County Down Reconnects At Home With Renewable Energy

With government grants of up to 50 per cent available, there has never been a better time for County Down to Reconnect at home with renewable energy.

This is the message from Action Renewables, as they prepare to showcase renewable energy and climate change issues at The Green Living Experience, taking place in Castlewellan on 25 and 26 August 2007.

Renewable energy is generated from sources that will never run out, such as solar panels, small-scale wind turbines, wood-fuelled boilers and geothermal pumps.

The grants available through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, will help people to install renewable energy systems to provide heat and power at home.

Dan Sinton, DETI Energy Division, said: “People are really catching on to the benefits of having renewable energy systems in their homes. County Down is the region with the most renewable energy systems in Northern Ireland, accounting for around 30 per cent of all grants claims.


“So far, Reconnect has paid out in excess of £2.5 million to assist over 1,000 completed installations, and with a further 2,000 private homeowners here seeking to install domestic renewable energy systems, the total value of financial assistance offered is close to £6 million.”

Dr Andy McCrea, Director of Action Renewables said that even in Northern Ireland, a solar hot water system can perform really well: “Provided solar hot water panels are placed on a south facing roof, there is sufficient solar resource to provide around 50 per cent of a typical household’s hot water.”

Dr McCrea continued: “Northern Ireland generates 96 per cent of its electricity through the burning of non-renewable materials such as coal and gas. The resulting waste products contribute significantly to both pollution and climate change. We take everyday actions such as switching on a light or television for granted; however there are significantly environmental consequences.”

As sponsors of The Green Living Experience, Action Renewables will be on hand to offer practical advice to home owners on how to install renewable energy at home.

Action Renewables will be at Green Living Experience at Castlewellan Forest Park on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 August.

(JM/SP)