2015-10-30

ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

The Árrain Mhór lighthouse is located at Rinn Ramharois Point at the north west corner of the island Energy check on Árrain Mhór 1 Introduction 2 2 The islanders 3 3 Governance 7 4 The island as a platform 8 5 Thinking out of the box 12

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ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR Christian Pleijel

[email protected] Tel +358-457-342 88 25

ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÒR

1 Introduction In 2013, Arrain Mhór joined the study Analysis of an insular system and SMILEGOV1 project through its mem- its resources. A contribution to the bership in Irish Islands Federation and elaboration of a development strategy subsequently in the European Small for Arranmore Island, county , 3 Islands Federation (ESIN). The objec- Ireland , Alyne Delaney’s Donegal Is- tives of SMILEGOV, funded by the Eu- lands Survival Plan4, the Árrrain Mhór ropean Commission, is to establish a Energy Plan 2012-2031 from the IRDA 5 clear picture of the island’s energy project and desktop research, this consumption, its emissions and how it compilation has been done by Senior is it supplied with energy, moving into Advisor Christian Pleijel, Vice Presi- an action plan for a more sustainable dent of ESIN (European Small Islands future, and to invite the island to join Federation). the Pact of Islands2. Islands are miniatures of the world, With Árrain Mhór, the work has been solitary, clearly separated from the a broad attempt to understand the mainland by the sea. Being small, dis- context in which energy is a possible tant and vulnerable, Árrain Mhór focus of development. The description needs to plan and develop itself in a of the island starts with the people, subtle and continuous manner, han- continues with the political system dling the complexity of people, politics and ends with the island as a geo- and infrastructure. graphical, technical platform for the islanders. Kind of backways, not just September 2015, describing the island as a place, a geo- graphical location defined by area and Christian Pleijel location, roads and ferries; Neither the island as just a theatre where people try to get on with each other and settle local disputes over grazing, ferry time- tables, water costs, pollution, tourism 3 Loncle N, 2006. Analysis of an insular system taxes and subsidies, linking them to and its resources. A contribution to the elaborat- their masters on the mainland and in ion of a development strategy for Arranmore Island, , Ireland. Thesis of a the Brussels. Master course in Land Management, Develop- ment, Environment, Insitut de Géoarchitecture, This is a check – an audit – rather than Université de Bretagne Occidentale a plan, based on existing documenta- 4 www.a-turning-tide-in-the-life-of-man- tion such as Nicolas Loncle’s excellent film.eu/fts/23350 5 http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/enrdstatic/policy- in-action / 1 http:/www.sustainableislands.eu/ rdp_view/en/view_project_9320_en.html 2 http://www.islepact.eu/html/index.aspx

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ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

Map of Árrain Mhór, slightly revised after Loncle (2005) 2 The islanders Árrain Mhór – in English Arranmore and most are within a few hundred – lies 5 kilometres off the northwest meters. The islands have no local coast of Ireland. It is the second larg- autonomy, each being a part of an est island in Ireland covering 22 km2. adjacent mainland county. The island is part of Donegal County. Population It is said there are 365 islands Árrain Mhór has a resident popula- around the coast of Ireland – one for tion of 514 (2011), down from 543 in each day of the year. Excluding is- 2001, 596 in 1991, over 800 in 1981 lands which are uninhabited or are and 948 in 1961 – 50 years ago. The connected by bridges to the main- population grows to 1,500 during land, the total is 53. Many of these summer when ex-pat families return are inhabited by only a handful of and visitors arrive. people. All of them are close to the At the end of the 17th Century, Árrain coast: none is more than 13 km from Mhór was a centre for herring fisher- the nearest point on the mainland ies, with over 1,000 people employed

