€8.5 million energy works are planned

OVER €8.5million in energy upgrade works are planned for South Dublin County Hall, Clondalkin Civic Offices, Rua Red, Civic Theatre, Tallaght Leisure Centre and Clondalkin Leisure Centre.

According to an energy update from the Capital Programme report, the works are expected to start within the next few months and involve “extensive solar arrays, removal of fossil fuel boilers, ventilation upgrades and energy efficient lighting.”

The works are expected to deliver a 50 per cent reduction in energy use for the buildings which account for 29 per cent of the council’s total annual energy demand.

SDCC say this will eliminate fossil fuel dependency and reducing yearly greenhouse emissions by 870 tonnes of CO2.

Meanwhile, an independent financial/carbon benefit appraisal was completed on the proposed Energy Performance Contract (EPC), which outlined that the EPC mechanism is a beneficial approach to achieve SDCC’s performance targets.

Final contract review is underway and will be ready for signing for energy upgrades and decarbonisation of six council-owned buildings with the largest energy consumption.

This will see capital investment from SDCC and the SEAI Pathfinder Programme of over €8.5million in energy upgrades to the buildings.

A separate contract has also been awarded for solar array installations for buildings owned by the council which will see over 20 buildings provided with solar arrays, with electricity generating capacity of more than 1,100 MWh per year potentially reducing yearly greenhouse emissions by over 520 tonnes of CO2.

Battery technology will also be included on key buildings, where appropriate, to provide storage and an ability to offset drawdown of energy from the grid.

Detailed designs have been completed and applications for electricity grid connections are underway for North Clondalkin, Castletymon and Ballyroan libraries and community centres at Fettercairn, Ballyroan, Rowlagh, Jobstown, Quarryvale, Brookfield, and Kilnamanagh. This programme will then expand to other libraries, depots and community centres next year.