Cork City Council will be supporting the fourth annual Earth Hour on Saturday night, 27th March by switching off its illuminations on the City Hall campus between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

Cork city will join more than 1,000 cities around the world where one billion people are expected to take this symbolic action against climate change. Cork City Council is at the forefront in developing initiatives in the areas of environmental sustainability and carbon retention. Examples include:

Electricity

• Utilisation of landfill gas to supply electricity to 1500 homes in Cork. This involves collecting landfill gas and converting same into electricity which contributes to a saving of approximately 40,000tons/Yr CO2 equivalent.

• Procuring electricity from renewable sources. A contract was put in place where CO2 emissions criteria were awarded on a Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) to utility company Energia. The CO2 savings amount to 5000 tons per annum saved.

Transport

• Conversion of 30 Cork City Council vehicles to run on vegetable oil. This is one of the largest operated biofuel fleet in the country

• Cork City Council has put in place a Park & Ride facility diverting a substantial number of passenger car units (PCUs) from the city centre.

Renewable Energy

• Provision of geothermal space heating to the new Civic Offices adjoining City Hall, refurbished Public Library, leisure facilities and other buildings

Education

• Lifetime Lab showcases best environmental practice. A teacher teaches primary school children specially design environmental modules in association with the Dept. of the Environment. Solar thermal panels provide heat for domestic hot water and space heating requirements for Lifetime Lab. Well-to-water heatpumps provide 80% of the sites space heating requirements. Photovoltaic panels provide electricity for some of the external lighting. A nearby hydro renewable plant provides electricity for the site

Future Projects…..

• Integration of District heating and renewables etc into the Cork Docklands Project

• Development of an energy trail at Kinsale Road post landfill closure

• Development of pilot scheme to demonstrate use of biomethane project in association with BGE/UCC – “Gas from Grass”.

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Posted in Ballinlough Ballintemple Blackrock Douglas Environmental Mahon by Cllr Laura McGonigle No Comments Yet