Irish companies stood out at the Energy Now Expo event which took place in Co. Kilkenny this week.
The Irish companies involved in the sector are showing great innovation by producing Irish alternatives in what is becoming an evolving sector in this country.
The event was a must see for anyone interested in the energy sector. Solar panels; wind turbines; anaerobic digesters – if it was green or renewable; it was there.
A large number of enterprises came from overseas, but many of the Irish companies caught AgriLand’s eye.
Aine McEvoy, of Creagh Concrete, described the company’s concrete drying floor to AgriLand. The drying floor can be used for grain, oilseed rape or wood chip.
The floor sections are laid down on top of a concrete floor. The concrete sections contain galvanised steel-vent-strips, which allow hot air to be blown through the floor. This hot air comes from a tunnel which can be built in between drying bays.
Another advantage of the design is that the floor can be taken up and laid back down. The floor is also strong enough for machinery traffic to travel on.
Creagh Concrete at the energy expo in Kilkenny
Vogelsang Ireland Ltd, a German company with a base in Co. Galway, is more commonly known for supplying its ExaCut distributor on slurry tankers, as well as supplying large booms (36m) for trailing shoes and dribble bars.
The company also supplies feeding systems for anaerobic digesters. The PreMix feeding system pre-conditions the material that enters the digester, by feeding it into the pump. The debris is then separated out. The material is then chopped and mashed before being pumped into the digester.
Colm Byrne, of Glas Energy, supplies German boilers which burn logs, wood pellets and wood chip. The company has completed approximately 1,000 projects since it began in Kilkenny in 2002.
The company fitted a boiler for the Callan community project. It supplies electricity to an arts centre; community centre; childcare facility; community accommodation; and office space. The wood chip for the Callan community project is supplied by a local company – Cresco (Callan Renewable Energy Supply Company).
Colm Byrne of Glas Energy
Ashgrove Renewables is based in Kanturk, Co. Cork. Shane Murphy told AgriLand that its heat pumps are 400-500% efficient compared to a gas boiler which is about 90% efficient, resulting in reduced electricity bills.
The heat pumps can be fitted to any system, whether someone is being supplied from the grid or another source – such as a wind or water turbine.
Ashgrove Renewables working on its stand at the energy expo
Woodco, based near Dundrum, in Co. Tipperary, builds biomass boiler systems. What the company was most keen to talk about was the ‘Dairy Pod’. The pod can heat water up to 95°C for washing down the plant after milking. One of the company’s boilers is displayed in the featured (main) picture of this article.
The boiler is fueled by wood pellets. It has a storage capacity within the boiler system, but can also be fed from a silo. A mobile app can be used to turn the boiler on and off.
Warik Energy is based in Blanchardstown in Dublin. The company supplies solar panels and also installs a battery, which can store energy. Dairy, pig and poultry farms are the most popular users of solar panels in the farming sector.
Solar panels can be installed on a roof or on the ground. The company can work with builders to meet all building regulations.