Energy Management
Energy and Water Management at Fermanagh Omagh District Council
At Fermanagh Omagh District Council, we understand the importance of energy and water as essential resources for a sustainable economy.
We also recognise the crucial role that natural resource management plays in responding to the challenges of Climate Change and rising fuel costs.
Tracking our Energy and Water Use
We collect and report on electricity, oil, gas, biomass and water consumption data from a combination of meter readings and invoice data.
Being an organisation with a large number of assets, the monitoring of energy and water consumption is essential to ensure an accurate and cost-effective assessment of our energy and water usage.
| Utility | Type | Data Collection | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Manual data submissions via JotForm, measured in kWh | Monthly per site | Entire Estate |
| Oil | Monthly data submissions via JotForm, measured in litres | Monthly per site | Entire Estate |
| Biomass | Monthly data submissions via JotForm, measured in kilograms/ kWh | Monthly per site | Entire Estate |
| Gas | Monthly data submissions via JotForm, measured in litres | Monthly per site | Entire Estate |
| Water | Monthly data submissions via JotForm, measured in m3. | Monthly per site | Entire Estate |
We report on our energy consumption on a quarterly basis, using all the data received in the previous 3 months and comparing it to previous months.
These reports can then inform where to action changes where economically feasible, to help support our energy conservation strategies.
Display Energy Certificates
A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) shows the energy performance of a building based on its actual annual energy consumption and the CO2 emissions that result from that energy use.
Under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Northern Ireland, we have to show a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) in a prominent place in buildings occupied by public authorities and institutions providing public services.
These buildings have a total useful floor area that exceeds 250m2, and are frequently visited by the public.
The purpose of introducing DECs is to raise public awareness of energy use and to inform visitors to public buildings about the energy use of a building.
They provide an energy rating of the building from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is the least efficient. The advisory report contains recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building.
Our Greenhouse Gas Emissions
At Fermanagh Omagh District Council, we recognise that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the main driver for Climate Change and are a key contributor to the Councils environmental footprint.
Our role
We recognise our role in reducing emissions and setting targets with respect to CO2 emissions reduction. In February 2021, Fermanagh Omagh District Council released its Climate Change and Sustainable Development Strategy and in November 2021, launched its Climate Change and Sustainable Development Action Plan, making it the first Council in Northern Ireland to do so. This action plan explains how the Council will respond to the climate emergency and transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy and highlights a number of ambitious decarbonisation milestones.
2031
Net Zero Emission Fleet
In 2021, FODC’s Carbon Baseline Report was produced, covering the 2019/2020 financial year. This covered our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
Scope 1
Scope 1 emissions, also known as direct emissions, are emissions produced by council controlled sources.
Examples of scope 1 emissions:
- Fossil fuels combusted in boilers for heat production
- Fossil fuels combusted in vehicle engines
Scope 2
Scope 2 emissions, also known as indirect emissions, are emissions that can indirectly be attributed to the council, even though they are not produced by council owned sources.
Examples of Scope 2 emissions:
- Carbon emissions produced as a result of the electricity generation process
Scope 3
Scope 3 emissions, are emissions produced as a consequence of the activities of the council, but occur from sources not owned or controlled by it.
Examples of scope 3 emissions:
- transmission and distribution (generation of electricity consumed in a T&D system)
- outsourced transport activities (transportation of waste, transport service for schools)
- business mileage
Total GHG Emissions
In 2019/2020, Fermanagh Omagh District Council produced 4175 Tonnes CO2 (Scope 1 and 2 emissions). The breakdown of these emissions can be seen in the graph below.
| Source | Tonnes CO2e | Pct % |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | 36 | 0.86 |
| Bioenergy | 38 | 0.91 |
| Fuel Oil | 1,213 | 29.05 |
| Council Vehicles | 1,544 | 36.98 |
| Electricity | 1,344 | 32.19 |
| 4,175 | 100.00 |
CO2 Production by Asset Type
| Asset Type | Total Emissions (tCO2e) | Pct % |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Management | 9.00 | 0.34 |
| Changing Room | 8.50 | 0.32 |
| Community Centre | 93.70 | 3.56 |
| Leisure Centre | 1,075.30 | 40.88 |
| MUGA | 8.50 | 0.32 |
| Museum | 173.80 | 6.61 |
| Office | 401.30 | 15.26 |
| Public Convenience | 90.80 | 3.45 |
| Theatre | 303.50 | 11.54 |
| Visitors Centre | 39.70 | 1.51 |
| Waste and Recycling | 366.50 | 13.93 |
| Other | 60.00 | 2.28 |
| 2,630.60 | 100.00 |
Carbon Literacy Training
Fermanagh Omagh District Council are working in conjunction with Climate Northern Ireland to deliver carbon literacy training to its staff members. To date, 15 staff member has completed the course, with plans to make this available to more staff in the coming months, subject to course availability.
Potential Improvements
In the coming years, processes will be put into place to include Scope 3 emissions, which will give a true indication of the entire GHG production of the councils operations.
Energy Initiatives
At Fermanagh Omagh District Council, we continue to make efforts to reduce our energy consumption, through data monitoring, behavioural changes, control systems and also through capital investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy production.
Green Electricity Tariff
Fermanagh Omagh District Council procures 100% of their electricity supply from renewable energy sources.
Energy Efficiency Projects
Energy Efficiency projects are projects which are designed to decrease the councils energy consumption
Energy Efficiency projects to date include:
- LED conversion projects at leisure facilities
- Cavity Wall insulation project at community centres
- Refurbishment of 2 Large Waste Management facilities (Killyvilly and Gortrush)
Renewable Energy Projects
Renewable energy is energy derived from renewable (naturally replenishing) sources, such as sun, wind, wave, and geothermal.
In 2019/2020, Fermanagh Omagh District Council produced 2,311,622 kWh of energy from renewable sources (2,297,775 kWh from Biomass, 13,847 from Solar.)
Renewable Energy Projects to date include:
- 120kW Archimedes Screw Hydro Project on Camowen River
- 2 Biomass Boiler Heating systems
- 2 Solar PV units, with a further 3 planned for 2022/2023 financial year. These 3 projects also includes battery storage facilities to bridge periods with low solar irradiance.
- Feasibility studies were carried out to assess to potential for a large-scale Solar PV array (2kW) with battery storage capabilities.
