| BAMMBO
| BAMMBO is a FP7 EU funded project which started in 2011. It will provide innovative solutions to overcome existing bottle-necks associated with culturing marine organisms in order to sustainably produce high yields of value-added products for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial sectors. BAMMBO will screen and identify target marine organisms (e.g. bacteria, fungi, sponges, microalgae, macroalgae and yeasts) from diverse global locations for potential as sustainable producers of high–added value molecules (HVAB’s). Our project will apply analytical methods for the extraction, purification and enrichment of targeted bioactive compounds. A detailed life cycle analysis of the production pathways developed in the project will be undertaken to fully evaluate the sustainability of production of biologically active products from marine organisms. |
| Build Up Skills for Ireland
| The Report of the High Level Group on Green Enterprise suggests that 80,000 jobs can be created. In May 2011, the Irish Government launched a Jobs Initiative which pays specific attention to job creation through the retrofitting of residential dwellings. It has been estimated that 1,000,000 Irish houses will require retrofitting by 2020. This combined with a target to achieve a low carbon standard for new buildings by 2015 and minimum renewable energy supply requirements for buildings will mean those working in or entering the construction sector need new specific energy skills.
To date there has been no specific coordinated approach to setting out how this up skilling might be achieved. Different initiatives and actions have been taken by relevant Agencies but no comprehensive assessment has been completed of the needs and future requirements.
The Build Up Skills for Ireland (BUSI) Consortium has brought together key players with Project Management, Education and Training, Consultation and Networking skills. The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) provide the BUSI project with direct links with employers and workers in the construction sector.
The BUSI partners and 34 relevant organisations will develop a Roadmap following a consultation process, which will have the endorsement of the majority of the Strategic Stakeholders.
Specific provision has been made for the promotion of the BUSI initiative and the establishment of a BUSI Platform/Forum at the end of the project to facilitate engagement with Phase 2 of the BUILD UP Initiative.
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| CESBEM
| The CESBEM Project III (COMPETENCE ENHANCEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE BUILDING THROUGH EUROPEAN MOBILITY) has evolved from the successful CESBEM I project run in 2009/10 and CESBEM II project run in 2010/2011. It is aimed at craftspeople in the Construction Sector to provide up skilling in the field of energy efficiency in buildings. To date approximately 160 people have completed the programme.
Training is hosted by KOMZET Germany, (Centre of Vocational Excellence in Energy Efficiency in Buildings), with a special emphasis on timber frame construction. Training will be over a two week period and a total of 70 people will be trained as part of the project.
The project has been developed because:
- In Ireland craftspeople receive limited specific training on sustainable building during their apprenticeship. The CESBEM Programme links the training and practical demonstration of sustainable building.
- The Irish White Paper on Sustainable Energy commits to 20% savings in energy consumption by 2020 and the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan identifies the residential sector as providing the greatest share of these savings.
- New Buildings regulations in 2008 and 2011 require highly efficient buildings; therefore good construction techniques are vital. It is aimed to move to a Near Zero Build Standard.
- The 2008 FÁS Irish Labour Market Review noted „The construction sector has seen the largest number of job losses,‟ and that training was required to up skill people in this field.
- Energy Rating of Buildings is now a part of construction sector in Ireland so increased knowledge in the area represents a benefit. The expected results of the project are:
The CESBEM III Project aims to:
- Enhance knowledge in the field of sustainable building of people in the construction sector in Ireland,
- Develop new skills in the field of sustainable building (e.g. air pressure testing) for participants,
- Expose participants to working practices and specifications in German construction related companies (timber production, window production, prefabricated house manufacturer etc.),
- Compare and contrast Irish and German Building standards and regulations,
- Increase participant’s knowledge of German culture and language.
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| Chemistry Is All Around
| Chemistry is All Around Us is a lifelong learning programme to find ways of gaining greater appreciation of central role of chemistry in our lives today. The Chemistry Is All Around Us project has the aim to contribute to the promotion of lifelong learning of scientific subjects and of chemistry in particular. The project intends to identify the main barriers to lifelong learning of scientific subjects and the strategies developed in the 6 project partner countries strategies to overcome them. |
| National Rural Network
| LIT runs the Irish National Rural Network on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The Irish National Rural Network was set up as part of the Rural Development Programme, 2007-2013 and is open to all involved or interested in the implementation of the Irish Programme. The two key elements of the work of the network are information gathering and dissemination and the encouragement of networking. The Network does this through the commissioning of research and case study reports, the holding of an annual conference, seminars and forums, engagement with the European Network for Rural Development, the publication of a quarterly newsletter and the hosting and management of a website and associated social media. |
| SERVE
| The Sustainable Energy for the Rural Village Environment (SERVE) project has the following key objectives:
- create a region in North Tipperary which is a leader in the implementation of sustainable energy actions
- reduce the energy consumption in 500 existing buildings by improving their energy performance through insulation and heating control measures
- develop a eco-village with 132 houses in Cloghjordan which showcases energy efficient design and is supplied by Ireland first renewable energy district heating system
- increase the use of renewable energy technologies through supporting the installation of renewable energy heating systems and demonstrating the use of electricity from micro wind
- utilise technical and socio-economic expertise from European Partners to monitor performance and impacts in the region and to disseminate the results widely.