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ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÒR

in the industry. However, in the mid- for women. Without these returns, 1800s a combination of clearance by population levels and demographic the landowner and famine hit the structures would probably be really population hard and many families critical. left for the New World. Now, traditional fishing and agricul- ture have declined significantly. The age profile of islanders is increasing and there is a high dependency on social welfare and other state sup- ports. A quarter of islanders are un- employed and there is 56% male unemployment. Trade & Industry Enterprises started on the island in- cludes a textile industry that had to close 1979 because of the general Agriculural land use and fallow land, Loncle, page57 industry crisis, a bakery shut 1991, a Fifty years ago, sustainable subsist- craft shop that faced insufficient ence farming was still part of life: market, mussel farming that was farming, fishing, using turf/peat as a closed in 1998 because of azaspira- local fuel source, money sent home cid toxin and bad weather condi- from abroad was 50% of Ireland’s tions, bicycles to rent, holiday homes, GDP in the 1950’s. lighthouse accommodation, Irish Emigration has always been a fact of language courses facing limited mar- island life, still is today. To succeed ket and concurrence and a tele call you must leave the island. Some- centre running for two years 2002- times you leave your wife and family 2004. at home. The weakness or the ab- The Tele Call centre sence of employment structures The tele call centre the Tele Airann obliged the islanders to follow the Teo was supposed to create 20 traditional way of emigration. But fulltime jobs after 18 months. A pri- emigration is often temporary. After vate company based in Sligo was years away, emigrants came back to managing the project in partnership settle on the island at different times with five state agencies. Islanders of life. were trained to telemarketing before Returning migrants have generally the start-up date but the enterprise worked in tunnelling and construc- only lasted two years and employed tion for men; hotel and factory work no more than seven people.

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ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

Problems faced by the enterprise - two hotels and the youth hostel, were of different nature: technologi- 100 beds cal (no internet broadband), difficul- - the holiday village with 8 self- ties of recruitment and retention of catering houses, and 4 other self- staff for telesales, inadequate staff catering, all in all some 100 beds; competence, the cost of the daily fer- ry travel made it difficult to recruit a - 14 B&B, more than 100 beds as some owners also take Irish College manager but nontheless manage- ment was by an outsider and ”the students. arrival of a stranger on small islands Services especially to set up a business is gen- Árrain Mhór manages to keep service erally looked distrustfully”6. at a fairly high level although being Deception was proportional to the well below the threshold populations hopes placed into the project by the for shops/services as defined by An main partners Údarás na Gaeltachta Foras Forbartha (an Irish state agen- and Arranmore Island Co-Op as an cy which became the Environmental enterprise such as this was seen as Protection Agency in 1992) 7: the only type of business that was

passing over the problems of over- cost of ferry travel, and then could be

competitive. ulation ulation Average op threshold Service on

The project was not conducted mere- p pop ly in a commercial logic. The main Árrain Mhór Árrain Mhór socio-economic objective was to cre- ate employment. Small shop 150 2 Tourism Primary school 700 2 Tourism is the only growing activity although building and the health sec- Post Office 1 500 1 Under tor are giving on the island but it is Library 2 000 600 Delivery difficult to create new jobs. dwellers Doctor 2 000 1 There are 300 beds on the island and they are generally all occupied in Regular summer. Half of the capacity is con- Dentist 3 000 visits centrated in Leabgarrow, half is Seconday spread until Ploghoe. Acommodation School 4 000 1 types are: 7 http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/downsi 6 Nicolas Loncle de-of-one-off-rural-housing-1.376468 5 (15)

ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÒR

Advantages and problems In his 2006 study, Nicolas Loncle He also asked them: ”in your made a questionnaire, asking the opinion,what are the main problems islanders about the principal ad- faced by Árrain Mhór (146 vantages of living on the island (145 resondents): respondents):

Source: Loncle, apendixVII Source: Loncle, apendixVII

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ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

