Ireland's first carbon-neutral building to be constructed in North Tipp

Tipperary County Council is seeking to develop Ireland's first carbon-neutral building in Nenagh, a project that could generate some 350 jobs over a 10-year period.

Brian Beck, Senior Planner with the Council, told the December meeting of Nenagh Municipal District that this exciting €12.5 million project has been proposed for a location on Martyr's Road. He said the 'Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Energy' is being promoted by the council in partnership with the Tipperary Energy Agency, North Tipperary Development Company, Limerick Institute of Technology, Community Power and Siga Ltd.

“This project builds on the county’s reputation as a leader in sustainable energy and climate action, and has been designed to be a centrepiece and catalyst for the continued regeneration of the ‘Martyr’s Road Regeneration Quarter’,” Mr Beck pointed out.

The centre will host a range of public agencies working collaboratively to deliver innovative solutions in training and development, cutting edge research on technologies and incubating low-carbon social enterprises.

The centre will be Ireland's first carbon-neutral and energy-positive building, which will contribute more than €17 million to the economy of the town and the wider North Tipperary region over a 10-year period.

Mr Beck said an application for the Centre was submitted in May 2020, and a preliminary letter of approval was received in August 2021.

“This project will regenerate this part of Nenagh,” commented the Planner, “but its look won't jar with the surrounding town. The aim is to blend it in as harmoniously as possible with the surrounding town. This new building will not be a standard building. It will be one of the first of its kind in Ireland, if not in the whole of Europe. It will be a people-focussed space, an open and friendly creation where the car is not king, where insensitive buildings are not the king; people are.

“This project will deliver a low carbon neighbourhood. It's at the forefront of the government's decarbonisation policy in North Tipperary.”

Cllr Michael O'Meara remarked that there are very exciting times ahead. “The details of this project are so exciting that they almost sound Space Age,” he remarked. “This project is a sign of the way things are going in Ireland.

“In Tipperary we are showing yet again why we are called the Premier County. As a county we have always been in the vanguard of energy matters and energy efficiency.”

Cllr Ger Darcy pointed out that the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Energy will benefit the whole of North Tipperary, in a big way. “350 jobs will be created. There will be many local enterprises located in the premises. This is a very important and exciting project for the region and I am greatly looking forward to watching it unfold, the sooner the better.”

Cllr Phyll Bugler asked if the premises will be self-financing. “Do we have a main anchor tenant for this zero carbon building? That's a very important consideration for the sustainability of this project. And we need a 10 or 20 year business plan.” Mr Beck said she need have no concerns in regard to any of those queries. “There will be a number of anchor tenants,” he commented. “The last thing we want is a white elephant. The commitment is there for a successful Centre.” Cllr Bugler asked if the energy being produced by the Centre will go back into the national grid. Mr Beck replied that, at the moment, it's impossible to comment on that as it's early days.

Cllr John Carroll said he has been “very passionate” about energy matters for many years “and I am very excited about this project.” He added that he has utmost confidence in Mr Beck in delivering this project because he is “a man of considerable intelligence and integrity.” Cllr Carroll pointed out that the Centre will benefit the agricultural community as well.

Mr Beck thanked Cllr Carroll for his kind words. “We have a very good team behind this,” he remarked. “Grant Thornton is presently drawing up a plan for the project.”

Cllr Fiona Bonfield said the project is a no-brainer. “It's fantastic news for the town and the region. It will give us a very low carbon footprint. It's such a positive project that I can't imagine people being opposed to it.” She pointed to the official notes which said the Centre of Excellence will be an “examplar in energy positive and carbon neutral design. Designed to LEED Platinum standard, it will provide a collaborative working environment in a sustainably designed building and will act as a demonstrator for how buildings can contribute to the energy transition. The building will be the first building of its type in Ireland and one of the best examples internationally both for energy usage and mass timber structure. It will be an energy positive building, producing more energy than it uses. It will be a tool for learning, through its design, delivery and daily operation.”

The building will have a 1565 sqm Gross internal area, and an 830 sqm Net Lettable area. There will be 100 Workspaces; 15 incubation spaces; one multi-purpose training centre; two rentable meeting / conference rooms.

It will be a Zero Embodied Carbon Building in less than 60 years.

It will be a Net Producer of greater than 18,000 kWh energy per annum.

It will be a showcase of renewable technologies.

“This is a blueprint project, a template,” commented Cllr O'Meara, “for the rest of Ireland, and, indeed, the international community.”