thomas The new energy management standard EN 16001 provides a set of standardised requirements for an energy management system and also the framework for energy management best practice to aid organisations. Certification Europe, based in Dublin, is leading the way across Europe in the adoption of the new energy management standard. One organisation that has implemented … Read more
Having called for an energy technology revolution to tackle climate change and enhance energy security and economic development, the International Energy Agency (IEA) is seeing the first signs of this happening across the globe. However, it cautions that more needs to be done to achieve the necessary long-term cuts in CO2. The new IEA study … Read more
US-based AES Corporation has agreed with BG Energy Holdings to acquire Premier Power, owner of the 1,246 MW natural gas-fired Ballylumford Power Station in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, for £99 million. The transaction is subject to license consents from the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation and the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and … Read more
Encouraged by Government incentives to increase renewable energy usage, Britain is on track to substantially expand its use of hydropower technology, with the number of plants in England and Wales set to increase from 400 to 1,200 by 2020. The number of applications for hydropower plants has increased six fold since 2000. The UK’s Environmental … Read more
Research from Queen’s University Belfast has revealed the 20th century decline in the Irish hare population is almost certainly associated with changes in farming practices. Indeed, the research suggests hares may join the ranks of other farmland species, such as the Corncrake, unless more is done to protect their habitat. The research team, led by … Read more
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has launched a milestone report on the effects of climate change on Ireland’s marine ecosystems. The document, entitled ‘Irish Ocean Climate and Ecosystem Status Report 2009’, details a number of significant observations recorded in recent years including: increases in sea surface temperature, increased wave heights off the south … Read more
The Minister for the Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must provide as a matter of urgency, a temporary exemption for some parts of the country, from the new waste water regulations relating to the construction of one-off houses, a report by the Oireachtas European Scrutiny Committee has stated. The Committee is calling on … Read more
In keeping with the Government’s programme for the rationalisation of State bodies, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has become operational to management the inland fisheries sector. The new body replaces the Central and seven Regional Fisheries Boards, the National Salmon Commission and eight Fisheries Co-operative Societies. The establishment of the IFI marks a new departure in … Read more
The Carbon Windfall Levy, introduced in the Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Carbon Revenue Levy) Act 2010, has been signed into law. The levy will apply to electricity generators and recover a substantial portion of the unearned carbon windfall gains that they currently receive through the Single Electricity Market. Under the Kyoto Carbon Trading provisions, electricity generators … Read more
Irish energy technology company SolarPrint has entered into a partnership with Italian car manufacturing giant Fiat to develop solar panels that can be incorporated into the roof surface of automotives, as a means of generating alternative sources of energy for vehicles by converting light to power. Under the terms of the deal, SolarPrint is a … Read more