Projects, have now attracted over £20 Million to develop Anaerobic Digestion (or AD) Energy plants. In addition to this figure, Ecoventi themselves announced plans to build a 5 Mega-Watt AD plant in the North West of the province, in the region of a £30Million investment, and another 15MW of AD plants around Northern Ireland. |
Mount Mills, the Newry-based manufacturer of cold-pressed flax oil for the equine industry, has won business from a leading racing stud in Dubai, one of the world’s major horse racing and breeding centres, in the United Arab Emirates.
The new contract from the Emirates is the most recent won by the farm-based enterprise in international markets. Mount Mills already ships flax oil to horse breeders and trainers in France, Germany, Spain and the Republic of Ireland. |
Environment Minister Alex Attwood today responded to an independent report on fracking commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is where a well is drilled hundreds of metres deep and pumped full of water, sand and chemicals to release methane gas.
Alex Attwood said: "To simply adopt an approach that if gas exists in this form underground, for example in Fermanagh, it should be extracted, is a risk. This is a narrow approach. |
Sustainable Construction Firm Green Future Introduce The First Zero Carbon Home Accredited Under The Government Low Carbon And Zero Carbon Homes Scheme 27 March 2012
Environment Minister Alex Attwood MLA and Irish Environment Minister Phil Hogan T.D officially open Northern Ireland’s first zero carbon home. The ‘Green Future House’ built byArmagh based construction firm Green Future NI Ltd is the first ever in the province to be awarded five years of free council rates under the Low Carbon and Zero Carbon Homes Scheme. |
Energy Minister Arlene Foster today announced the publication of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s vision for developing Northern Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources to 2020 and beyond.
The Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan (ORESAP) has been developed following a consultation process with key stakeholders such as other Departments, marine sectors and the wider public over the last two years.
Arlene Foster said: “The consultation process was very successful and the stakeholder engagement was extremely beneficial for all parties. |
 Hard-pressed householders will be helped to manage their home heating oil budget thanks to a new metering pilot scheme.
Developed in Northern Ireland, the pay-as-you-go meters have been installed on 20 oil tanks at homes in Dungannon, Camlough and Newcastle for three months.
Local companies Kingspan Environmental and Carillion Energy Services hope their FuelServ device will eventually help thousands of oil users to avoid the high cost of single payment tank fills. |
 Local Company Joins Forces with Global Industry Leader to Develop the Single Wind Turbine Market in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland wind energy company Simple Power announced an exclusive agreement with global manufacturer Vergnet SA to deliver the company’s wind turbines throughout the province. The distribution agreement French based Vergnet is valued at over £50million.
Founded by CEO, Marc Vergnet, a renowned international figure in the renewable energy industry, Vergnet is a leading global manufacturer of wind turbines. |
Finance Minister Sammy Wilson gives businesses parity with their UK counterparts by introducing a rates concession when they install equipment such as solar panels and wind turbines.
The Rates (Microgeneration) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 puts Northern Ireland on an equal footing to the rest of the UK, ensuring that commercial rate payers would see no increase in their rates bills as a consequence of installing microgeneration equipment, including solar panels, wind turbines and ground source heat pumps.
Sammy Wilson said: “This Order is a harmonising measure which brings practice in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK. |
 Green Future Is Proud To Introduce The First Zero Carbon Home Accredited Under The Government Low Carbon And Zero Carbon Homes Scheme
Northern Ireland’s first ever zero carbon home “Green Future house” accredited under the Government Low Carbon and Zero Carbon Homes Scheme has been unveiled today. The conventionally designed new build constructed by Green Future is the first home ever to qualify for free council rates (five years no rates) under the Low Carbon and Zero Carbon Homes Scheme.
Pioneered by Green Future, an Armagh based company established with the purpose to help with the implementation of innovative energy saving solutions in the field of construction, this ground-breaking zero carbon conventional build home, located on the outskirts of Armagh is a mile-stone in the history of eco-homes and energy efficient buildings in Northern Ireland – four years ahead of the government target, which decrees that all new homes should be zero carbon by 2016. |
 Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster today announced that McLaughlin and Harvey has continued to invest to grow its sales in the tidal energy market.
The investment in researching, developing and marketing an innovative and cost-effective system for installing tidal energy devices, was supported by Invest Northern Ireland with part funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Arlene Foster said: “Tidal energy is a niche market with tremendous growth potential and this investment will enable McLaughlin and Harvey to enhance its market position in the renewable energy sector. |
 “Eco Eye” presenter Duncan Stewart, Trinity College lecturer Constantin Gurdgiev and Irish Times Environment Editor Frank McDonald will be among the speakers at the Sligo Sustainable Futures Conference which takes place at IT Sligo on March 6th.Organised by IT Sligo lecturer, Dr Liam Leonard, the conference will focus on the role of sustainability in our society and the potential of the North West as a centre of excellence in developing sustainable industries.
