Council buildings going green

Council buildings going green

17 July 2013

A NUMBER of Down Council’s major buildings are going green.

The local authority has secured a deal with Power NI to supply five of its facilities with electricity produced from renewable energy sources.

They include the Down Leisure Centre, Down County Museum, Down Arts Centre and Ballymote Sports and Well-being Centre in Downpatrick and the Bann Road civic amenity site in Castlewellan.

Power NI will supply the buildings with renewable energy for the next 12 months, after Down Council recently joined forces with 19 other councils to maximise their spending power and secure the best possible green energy supply deal for each.

Mr. Alan Egner, Power

NI’s commercial sales and marketing manager, said the company is delighted to have been awarded the contract with Down Council following a competitive process.

He explained that in March last year, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Strategic Energy Framework set a target of 40% of all energy used to be secured from renewable sources by 2020.

“We will be working closely with Down Council over the next 12 months to help it in its efforts towards this goal and this contract is a great start,” he continued.

“As a result of being supplied with ‘green energy’ from renewable sources, Down and the other 19 local the councils will be saving 22,470 tonnes of CO2.”

Down Council energy officer, Ciaran Og Mussen, said the local authority is delighted to have secured Power NI as one of its renewable energy providers.

He added: “By coming together to harness our collective purchasing power, the various councils have secured a great deal. Down Council is ensuring its energy supply comes from renewable resources which is a real priority.”