3 Governance CPMR islands expert Jean-Didier ture. Main roads are Hache wrote in 2000: under Council compe- tency but on delegation « In their vast majority, the European to Arranmore Island States having responsibilities over Co-op ) islands have acknowledged – albeit in Udaras na Gaeltachta many varying ways – that these terri- (financing of individual tories were deserving some form of projects) special consideration in political and Irish islands Comhdháil Oileáin na administrative terms. » level hÉireann (linking the What makes the Ireland case original islands to the central is the areas and the population sizes government) being so small. In 2000, Eamon Islands Leader program 0’Cuiv – a well-known Irish politician within the National Rural Development with a strong passion for the islands Plan (delivering and – wrote: administration of EU « The island population have been programs) given a voice at the heart of Govern- National Roinn na Gaeltachta ment even though the normal demo- level (annual administration cratic process does not endow such a grant) small dispersed population with an Central government island elected representative at either (financing of infrastruc- local or national levels. » ture) There are five identified levels of European European Small Islands governance: level Federation ESIN Interreg program Local level Árrain Mhór Island Co- op (180 members) IRDA project Árrain Mhór Develop- Smilegov project ment and Employment Do the different levels of governance Co-op act as a filter or as a relay? One might (130 members) ask why there are three cooperatives Árrain Mhór Energy on the island? And are the co-ops Committee strong and competent enough to get County Donegal County Council their proposals through the competi- level (financing of infrastruc- tion for EU funding?

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ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÒR

4 The island as a platform The number of people that actually Access and transport use the island as a platform for dif- Ireland is the most car-dependent ferent purposes are far more than country in the world. Irishmen drive 514 and might be calculated as fol- 24,400 km per year compared to the lows: US average of 19,000 km, the UK at Residents 514 187,610 16,100 km, France at 14,100 km and (365 days) Germany at 12,700 km, according to Transport Investment and Economic Summer resid’s 1,500 45,000 Development, which was published (30 days) in 20008. Visitors (1 day) 33,000 33,000 The ferry service was an enormous Sum 265,610 boost to the island economy with regular services starting in 1984. 265,610 man-days divided by 365 Most islanders bring their car on the gives 728. The number of people us- ferry as they are going to 10 ing the Árrain Mhór as a human soci- km from or ety is equivalent to a population of which is over one hour by road. 728 all-year residents. That is the base for calculating the island’s eco- logical footprint. As a platform for human life, from an infrastructural and a sustainable perspective, the serves 728 people, not 514.

MV Rhum unloading at Leabgarrow The sea passage is with ro-ro WWII landing-craft type ferries, some 40 years old, taking 7-8 cars and well

Aphort harbour) over 100 passengers making the 4 kilometres passage in under fifteen

8 http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/downsi de-of-one-off-rural-housing-1.376468

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ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

minutes (the Arranmore Blue ferry) cars on the mainland for use exclu- or 20 minutes (the Arranmore Island sively on the island. Ferry). Since there is no Garda station, many In 2014, both ferry companies trans- of the 500 islanders did not see fit to ported 26,891 islanders and 31,770 tax or insure their vehicles, which visitors to/from Árrain Mhór, mak- were sometimes driven to the point ing over 8,000 single trips a year. of breakdown and then abandoned. Some people mention a bridge to The practice came to an end when a Arranmore as a solution to unem- number of islanders were prosecut- ployment and to remoteness. Others ed for driving without the appropri- would not like to see a bridge built in ate documents after gardaí main- any circumstances. For an island, the tained a full-time presence during a bridge is the ultimate infrastructure whole summer. In the spring of 2008, because it removes the insularity. A a major clean-up operation was bridge would permit inhabitants to managed by the County Council9. go daily to work on the mainland, Energy consumption and would limit transport cost for production activities. It would prob- The IRDA project ably increase visitors influx and as- In 2009-2012 an Irish-Danish sociated consequences upon net- knowledge exchange project10 was work and infrastructures. The tran- conducted on a €180,000 budget, quillity and the security, appreciated creating a project pool knowledge on by islanders, would probably be less, energy conservation, efficiencies and but tourism would probably grow. options for renewable energies, shar- Water ing information and experience by creating energy groups on each of 6 Since the 1970’s, water is taken from islands, making study visits to in- a reservoir on the largest natural clude Samso, DK & Aran Islands. lake linked to a filter plant. In 2010, the water use was 131 million litres. The Irish partner was Comhar na n’Oileán, Árrain Mhór partner was Water sewage treatment is individu- the Árrain Mhór Energy Committee. al septic tanks but there is a collec- tive water treatment in project. Waste 9 Domestic waste is estimated at http://www.irishtimes.com/news/arranmor around 400 tonnes in 2010. There e-has-500-dumped-cars-removed-1.918982 has been a litter problem in the is- land having its roots in a tradition of 10 Dr Shirley Gallagher: An Island’s Per- spective, Smilegov Think Tank, September 4 residents buying cheap, worn-down 2013 9 (15)

