Notes from the meeting held 26th May.
1) Energy CoOp
Thanks firstly to Bob Briscoe, and Dermot McKenna of the Dublin Co-Operative Development Society, who helped us understand the implications of setting up the Kinsale Energy Co-Operative. The key is that the ‘team’ has to be committed, willing/able to work together, well organised, with sufficient time to deliver agreed objectives. Bob also provided a case study from Clapham Community Co-Operative which can be found online at http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/cme2150.htm . We thank them both for their contributions. If this is going to fly we need to know...
1) What is the agreed purpose of the Co-Op ?
2) Who wants to be a member of the Kinsale Energy CoOp, maybe 7 people ?
3) Who is prepared to act as Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer ?
As for its purpose, the proposal is that the CoOp undertake ‘activities that improve energy usage, and reduce carbon dependency, for the community of Kinsale’.
There are various activities the CoOp could thus undertake, including energy advisory work, smart meter hire, group buying of energy saving devices/materials, as well as projects including the anaerobic digester and initiation/co-ordination of micro-generation efforts around town. Some of these activities could become subsidiary ltd companies owned by the Co-Op.
2) Energy Saving Forum
At a meeting on 27th, the Chamber of Commerce agreed that October would be a good month to hold our 1st Energy Saving Forum, aimed at local businesses. Possibly 6/7th or 20/21st . We now have to gather a panel, and/or prospective service/product providers to make that a worthwhile event. (all suggestions welcome).
3) Anaerobic Digester
The grant application had gone to WCDP and a response is expected in early June. Thanks to Vicky Heslop for her work in supporting the application.
4) AOB
Thanks to Neil McCarthy who explained how he lives ‘off the grid’ in Kinsale, with 2 x 1kW wind turbines, and solar panels for water heating. He is clearly an example of what is already happening in town, but which is virtually invisible to most people. Neil also reported on a local farm which now produces up to 5kW per day, out of an average household consumption of 14kW, saving 35%. It is agreed that we should begin to publish a list of these examples of best practice, including John Collins ‘giant hole in the ground’, Dave Simpson’s ‘hi-tech power consumption measuring device’, Jola’s ‘heating system refurbishment’ and Henry Dormans ‘shed of tricks’. This can be done on TT website.
Paul Sliney brought our attention to www.earthpill.com where you can accurately measure your own carbon footprint AND energy costs. Very insightful.
Neil and Dave S are working on getting some ESB usage data for Kinsale as a town which we might work on, and the group recognised that more immediate and meaningful ways of raising awareness of energy saving schemes are required. Again, all suggestions welcome.
If anyone knows where to source a thermal camera that would work from a light aircraft passing over the town, we do have access to the aircraft/pilot, and could undertake a heat sensing survey for publication, which might be a dramatic way to raise awareness of our communal energy loss. Let me know !
Date of next meeting was agreed as MONDAY 29th JUNE 7pm, in Actons again.
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