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With money leaving local economies across Ireland to service debt and significant drops in local authority revenues, towns such as Dundalk, Ennis and Kilkenny are investigating the possibility of bringing in electronic currencies to keep money circulating locally, as Richard Douthwaite reveals.
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ESB to purchase electricity from domestic wind turbines |
The Commissioner for Energy Regulation has announced that the ESB is to
buy electricity from so-called “micro generators” - householders who
have their own wind generators or other renewable electricity systems.
The price has been set at 9c per unit.
Turbotricity, an Irish company currently developing household wind
turbines has welcomed the move. “Up to now, households with a wind
turbine had to use a large bank of forklift batteries to store their
power, involving additional costs and maintenance. It makes far more
sense to sell surplus power to the grid and buy back extra energy when
it is needed,” said Quentin Gargan, Turbotricity's managing director.
The company has argued that there is an opportunity for Ireland to
become a world leader in the production of domestic wind turbines. “We
have the best wind in Europe, and a high percentage of us live in one-off
houses in good wind energy sites,” said Gargan. “A turbine which has
established a reputation for survival on our Atlantic coastline will
find easy access to other EU markets”.
Turbotricity, based in West Cork, is launching a rugged 2.5Kw turbine
designed for Atlantic conditions. On most sites, the company expects to
install these for between less than €12,000, including a free-standing
tower and grid controller. The company’s development has been hamstrung
because up to now, ESB would not pay for surplus electricity which was
simply spilled onto the grid.
“We strongly argued for a higher feed-in tariff to support this
industry”, said Gargan. “When it comes to wind energy, the large
turbines are dominated by other countries, against whom Irish industry
can never hope to compete. However, domestic wind turbines are made
with smaller components, all of which could easily be manufactured
here, and it is important that Ireland develops a strong industry in
this growing market sector. It is our aim to mass produce turbines and
bring prices down so that safe and effective wind turbines can have a
sensible payback time, and the current offering from ESB will certainly
help”.
Gargan has lived and worked with wind turbines for almost ten years.
For many years he has run popular courses for DIY enthusiasts on
renewable energy at his home near Bantry where he and his family live
in a low-energy house powered by a 2.5kw turbine and using solar panels
for both hot water and electricity. His family has used an electric
Citroen Berlingo for two years and initially they had an interest in
charging this using a second wind turbine. However, Quentin was
dissatisfied with models on the market at the time and set about
designing a turbine for Irish conditions.
The Commissioner for Energy Regulation announced ESB’s suggested feed
in tariff of 9c per KwHr on 16 December. A consultation period of one month
was allowed.
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Jeff Colley |
| About the author: |
| Jeff
Colley has been the editor of Construct Ireland, Ireland's pioneering
sustainable building magazine, since 2003.
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Issue 1, Vol 5 Out Now
The new look issue of Construct Ireland is available now. Click here to subscribe online and have the latest issue delivered to your doorstep
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