Letterkenny Public Services Centre has undergone a major renewable energy retrofit project by the Donegal County Council. The Council has installed;

·         5no.  42.6 kW air-source heat pumps to replace our oil boilers

·         20no. photo-voltaic solar panels to generate 6 kW of electricity

·         pumped cavity bead insulation to 762m² of external walls

·         new efficient heating controls and upgrades to the building management system

·         live smart monitoring equipment for the electrical generation and heat pumps consumption

Peadar Espey, Energy Performance Officer commented that “the aim of this energy retrofit project was to make a significant practical energy upgrade, removing the dependency on fossil fuel as a space heating source. This project aligns Donegal County Council’s energy policy with the policies of our national Climate Action Plan 2021 and builds on last year’s energy retrofit works at Milford Public Service Centre”.

The County Council have worked on several projects over the past few years to become more energy efficient and sustainable. The following are some of the projects that they have worked on: 

·         2018: Project - full internal and external LED lighting upgrades

·         2019: Project - 4no. electric vehicle charging points

·         2020: Project - sedum roof regeneration through pollination. 35,000 native Irish honeybees

·         2021: Project - phase 1 glazing replacement

·         2021: Project - Letterkenny Public Services Centre - Major Renewable Energy Retrofit

National Recognition – ICE Awards 2022

Donegal County Council entered the project into the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2022 under The category of Public Buildings and have been shortlisted for the final. The awards will be on May 14 in the National Convention Centre. Watch their video here.

Patsy Lafferty, Director of Service said “Donegal County Council are delighted to have such an important energy project recognised for its construction excellence. A lot of hard work and planning has gone into the various energy efficient and sustainable projects at the building over the last four years. I wish to thank all staff involved, senior management team and our Elected Members for their support in making projects like these feasible”.

International Standard

Donegal County Council has recently received a certificate for the International Standard for Energy Management – ISO 50001:2018. The helps with internal saving targets as well as national targets. Peadar Espey, Facilities Manager noted “the project has eliminated approx. 54 tonne of carbon per annum with the removal of our oil boilers and generates approx. 5,000kWh per annum through the installed photo-voltaic solar array.