The SERVE project will target a total of 635 buildings, existing and new, for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures over a 3 year period. This highly ambitious project will set new standards for energy performance and renewable energy supply in rural Ireland, using EU best practice and expertise. This project will run from November 2007 for 5 years. From November 2007 to November 2010 the partners focus will be on implementing a wide range of energy efficiency actions in buildings and renewable energy measures. The last two years of the project will involve monitoring the impact of the project.
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| STEMS
| Limerick Institute of Technology recently became a partner in aLeonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Project based on Supporting the Transfer of Education & Mobility Strategies (STEMS) which was successfully funded under the Lifelong Learning Programme by the UK National Agency ECORYS |
| Sustainable Energy Heating Systems for Plumbers - HEATPlus
| The HEATPlus Programme been developed because plumbers will be required to have increased knowledge of new heating and ventilation systems which are becoming the norm within both new and retrofitted buildings. There are a number of drivers for this change including:
- new Irish dwellings have to achieve energy consumption levels 60% below that of a house built in 2005. This requires advanced heating systems with high efficiencies and dedicated heating control systems. Plumbers traditionally have limited training and exposure to these new advanced heating control systems
- new Irish building regulations requiring 10% of all heat within a building to be provided from renewable energy. These systems will require to be integrated with existing systems
- increased presence in the Irish market of heating and ventilation systems (HV), mechanical heat recovery systems (MHRV) and passive ventilation systems. The wide range of systems will require plumbers to be able to identify the need for, and plan for installation of, such ventilation systems.
The HEATPlus Project aims to:
- enhance participants (plumbers) knowledge in the field of sustainable heating and ventilation systems
- develop new skills in the field of sustainable heating (building physics, air pressure testing, system sizing etc) for participants
- expose participants to working practices and specifications in German heating and ventilation related companies (solar panels, condensing boilers, air pressure testing, biomass boilers etc.)
- compare and contrast Irish and German Building standards and regulations
- increase participants knowledge of German culture and language
Training is hosted by KOMZET Germany, (Centre of Vocational Excellence in Energy Efficiency in Buildings).
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| SustainCo
| The project proposal Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities - SUSTAINCO aims to support ambitious European vision for the energy performance of its buildings. By 2020 all new buildings shall be Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), with intermediate targets by 2015. The proposal should enable target countries and regions to go beyond the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) which says that Member States shall ensure that after 31 December 2018, new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities are nearly zero-energy buildings.
The project will build capacity within the partner countries through exposure to best practice (from CONCERTO and other projects), supporting integrated approaches to design and retrofitting of buildings and building capacity in rural regions to engage in the Covenant of Mayors.
The SUSTAINCO project will directly select and facilitate development of 8 high profile proposed NZEB projects (1 per each participating region) and also provide support to 50 NZEB projects as follow ups to already launched pilot projects. The project will also provide massive training of key market actors, policy makers but also an extensive information campaign to rural communities citizens.
An important aspect of SUSTAINCO project is that it is focused on rural communities which are often neglected in implementing European or national schemes or programmes. The project will try to mobilise and build confidence especially among these communities by means of practical exposure to operational success stories incorporating both the technical solutions and the financing and procurement aspects, namely from SERVE project in Ireland but also from experiences of all other project participants via study tours, site visits, etc. Through the development of this capacity within the partner regions engagement of rural regions in the Covenant of Mayors will be facilitated.
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| TEMPO
| The ACORN Research Group in the Limerick Institute of Technology, led by John Cosgrove, has been awarded €1.25m for Applied Research in Energy Efficiency in Industry. The project, entitled Total Energy Management for Production Operations (TEMPO) was approved through the EI Industry–led Research Programme. The TEMPO research goal is the development of new energy efficiency strategies, monitoring systems, data analysis and visualisation tools to address sustainable energy management in the manufacturing sector. The research group will work closely with leading multinational such as DePuy and Intel in Ireland and with General Motors in the USA. |
| TEMPUS
| LIT Library has recently received the great news from the EU Executive Agency (EACEA) that its application for funding under the Tempus IV EU funding programme was successful to the sum of €1,171,557. The securing of this funding is a triple distinction for Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). LIT is the first Irish institution to lead a Tempus project in the history of the Tempus programme. |
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