Kerry County Council Submission on Proposal for a Sustainable Energy Community Kerry Turning Green to Gold

Sustainable Energy Community Award

Vision Statement Kerry County Council in a multi-agency partnership with core community involvement proposes to establish an Energy Efficient Self- Sustaining Region for Tralee, through a twin track program beginning with energy conservation of both commercial and domestic premises followed by the development of biomass energy centers meeting identified demand, using locally produced biomass. Transforming the local economy base through job creation and achieving a high living standard and excellent quality of life. CREATING A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COMMUNITY Building a New Future - together

SEC Management Structure

National Energy Targets for % energy efficiency improvement (33% for public sector) 40% renewable electricity 12% renewable heat 10% renewable transport Kerry SEC Targets 33% energy efficiency improvement 50% renewable heat 100% renewable electricity 10% renewable transport

Gas Pipeline Peripherality

Forestry Resource Kerry Farm Forestry Owners is a cluster group structure for marketing of timber in the North Kerry Area Headford Forestry Owners Group, located near Killarney Kerry has a mild moist climate ideal for biomass and other short rotation crops KerrySouth West Region Tralee Killarney

Overview of the SEC Development We are here !!

Stage 2 on previous slide – Identify. We are here !! Overview of the Energy Master Plan

Establish the Area of Thermal Demand Survey Buildings & enter EMP Phase 1 data Confirm thermal loads by obtaining actual billing data Phase 2 Analysing the individual loads to create profile for Tralee Establish Route for potential District Heat Feasibility Analysis, Costs, Payback, NPV, IRR etc Establish the Area of Forestry Survey Forestry Input Forestry to Forecast Feasibility Analysis, Access to resource, market conditions EnergyForestry Feasibility, Technical Information & Recommendation

. 8 internships employed, 4 working on Energy demand, 4 working on Forestry. Tralee Approximately 750 Building entries for thermal and electrical demand. All 6 Zones complete. Estimated Energy demand is 75,525 MWh annual* Killarney Approximately 620 Building entries for thermal and electrical demand. 9 Zones complete. Estimated Energy demand is 57,417Mwh annual* Surveying Program

Tralee Energy Benchmark Zone Plan

Tralee District Heating Scheme

All private forest owners selected for sampling within 50 km of Tralee

Multistage sampling design for private forests in Kerry Dr. Máirtín Mac Siúrtáin and Anita Nemesova Ing COFORD FORECAST Project, Forestry, UCD The sampling objective was to estimate the volume of the growing stock for private forests in Kerry and forecasts of potential volume using methods developed within the FORECAST project. Stage 1. Stratifed random sampling of private forest using four year age- classes Stage 2. Two stage cluster sampling within each age class Stage 2.1. Selection of primary sampling units, farms, with probability proportional to size (PPS) Stage 2.2. Selection of secondary sampling units, plots, with probability proportional to size (PPS)

BIOMASS RESOURCE 55,000 ha of forest plantation in Kerry (11.6% of County area) 1400 local farm families involved Co-ops are formed in the region 10% of National Plantation Target being achieved in Kerry Thinning will give 25% more income to farmers 50,000m 3 of woodchip per annum available 10.6 million litres of oil costs €9 million 10 jobs created per €1m of oil displaced, therefore 100 direct wood based jobs created If oil is used as a fuel 80% of the money generated goes out of the Country, while with wood-chip 90% of the money generated stays in the County.

Internal Rate of Return 20.57% Payback Period 4 years + Construction period Investment Cost €28,266,905 Interest rates on 3%. Annual Fuel Price Inflation 4.95%. Three year Network and CHP Plant Planning and Construction Program. Twenty five year lifetime minimum of plant. Replacement costs of main plant items has been included Five years for full connection of Network 10c/kWh (index linked) standing charge. 30% moisture content chip delivered - cost 4c/kWh. Exported 12 c/kWh under REFIT scheme applicable. Ash removal costs €108 per tonne including levies.

