Tell us about your organisation?

Derry City and Strabane District Council is one of 11 local councils within Northern Ireland. The council are responsible for recycling and waste services, parks and greenways, leisure and sports services, community projects, arts and culture, business support services, planning and building control, local regenerations projects, sustainable development and energy. Council are not responsible for schools or road services. ·

Give us an overview of your region?

Located in the North Western part of Northern Ireland, this region covers an area of 1,238 km squared. The main city is Derry and the largest town is Strabane. The population of the region is listed as 150,679 (in 2018). Currently, the region is highly dependent on fossil fuels. 70% of homes in Northern Ireland are heated by oil. Nevertheless, Derry City has access to natural gas heating and parts of Strabane are starting to become connected to a new pipeline project within the town. In a study by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in 2016 it was indicated that 31% of households in the DCSDC region were affected by fuel poverty. ·

Who are you working with in your organisation and region on the SMARTrenew project?

Within the region we are working with a smart heating company called Heatboss who are based in County Antrim. We also are working with a renewable energy provider / installer BI Electrical they are also based in County Antrim. We are engaging with our museum team from our Guildhall and Harbour Museum sites. We are also engaging with our community wellbeing team within council as part of the SMARTrenew project.

Why is renewable energy important to your region and what can it gain from SMARTrenew pilots?

Across Derry City & Strabane region there are 97 renewable sites with a capacity of 304 MW and a generation output of 714,676 MWH, and this accounts for 31% of total renewable generation in Northern Ireland. This NW region has a high ratio of wind farms within Northern Ireland due to its remote rural location and high availability of wind power. Despite this the region still depends of fossil fuelled power, heat and transport. SMARTrenew pilots can be used to showcase local SMART innovative technology such as the Heatboss smart heating system designed and developed within NI. Pilots also educate, inform and prove to the wider public that SMART renewable systems can provide heat and power in a low carbon form at an affordable cost.

What would you like to achieve under SMARTrenew?

Under the SMARTrenew project we would like to build on our relationships with our project partners across Europe. The NW region also wants to install innovative smart technology solutions within its buildings to showcase local technology. We also would like to enhance our working relationship with technology companies, academia, community groups, citizens and within other council departments. The long term aim of this project is to embed energy efficiency and low carbon thinking within our organisation.

Contact Leo Strawbridge leo.strawbridge@derrystrabane.com

Read more about SMARTrenew partner Derry City & Strabane District Council