‘Energy in Agriculture 2017’, which aims to provide practical information for farmers and the rural sector about the various renewable energy and energy efficiency options available for farm businesses, was launched this week by Denis Naughten TD, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The event will take place on Tuesday, August 22 at Gurteen College, Co. Tipperary.
At the launch, energy specialist with Teagasc, Barry Caslin, said: “We need to improve our energy security by reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels. In the longer term we need to tackle global warming by reducing the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the earth’s atmosphere. Energy in Agriculture will improve the knowledge base for farmers on how farmers can improve efficiencies and deploy renewables to improve the sustainability of Irish agriculture”.
Energy in Agriculture will feature a series of seminars throughout the day highlighting local case studies of the main renewable energy technologies. Mike Pearson Principal of Gurteen Agricultural College will share his experiences of installing a 50kW wind turbine and 300kW biomass boilers. There are demonstrations about biogas, solar PV, wood mobilisation and wind.
Other seminars will cover biomass production and utilisation, and energy efficiency in various farming enterprises. A second series of seminars will deal with many of the issues facing those considering installing a green energy source.
One of the new features this year will be the provision of one-to-one clinics where farmers can book a slot to get free advice on their energy project.
The event is being organised jointly by Teagasc, Tipperary County Council, IFA, Tipperary Energy Agency and Gurteen College and will run from 10am until 5pm – for further details visit www.energyinagriculture.ie