Other experts who will attend the one day conference at the Institute’s Hume Hall will include Dr John Barry, Associate Director of the Institute for a Sustainable World, Dr Kieran Allen from the School of Sociology UCD, Michael McGarrigle a board member for the Council for the West and Greenbox, and Miriam Kennet , CEO of the Green Economics Institute. |
 The University of Ulster’s Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) is helping one of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing independent manufacturing companies ‘copper fasten’ its reputation as a leading supplier of hot water tanks.
Toomebridge based firm, Copper Industries (Ireland) Ltd manufactures and supplies a variety of hot water copper cylinders, calorifiers and combination units, ranging from the traditional hot water cylinders to the more innovative solar vented and unvented cylinders.
Almost a quarter of domestic energy consumption in the UK is currently attributed to domestic water heating and, with fuel costs spiralling, there is growing demand for more effective and efficient hot water storage systems. |
Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has said that renewable energy technologies offer those in the land-based rural sectors with opportunities to reduce energy costs.
The Minister was speaking after she attended the Practical On-farm Renewable Energy event at College of Food, Agriculture and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Enniskillen Campus.
The Minister said: “Renewable energy technologies provide those working in land-based rural sectors with a multitude of opportunities to increase energy self sufficiency and supplement income with energy sales. |
Environment Minister Alex Attwood said today that the challenge for NI was to be a world leader in carbon reduction.
He said that the ‘green and clean’ brand of Ireland could be grown if NI was and was seen as, a carbon leader. Leading on Climate Change is a central element in all of this. |
Environment Minister Alex Attwood today highlighted that we need to get the right balance between a potential major economic boost and possible environmental damage regarding fracking.
The Minister was responding to speculation that fracking could provide enough natural gas for Northern Ireland for the next 50 years.
Alex Attwood said: “I have made it clear and do so again now that all environmental and planning requirements will be complied with in relation to fracking. |
January 27, 2012 |  |
 Marine Current Turbines’ (MCT) SeaGen has exceeded 3GWh of electricity generation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.
MCT said SeaGen has reached a milestone that no other tidal current or wave energy system in the world has yet come close to achieving.
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 CBI NI has welcomed Electric Ireland’s launch of a new energy efficiency application called ‘Office Energy Expert’ to assist Northern Ireland businesses in maximising energy efficiency.
The Office Energy Expert is the first virtual online efficiency application to be provided by an energy supplier and adds to Electric Ireland’s range of products and services aimed at helping companies operate more efficiently, according to Business Markets Manager Susan Kinane:
“In the current economic climate companies must continue to identify ways of driving out costs in order to maintain a sustainable business. Taking control of your energy consumption can be a significant contributor in reducing a business’s cost base. |
 The University of Ulster launches groundbreaking research into improving energy efficiency in the home and reducing fuel poverty.
Two purpose built, fully functioning terraced houses have been constructed at the University’s Jordanstown campus, in order to monitor how much energy is lost in a typical home over a measured period of time.
Once this information has been gathered and assessed, researchers will then be able to explore what savings can be made by ‘retrofitting’ energy efficient technologies. |
 Career opportunities in construction and development may not sound like a good bet in these recessionary times, but in fact a growing focus on the ‘Green Economy’ means that demand from employers for workers in the sustainable building sector has sparked considerable interest in a number of courses at IT Sligo.A new BSc in Advanced Wood and Sustainable Building Technology degree course is a case in point. Launched last September, it will cater for the expanding needs of the sustainable building and retrofitting industry. |
January 20, 2012 | |
 As well as being a renewable energy success , SeaGen, the world’s first commercial tidal current energy turbine is also an environmental success. The tidal turbine, designed and deployed by Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) and located in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough has had no major impact on the Lough’s marine life. This is the main conclusion of a report prepared by the environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning, in collaboration with an independent Science Group, comprising representatives of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Queen’s University Belfast, the Sea Mammal Research Unit and others. |
 Sustainable employment for our graduates; appropriate education and training gives hope and optimism for the future.
Twenty eight students graduated from LYIT’s Wind Energy Technology programme last October. Sixteen have found gainful employment or have chosen to go onto further studies. |
 CoolSky in Newtownards has been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to develop an innovative control system for solar thermal heating which it is now marketing abroad for both commercial and residential users.
The company used an Invest NI Innovation Voucher to develop and test a new controller that is technically advanced but much easier to use than existing devices currently on the market for solar water heating systems.
CoolSky was formed in 2009 by a group of technicians, led by Kathy McVeigh, with vast experience in renewable energy, particularly solar thermal systems for heating hot water. |
The Crown Estate has today, 15 December 2011, launched offshore wind and tidal stream leasing rounds to select developers to take forward up to 800MW of projects in Northern Ireland waters, marking a major step forward in the growth of Northern Ireland's offshore renewable energy industry.This follows The Crown Estate engaging with industry earlier this year, confirming market demand in two locations for development, which is now the focus of the leasing rounds:
The Offshore Wind Area, off the south east coast of County Down, will be leased to a single development company to deliver up to 600MW of generating capacity The Rathlin Island and Torr Head Strategic Area, a single tidal stream area of up to 200MW capacity. Sites will be leased to developers for delivery of multiple projects and applications will be invited for projects of a range of sizes up to 100MW. |
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