Paddy O'Donnell from Cappa White National School puts his mark on one of the three tower units as Energia welcomed residents and local schools to mark Global Wind Day
A number of wind farms across Ireland will open to the public looking to learn more about wind energy both locally and nationally as part of this year’s Global Wind Day on Sunday, 15 June.
The day will be celebrated in more than 75 countries worldwide where wind farms are in operation. In Ireland, a number of educational tours and family events will take place, courtesy of wind-farm operators.
The Irish wind-energy generation sector has seen considerable growth in the last 20 years, and despite small setbacks, has seen recent developments, including the €30m wind-turbine project in Cork Harbour and the opening of the 9MW Energia wind farm in Hollyford, Co Tipperary.
In terms of figures, wind capacity in Ireland has doubled over the last five years and last year accounted for 18pc of electricity generated, powering more than 1.3m homes per year and reducing Ireland’s dependency on foreign energy, which currently costs €6bn per year.
The sector also employs more than 3,400 people in Ireland, with this number set to grow in the years ahead.
Kenneth Matthews, CEO of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA), spoke about Global Wind Day.
“We’re calling on people across the country who want to see wind energy in action locally to take advantage of Global Wind Day and experience this clean-energy source at first hand, where they will discover more about the power and possibilities of wind in Ireland,” Matthews said.
