About Us
Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Operative was founded in 2015 by a number of Claremorris people. The Co-Op is located on the Ballyhaunis Road, Claremorris.
The Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Operative was founded to develop the benefits of community owned renewable energy, supporting communities and addressing climate change in the West of Ireland. With over 50 members, the Co-op are currently engaged on a voluntary basis to support communities in the transition to the low carbon economy. Through the support of the local groups and the co-operation of local businesses, the energy co-operative has gained valuable experience in the development of a local energy deployment, while contributing to national policy.
Community Awards
2020, Claremorris Energy Co-Op founders of Community Power won the Citizens’ Award at the EU Sustainable Energy Week for our Community-based Virtual Power Plant Project (cVPP).
2021, Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Op were awarded for their community efforts in promoting community owned renewable energy and their efforts to decarbonize the town of Claremorris by the Global Patagonia. Patagonia supports grassroots groups working to find solutions to the environmental crisis throughout the world and acknowledged Claremorris’s efforts to lead the transition.
2016, Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Op successfully participated and won investment from the innovation fund with GNI to work with communities in educating numerous communities on the benefits of renewable energy including the production of Bio-methane and the impact of fossil fuels on the environment. Working with the support of numerous people including Duncan Steward, the Co-Op completed over 56 community events including the ploughing championships. The overall project allowed the Co-Operative to listen, understand and consequently educate on the green energy transaction.
Participation In Previous Environmental Campaigns
- Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Operative represented Ireland at the Renewable Energy Directive 3 (REDiii) workshop in Brussels, 2021. The group represented all Irish community groups in determining the next goals for Europe
- Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Operative working with the friends of the Earth and Community Power successfully to eliminate the restriction of solar panels on roofs. This will further support communities and households to install 700,000 rooftop solar PV [photovoltaic] systems in Irish homes and on 55,000 commercial premises by 2030.
- Claremorris and Western District Energy Co-Operative and Community Power successfully sought government to eliminate 49/51 private/community applications under the RESS auction, allowing for only 100% owned community solar for the benefits of communities.
Vision
- In 2030, Claremorris is a vibrant, environmentally aware, progressive, successful town. We have cycle ways through the town, pedestrian walkways, beautiful parks, vehicles running on both electricity and hydrogen, children pushing the limits of progress and a more sustainable community for the future. Claremorris is the decarbonised zone on the Atlantic Economic Corridor.
- In 2030, over 90% of Claremorris’s heat demand is in buildings. Despite a possible 12% reduction in heat in housing predicted by 2030 due to energy efficiencies, the overall heat demand has grown by 14%, driven mainly by industry. In 2030, working with Tipperary Energy, Claremorris have retrofitted 50% of the larger buildings and 65% of older house dwellings utilising heat pump ready technologies and BioLPG/Bio Methane heating systems.
- In 2030, Claremorris has a network of underground hot water pipes running to high energy users known as district heating. Designed in 2018 with Mayo County Council, Claremorris supplies heat from a centralised renewable heat source to heat consumers, enabling the large-scale substitution of the incumbent individual fossil-fuel based heating systems. The network reaches out to the Primary Care Centre (piped ready in 2017), Mayo County Council offices, Claremorris National School and Claremorris swimming pool. It serves over 80 social housing recipients eliminating fuel poverty. The project designed in 2018 supported by GMIT’s iSET research group, Tipperary Energy and the Irish District Heating Association reduces the CO2 emission from all buildings by at over 62% on an annual basis, utilising the heat pump at times of low CO2 intensity electricity, optimum use of thermal storage and utilising hydrogen/bio methane.
- In 2030, the Claremorris farming community play a major role in decarbonising Claremorris. They share a vision of a fully integrated, agriculture led, on-farm sustainability approach to the decarbonisation of the Irish food supply chain. Based on circular bio-economy, farmers produce indigenous bio methane decarbonising thermal heat processes, commercialise its by-product digestate producing organic fertiliser replacing synthetic fertiliser and monetizing of the quantified soil carbon sequestration on their farms. Complying with the Paris Agreement, EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy and AG-Climatise, they have achieved emission reductions, displacing over 3,000t CO2 per annum. Claremorris town further benefits from carbon labelling, reusable degradable packaging while larger companies access sustainable, taxonomy-aligned finance. People benefit from enhanced biodiversity, water and air quality
- In 2030, Claremorris partnering with Mayo County Council, produce renewable electricity from two 5MW solar parks (one on the old land fill site), costing over 10 million euro, having received planning in 2020 after four years of intensive work. Claremorris is the only town in Co. Mayo with two solar parks, 100% community owned. In 2030, Claremorris have now installed solar panels on building roof, displacing over 650,000 metric tons of CO2e per year per GW of total solar power which is the equivalent of removing over 130,000 cars from the road yearly, or planting approximately 17 million trees per year.
- In 2030, the computer 3D, interactive database based on the Energy Co-operatives intuitive real time energy master plan developed in 2019 now interacts with each smart meter customer, electricity produced from the two solar plants, the roof mounted solar panels, heating management system on the DH network and the air and noise quality monitors located across the town. It becomes the leading education tool in Ireland for communities.
- In 2030, Community Energy, will be one of the largest community energy companies in the EU. The organisation is a commodity trader, trading renewable electricity, renewable gas and carbon credits. Claremorris as one of its founders now leads the drive for decarbonised zones across Ireland, selling power nationally to all communities.
- In 2030, the evolving progression of inquisitive students will trade the “Carbon Coin” currency. For every coin equating to a carbon saving from transport/heat/electricity, each school or club will have a value either as a commodity or a retail value. Sponsored by the Co-Op and the town community, the initiative will promote carbon awareness.
- In 2030, Claremorris will be generating its own hydrogen. As a combination of surplus electricity from solar and bio methane. Working with NUIG and supported by the towns Irish magazine “Fleet”, Claremorris will become the town of “alternative fuels” for the transport sector.
- Adapting to, and embracing change requires a vision of the future to overcome inertia of how things have been done in the past. Claremorris started on its decarbonising journey in 2015. All the above are ambitious and innovative visions, yet the goals are real. Presently recognized as one of the leading energy communities in Ireland, the community that is Claremorris are best placed to be the leading decarbonising zone in Europe. In the absence of a real and honest vision, we just fall back into the inertia of how things were at the expense of the environment, time and generations to come!
