NEWS
Ruth Devine MBE has been named as the 112th president of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). She is the second female president in ECA’s 124-year history, with Diane Johnson serving in the role over 2010-2011. For the past 18 years, Ruth has been a director of award-winning contractor SJD Associates Ltd in Milton Keynes. A prominent figure in the electrotechnical and engineering services industry, she brings extensive industry experience, a deep commitment to apprenticeships and a passion for building a more inclusive and sustainable sector. Outside of her professional role, she chairs ECA’s Skills Committee, which advises ECA Council on relevant skills matters and supports member engagement with the skills system. She is also employer chair of The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership and a founding member of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education Construction Route Panel and the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee. Additionally, Ruth supports the Construction Leadership Council on skills issues and attends the Government’s Construction Skills ECA APPOINTS ITS SECOND FEMALE PRESIDENT IN 124 YEARS
L-R: Andrea Carroll, daa, former Transport Minister Jack Chambers, and Vincent Harrison, daa visit Phase 1.
DUBLIN AIRPORT TO PRODUCE 20% OF ELECTRICITY FROM SOLAR ENERGY BY 2030
A significant expansion of its onsite solar farm will position Dublin Airport on track to generate more than 20% of its annual electricity needs from renewable solar energy by 2030. Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien officially opened Phase 1 of Dublin Airport’s solar farm, an installation of more than 15,000 solar panels by Greenvolt Next on a 28-acre site close to the south runway. Now operational, the 9MWp solar farm is expected to generate 7GWh to 9GWh per annum dependent on weather conditions, which is 10%-13% of Dublin Airport’s
annual consumption. It is sufficient to cover the electricity needs of the entire airfield, with excess electricity contributing to the energy needs of the airport terminals and campus. Subject to planning permission, Phase 2 envisages the staged deployment of an additional 6,000 solar panels by late 2027, sufficient to fully power the baggage systems in Terminals 1 and 2. Cork Airport has also applied for planning permission for an elevated 1.8MWp solar farm, which would deliver up to 30% of its energy needs. www.next.greenvolt.com
EMERALD PARK ENHANCES SUSTAINABILITY WITH FLOGAS PROJECT
Family theme park Emerald Park has unveiled a new solar panel installation as part of a new five-year sustainability partnership with Flogas. The installation features over 290 solar panels placed throughout the park,
generating 127,504 kWh of clean energy per year, which is enough to power the entire park and zoo solely on solar energy for a full month and reduce its annual carbon footprint by 37 tonnes of CO2. The investment is expected to save Emerald Park over €30,000 annually in energy costs, potentially amounting to as much as €1m over the panels’ lifespan, based on current energy prices. The investment is projected to pay for itself in approximately five years. The partnership also includes installation of 20 EV charging units in the car park, supporting eco-friendly travel for guests to the theme park. As part of the partnership, residential Customers get two free tickets worth €104 to Emerald Park when they renew with Flogas or switch to Flogas on Flogas.ie. www.flogas.ie
Delivery Group. www.eca.co.uk
L-R: Charles Coyle, Managing Director of Emerald Park, and John Rooney, Managing Director of Flogas.
Ruth Devine MBE.
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