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ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÒR

The project led to the Árrain Mhor E N E R G Y C O N S U M P T I O N Energy Plan 2012-2032, stating: Coal 668 MWh - there is a huge potential for renew- Agri diesel 2,088 MWh able energy on the island Road diesel 251 MWh - it’s possible to gather focused peo- Marine diesel 2,791 MWh ple Peat briquettes 42 MWh

- with the creating of a vision, others Bottled gas 42 MWh could see beyond the horizon Kerosene 3,424 MWh - cooperative projects and sharing resources is the future Electricity 1,837 MWh Sum of energy use 11,141 MWh - shift in consciousness, business as usual is no longer an option Per capita 514 21,675 kWh It was found that most islanders de- 728 15,310 kWh pend on oil fired central heating for E M I S S I O N S space and hot water heating; that Coal 166 t CO2e many houses still use inefficient Agri diesel 557 t CO2e open hearth fires; that there is room for improvement in insulation levels Road diesel 67 t CO2e in nearly all island houses: that some Marine diesel 745 t CO2e houses have no insulation; that Peat briquettes 15 t CO2e transport is exclusively oil based; Bottled gas 8 t CO2e and that traditional hand cut turf Kerosene 852 t CO2e (peat) is still used by many houses. Electricity 1,345 t CO2e Continuing from the IRDA project Sum of emissions 3,756 t CO e data and findings and including the 2 ferry services, it is possible to create Per capita 514 7,308 kg CO2e quite accurate data of Árrain Mhórs 728 5,162 kg CO2e energy consumption 2015, including It may be interesting to know that the energy used on ferry transports: the average Irish household emits about 8.1 tonnes of CO2 according

to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) 11 . 4.8 tonnes of those CO2

11 http://www.seai.ie/News_Events/Press_Releases /2008/SEI_Report_Shows_Average_Irish_Hous ehold_Emitting_8_1_Tonnes_of_CO2.html#sth ash.tsbuPwXC.dpuf

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emissions are from direct fuel use with the remainder relating to upstream emissions from electricity usage.

Diagram of total energy use on Árrain Mhór Energy production Almost all energy on Árrain Mhór is imported. Since 1956, Arranmore is connected to the mainland by a sub- marine cable from Rutland.

Some renewable energy heating technologies installed: heat pumps (areothermal and geothermal), 6 kW wind turbine and 11 solar panels for water heating.

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ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

4 Out of the box If a small European island was ever in bles, wastewater treatment, dumps, need of integrated development, it is jettys and ferries. Árrain Mhór. No isolated project, no single effort will make real change on the island. This is why this audit, orig- inally intended at calculating energy use, describing emissions and point- ing at renewable energy project ideas, goes out of the box. Simply put, an island is a system with three interacting parts: (1) the people on the island; (2) politics, making the plans and hopes of people come real; and (3) the island in itself, the physi- cal platform and its services to the Outside the box people on it. Outside the box are movements and turbulence in our society that chang- es the relations between people and politics, between politics and the is- land platform, and between the plat- form and the people.