Energy Conservation Projects SEAI Area Based – Warmer Home Program SEAI Better Energy Community Program DOECLG - Jobs stimulus 3 year investment programme for energy efficiency retrofitting of social housing stock Construction of Biomass Plants and District Heat Pipelines Direct, indirect and induced jobs Kerry’s SEC when completed: Oil Displacement-15 million litres Employment Potential-10 jobs per million litres of oil displaced Biomass/heat-150 permanent jobs Indirect and induced jobs will be created through Green Economy, Green Tourism, improved competitiveness, attract new investment, improve marginal farm holdings, address fuel poverty and increase disposable income throughout the region. Impact on Local Economy

BIOMASS RESOURCE DISTRICT HEAT SCHEME Sustainable Energy Zone, Live Laboratory Tobar Naofa – brown field site with high density housing, within walking distance of Tralee town centre 1 MW supplies heat to : 100 housing units 11 no “Towards Carbon Neutral” Houses 7 no B1 houses Moyderwell National School County Library Integrated Services Building Redevelopment of Convent (Listed building)

Tobar Naofa Live Laboratory

Plant Room Two 500kW Hertz Wood Chip Boilers each with an auger feed system from the fuel store. The boilers which operate on duty/assist control are linked to two 5,000l thermal store buffer tanks. Distribution header with separate branch, pump and district heat pipe for each block of apartments and spare connections for future demand.

Wood Chip Boilers

Wood Chip Conveyor and Store

Heat Meter The kWh heat output from the Boiler Plant is recorded on the Heat Meter. The Wood Chip Supplier records the reading at each delivery for billing purposes. The Supplier bills the Council on kwhs of heat produced. North Kerry Wood Chip, Knocknagashel, is the present fuel supplier.

PAY AS YOU USE PREPAYMENT SYSTEM Smart Metering Network “Pay As You Use Pre Payment System” will provide the following benefits to the householder: Financial/energy awareness meter Fitted to all energy users Allow monitoring and control of energy demand Daily trends generated Profiles will be used to manage the zone Addressing the issue of fuel poverty No bulk purchase of fuel required No energy debts accumulated Multi-Energy solution for heating, electricity and water. Potential to use the prepayment system as a form of guarantee for repayment of retrofit loans, in exceptional cases. Pay As You Use (Prepayment) already in use in 250 units in Tralee and replicated in Killarney. Network Pipelines

PAY AS YOU SAVE This is a financial vehicle for funding retrofit projects for public, private and commercial building. Grants and proposed tax relief are available for private houses with the balance being made up through the proposed Pay As You Save Scheme This will work towards meeting the targets set for energy efficiency for our SEC. Community bank, Credit Unions Tralee and Killarney, 52,000 members, providing a Green Loan System.

Fuel Supply Annual Demand 1,130 ton Wood Chip < 25% moisture content 3,400 MWhr Produced 3.01 MWhr per ton Displaces 340,000 litres of Oil Reduces CO2 levels by 1,000 tons 7,500 kWh per Apartment € per Annum for hot water and heating

District Heating System District Heat Pipe Network to each apartment block providing temperature controlled Space Heating and instant Hot Water on demand at low cost. Supplying water at 80 0 c throughout the development

Heat Distribution Substation Heat exchanger for instant hot water with anti-scald control. Underfloor heating manifolds with circulating pump and temperature limiting control. Time clock to control space heating times.. Heat Meter measuring Kilowatt Hours. Pre-Payment Card System linked to an isolating valve.

RETROFIT HOUSING STOCK To achieve a minimum Building Energy Rating of C1 for all housing units in the SEC Pilot scheme, external insulation to 45no. Units This pilot produced 30 jobs 14 weeks ( ) Tralee TC/ ESB Electric Ireland / SEAI / DOECLG Partnership Retrofit Pilot Project for 89 units in the Mitchel’s area (2011) Building Energy Rating improved from G to C (improvement of 300 kWh/m²/yr) Potential savings € €1500 on heating and hot water cost per unit. ENERGY CONSERVATION

External Insulation

Innovation & Replication-YES Manage and Deliver-YES Community-YES Collaboration-YES Committed Team-YES Job Creation-YES