Renewable Energy on Inishbofin

Renewable Energy is part of the future, and looking into ways to build a more sustainable and resilient future is important especially for island communities. This is why we started our renewable energy journey in 2021 by starting to prepare our Energy Transition Plan with the help of KRA Renewables and funding from the EU LEADER programme through Forum Connemara.

The Inishbofin Development Company CLG, a not-for-profit charity founded by islanders, engaged KRA Renewables in 2021 to undertake assessment of the island’s energy usage at present, how that usage can be reduced through efficiency and how it can be generated using renewable energy sources.

The key objectives of this “Energy Transition Plan” were:
• An Energy Audit of the Community Centre.
• A Register of Opportunities.
• A Road Map to Implementation.
• A Comprehensive Report on all of the above.

The analysis found that, at present, the island uses approximately 6 675 MWh of energy per year between all fuel types, including ferry transport and transport within the island, space heating and hot water in buildings, and electrical power for all uses. This usage is responsible for more than 1 830 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

The potential to reduce the energy and carbon emissions intensity of the island through the improvement of building fabrics, electrification of heating and the transition of transport energy from fossil fuels to electricity of renewable fuels has been found to be very significant, with a total reduction of approximately two thirds of all usage and emissions possible from these measures.

The potential for energy generation on the island from its natural resources has also been found to be strong, with strong technical potential for energy generation from building mounted or large-scale Solar PV (“solar panels”), small scale wind energy, and one of the most commercially viable wave generators.

The electrical infrastructure on the island is light, but the main connector to the mainland appears to be of sufficient capacity to import or export as much power as the island could conceivably need without major upgrades. Unfortunately the electricity grid on the mainland from Clifden to Oughterard is completely saturated and this makes exporting energy impossible without grid upgrades on the mainland.

For more information please contact:
Tuuli Rantala
Community Development Coordinator
Inishbofin Development Company CLG

Click here to read the full report: Inishbofin Energy Transition Plan 2022