Northwest Energy Communities Start-up (NE-CS) is a project conducted by GEAI in collaboration with ITSligo between June and October 2017. The project is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. It is articulated in three phases.
Phase 1 concerned the design, administration and analysis of a Household Energy Survey in six selected towns in counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo. Surveyed towns were Ballyshannon, Carrick-on-Shannon, Drumshanbo, Ballinamore, Grange and Carrigallen. 10% of the total population was interviewed via a doorstep survey. The survey was co-designed with energy researchers from IT Sligo and administered mostly by GEAI Erasmus+ volunteers. IT sligo carried out the analysis of the collected dataset.
Phase 2 consisted in the delivery of the results in a series of workshops titled “Smart Energy Actions“. Results presentations were followed by open dialogue on energy efficiency improvements and on the way forward for rural communities. Barriers to efficiency, wind energy, solar energy and electric cars were addressed. Furthermore, the workshops were the occasion to re-establish priorities in a broader sense, for the sustainable development of the communities, imagining to allocate a 10 years investment of 10 million euros in strategic livelihood and welfare areas. Survey results were thoroughly displayed and commented. You can access the slides of each Smart Energy Action workshop below.
Follow this link for the workshops slide.
Phase 3 produced the final output of the project: a to 2025 scenario analysis called “Community Transition Roadmap“, one for each town. The Roadmaps explore energy transition possibilities unlocking savings and welfare for the communities. They represent an important baseline for the initiation of Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs) in each of the communities involved in the project, receiving SEAI grants and mentorship.
The Community Transition Roadmaps
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Northwest Energy Communities Start-up project is a part of the national low-carbon transition plan for communities all over Ireland.