Inside the box Inside the box is the people side of things, the full-time inhabitants and the part-time ones, the visitors, the We are losing trust in our politicans, trades and businesses, music, litera- fewer people want to become one. ture and the identity of the islanders. Facebook and other social media is Inside the box is the governance side changing the way we interact with of things: taking care of the island our leaders, so is media. There are according to the law and the promises more public consultations and a made in the last elections following strong lobby in many issues. The lev- the parliamentary system. els of governance above a small island Inside the box is the infrastructure of have never been so many and it is the island: water pipes, electrical ca- important to use new channels and

12 (15) ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR Christian Pleijel

[email protected] Tel +358-457-342 88 25

ENERGY AUDIT ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR

new ways of getting politicians to lis- Gleicher’s formula for change ten to the islands. David Gleicher created the Formula Politicians get our votes because we for Change when working at Arthur D. want something done, but then they Little in the early 1960s, and it was go into coalitions and constellations refined by Kathie Dannemiller in the where our intentions get lost. There is 1980s. This formula provides a model a tendency for down-piping on the to assess the relative strengths mainland – to take care of one issue affecting the likely success of change at at time, separating functions from programs in organisations or com- each other – that serves an small is- munities. land ill. Also budget negotiations, ref- Three factors must be present for ugee problems and re-elections all meaningful change to take place: D = disturb the political power to actually Dissatisfaction with how things are do something about the infrastruc- now; V = Vision of what is possible; F ture. We need to be holistic and to see = First, concrete steps that can be the whole island as a system. taken towards the vision; If the The platform development has tradi- product of these three factors is tionally been about technology and greater than R = Resistance, then economy – “ hard ” aspects. But now- change is possible. adays “ soft “ aspects, social develop- Because D, V, and F are multiplied, if ment, down-sizing, sustainable and any one is absent (zero) or low, then environmental perspectives have to the product will be zero or low and be taken into consideration, making it therefore not capable of overcoming much more complicated to plan and the resistance to change.12 build infrastructure that meets the demands of the inhabitants. We must Development get planning departments on the Nicolas Loncles ends the brilliant, mainland understand that on small 200-page study of Árrain Mhór that islands big is not better, speed is not has been cited many times in this re- always necessary, and small can be port, by writing: very beautiful. ”Development should not focus on reaching an equal quality of life with the Mainland, as asked by Comhdail

Oilean na hEireann, because this ob- jective is probably illusory. If many inhabitants acknowledged that bore-

12 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_for_chang e 13 (15)

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dom is often a concern, especially in To place careful attention on insuring winter, that living cost is higher, balances between aspects of tradition many think also that the quality of life and modernity, between the various is superior on the island. While im- functions of the island, and then to provements can be done, it is even insure respect between the various more important to learn to compose social groups using the island, would with advantages and inconveniences, help Arranmore to face its difficulties rather than to pursue an hypothetic and to find a serener way of future. levelling that can only be a source of And to insure a long life to such origi- frustrations. nal territories, responsibilities of Because Arranmore13 is not a slow their preservation must be entrusted development territory, behind the to all persons and groups who, in a times (are they any?), but more obvi- some way or an other, are attached to ously than in many places, here tradi- and participate to the lives of the tion comes across modernity, some- Donegal islands.” times confronted and often combined with more or less harmony. In simpli- fication, urban influences and mental- ities grow among the Arranmore community, and the rural characteris- tics are less obvious. These changes are judged sometimes with enthusi- asm, sometimes with defiance and regrets by the islanders or visitors... because people feel that through the- se changes, the community looses parts of the spirit that tied them to- gether.

13 Loncle writes Arranmore but I have prefer- red to write Árrain Mhór in this report, following the advice of Seamus Bonner.

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15 (15) ENERGY CHECK ON ÁRRAIN MHÓR Christian Pleijel

[email protected] Tel +358-457-342 88 25