Paragon of Sustainability - From the ashes of a cigarette factory

The original Carroll's Factory which was completed in 1970 has received architectural recognition as one of Irelands finest modern industrial buildings designed in a Mesian style, and is a designated protected structure.

The modernist landmark has been reborn for Dundalk IT as an avant garde exemplar of wind energy storage and an ingenious approach to integrated heating, ventilation and cooling, as sustainable design expert Chris Croly of BDP explains.

Important features include airtightness improvement of an existing building, the innovative selection of an unusual insulation and airtight layer location, the use of significant load sensing controls to limit plant loads, the use of an ice bank renewable energy storage linked to an on-site wind turbine, and a grid smoothing system. The use of building controls to regulate and smooth building electrical energy demand, providing an example of one possible response to smart metering.
This project clearly demonstrates that there is a potential for buildings to play a significant role in adapting Ireland’s electrical demand to be more suitable for the integration of wind energy

Construct Ireland Article - by Chris Croly of BDP

UCC Western Gateway Building wins the SEAI Renewable Energy Award

University College Cork’s (UCC) Western Gateway Building has won the Renewable Energy Award at the official launch of the Sustainable Energy Awards 2011 held in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone on Thursday 14th April 2011.

The Western Gateway Building is the largest building on the UCC Complex at 25,000m² (269,100ft²) providing research and teaching accommodation for a range of academic departments such as Computer Science, Biochemistry, Mathematics, Pharmacology, Physiology, ICT and Cancer Research

Judges description: Excellent design, utilising waste heat from computer room combined together with a ground source heat pump to provide a combination of heating and cooling to the UCC Western Gateway building. This strategy, combined with an modern controls package, utilises the most efficient combination based on demand and supply. It has achieved energy savings of 30% when compared to other buildings on the campus.

Sustainability Energy Authority of Ireland
SDAR (sustainable design and research) Journal - September 2011 issue
The annual Sustainable Energy Awards are intended to encourage, recognise and reward excellence in energy management in the industrial, commercial and public sectors. The awards will focus on individuals, groups and organisations who demonstrate a commitment to include energy management as part of their overall management structure and provide an opportunity for organisations, regardless of size, to gain public recognition for their achievements in reducing energy use and emissions. This is the eighth year of this national initiative which is the only awards scheme recognising best practice in energy performance, management and design.

Sustainability Energy Authority of Ireland

SDAR (sustainable design and research) Journal - September 2011 issue