Putting sustainability and renewable energy to the test in Dingle 

At the moment, there are 120 farmers in Dingle and most are now looking at alternative ways to heat their homes and run their farming enterprises.

And all of this is being assisted by a groundbreaking initiative in west Kerry.

The Dingle Creativity and Innovation Hub piloted a Farm Ambassador Programme in 2018 and Dinny was one of six ambassadors chosen to test new energy technologies on his farm.

Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology was installed on the six local enterprises and these are helping to increase sustainability and productivity at the sites.

The IoT sensors will also measure and manage soil moisture, localised weather data, milk height and slurry height, and the farm ambassadors will be able to share their experience of the technology with the larger farming community.

Around the same time in 2018, the ambitious multi-partner initiative, Corca Dhuibhne 2030/Dingle Peninsula 2030, was born.

Its overall aim is to create a sustainable future for the peninsula by working with the local community, schools, business and farming sectors to explore, support and enable the broader societal changes required for the low carbon transition.

The Hub, meanwhile, has also encouraged an Energy Master Plan (EMP); commissioned a feasibility study for an anaerobic digester; and supported local people in retrofitting their homes and on becoming more energy efficient. And so it was that when Dinny was appointed an ambassador, he took the bull by the horns, you could say, and when the opportunity to try alternative energy technologies came his way, he hopped on board.

Dinny installed heat pumps, put solar PV panels on the roof of his house and is now running an electric car.

He soon established a Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) of dairy farmers. A steering committee was formed and includes four dairy farmers, a representative from ESB, an SEC mentor for Kerry, and a Green Party member.

Funding was forthcoming from SEAI, ESB and Kerry Agri and an energy consultant was subsequently employed to carry out an Energy Master Plan (EMP) for the area.

“Everything is going well,” as Dinny put it. The Covid-19 put everything on the back burner for the last 18 months but “things are moving again and going well”.

“In the milking parlour we installed a watchtrix — this caps onto all the wires coming out of the fuse board and measures all the electricity that is being used on the farm,” he added.

“We know exactly how many units are being used to cool the milk, milk the cows, pump the water and heat the water which is a big thing now.”

Meanwhile, farmers on the peninsula are also looking at the possibility of using hydropower.

And as Dinny put it: “There is a lot of water rolling down mountains around here; if you put that into a pipe and put a turbine at the end of it, you would create a lot of electricity”.

He says farmers are open to installing small wind turbines in the area but not the large structures because “we are in a very scenic part of the world here and big wind turbines will never happen”.

“The electricity grid in west Kerry is going to come under fierce pressure in the not too distant future - there are going to be more electric cars on the road, houses are going to be heated with heat pumps, and there will be a big pull on the grid,” he continued.

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), is going to become a game changer, added Dinny.

The scheme provides support to renewable electricity projects in Ireland and is focused on cost-effectiveness and the delivery of a broader range of policy objectives.

They include an enabling framework for community participation through the provision of pathways and supports for communities to participate in renewable energy projects; increasing technology diversity by broadening the renewable electricity technology mix delivering an ambitious renewable electricity policy to 2030; increasing energy security and energy sustainability; and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of energy policy.

The idea is that this will support the growth of the green economy, create sustainable work opportunities, and ultimately benefit the consumer as renewables become more cost effective.

RESS auctions will be held at frequent intervals throughout the lifetime of the scheme and this will allow Ireland to take advantage of falling technology costs and avoid ‘locking in’ higher costs for consumers.

Back on the peninsula, Dinny says anything is possible now when it comes to sustainability and renewable energy, But he also says that it is important for all sectors to work with farmers when it comes to the technologies available.

It is they who are after all the primary caretakers of the land.

“It’s important that people work with farmers when it comes to energy because we can give so much back,” he continued before highlighting how his electric car costs just over €5 per 530km.

“There is just no thinking about this one; the car is fabulous and is cheap to run. Before we got the electric car, we were burning €80 per week in diesel.”