Leading the fight against climate change in Cappoquin
Climate action in Cappoquin is proceeding apace, as developments under Cappoquin Community Centre’s Climate Action Plan continue.
While the community building was constructed between 2003 and 2005, Denis McCarthy of Cappoquin Community Development Company CLG, who manages the centre, said that the plan itself was devised around eight years ago.
“We produced the plan around eight years ago based around Cappoquin Community Centre. It was a short Climate Action Plan based around the building itself,” Mr McCarthy said.
At the time of construction, the entire attic spaces were extensively insulated with fibreglass wool insulation, and in 2019, stage 1 of the plan was carried out. This involved further insulation with bonded bead insulating material being pumped into the walls of the childcare centre, classrooms, gymnasium, offices and toilets.
L.E.D. UPGRADE
Speaking with TheAvondhu, Mr McCarthy noted that during 2019, the second phase of the plan also got underway, with all rooms being fitted with LED light fittings, amounting to the replacement of 88 units in total. All lighting in the Community Centre sports hall were then replaced with LED fittings in 2021.
“The second part of the plan was changing to LED lighting and most of that was completed in 2019. We did the main sports hall and the stage last year and fitted 66 lights and four or five external lights,” Mr McCarthy added.
In a further measure to save energy, lights at the centre were fitted with sensor-activated switches.
Walls in the sports hall were also pumped with bonded bead insulating material to complete the external cavity insulation.
7-8 YEAR PAYBACK
2021 also saw the installation of 40 PV panels on the roof of the centre, a portion of stage 2 considered to be ‘major’ in the Climate Action Plan.
Works thus far under the plan have cost over €50,000, €15,000 of which was grant monies through SEAI assistance.
The panels will generate electricity for use in the building, and according to Mr McCarthy, a payback period is expected in the region of 7 to 8 years from the newly completed work.
“The PV panels will start producing electricity once the sun comes out. Our ESB bill comes in at around €12,000 a year and hopefully, we can begin to reduce that with the help of the PV panels,” he said.
STAGE 3 PLANS
Looking forward, Cappoquin Community Development Company CLG has begun planning for Stage 3 of their Climate Action Plan, which Mr McCarthy states is still ‘under consideration’. It is expected that this stage 3 will involve the addition of a further 36 PV panels on the roof.
“We are considering installing further PV panels to produce hot water for the building, or possibly for battery storage which will be a backup in the building if there is a power outage. We haven’t quite made a decision on which yet,” Mr McCarthy said.
Electricity produced by the PV panels during the summer months can also be exported to the national grid if it is in excess of the community centre’s needs.
It is hoped that stage three of the plan will be carried out this year, and when completed, the centre will be almost self-sufficient in the production of energy to meet its own needs.
Mr McCarthy also noted the importance of climate action and energy efficiency at a local level.
“We have a responsibility and the community has a responsibility to do as much as we can in the area of climate action. We think we have achieved a lot in our time and hope to continue to do more in the future,” Mr McCarthy said.
Cappoquin Community Development Company is delighted to be a leader in the community in addressing climate change at a local level, setting a high benchmark for others to now follow suit.