WATERWAYS IRELAND WARMED BY THE WONDER OF WOOD!

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WATERWAYS IRELAND WARMED BY THE WONDER OF WOOD!

9 Mar 2010

The new Waterways Ireland headquarters in Enniskillen will be firing up a more sustainable form of heating from now on, thanks to a funding scheme developed by Northern Ireland Electricity.

Waterways Ireland has incorporated many sustainable energy and energy conservation features into their new building and the 220kW wood pellet boiler, which has been part funded by the NIE SMART programme, is a welcome addition to their energy portfolio.

Nigel Russell, Director Of Technical Services , Waterways Ireland says the company wanted the building to be a state-of-the-art building which complied fully with the “Achieving Excellence in Construction” initiative, with particular emphasis on design quality, sustainability and health and safety. The building provides a quality working environment for Waterways Ireland staff, and is a land mark building in Enniskillen.

The wood pellet boiler is one of a number of energy saving features which make this one of the most sustainable buildings in the country.

Wood pellet systems are very versatile for both homes and businesses and can be used as stand alone room heaters or integrated as part of the central heating system. Through the grant scheme NIE hopes to encourage a method of heating which has been widely used throughout North America, Canada and Scandinavia for years but is a relatively new technology in the UK.

NIE Energy’s Sarah Beldon visited Waterways Ireland this week to see the new wood pellet boiler in action. Sarah says new technologies, such as stoves and boilers that use some form of biomass such as wood chip or pellet will have a positive impact on the local environment, helping reduce the carbon footprint of the business sector. “We are delighted to see Waterways Ireland using such a range of renewable energy and energy saving technologies in their new headquarters. We hope this beautiful building will encourage more businesses to recognise the economic and environmental benefits of using renewable energy.

“In 2009 the NIE SMART programme launched a new funding initiative for biomass heating, which is open to all businesses across Northern Ireland, and we would encourage everyone to consider wood heating to help reduce energy bills and their carbon footprint.”

This is a limited offer from NIE and is available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. To find out more about how to apply for the scheme go to the NIE Your Energy website www.nie-yourenergy.co.uk . The NIE SMART Programme is funded by Northern Ireland Electricity, the network operator and managed by electricity supplier NIE Energy.