Research
Updated 3rd October 2009
The Need for research
The Sustainability Institute is carrying out research into many aspects of food production, renewable energy and sustainable building techniques. One of the most interesting projects to date was the hot box test which compared the performance of a variety of insulation products in different conditions. This project, although very modest, yielded a wealth of useful data.
The results of the hot box test have been published in Issue 1 of Sustainability magazine. Among the more interesting findings is the discovery that the multi-layer foil insulation product Tri-Iso Super 10 does not live up to the claims of the manufacturer Actis. This had already been suggested in a study carried out in the UK by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) but there is a lot to be said for first hand evidence.
Current research
The Sustainability Institute has recently carried out an energy audit of the county of Mayo. This project has examined all renewable energy resources within the county and has estimated the realistic achievable development of these resources by 2020. The project was approximately 17 percent funded by Mayo County Council under the Local Agenda 21 programme. The balance was put up by the Sustainability Institute, or came from donations.
Food production
Food security is set to become the defining issue of the 21st century, both globally and nationally. It may come as a surprise to many people that most of the food eaten in Ireland is imported. Almost all of it is produced under conditions of intensive agriculture, with high dependency on fossil fuels.
Less than two percent - some estimates put this figure even lower - is produced using sustainable methods of agriculture.
For Ireland to move towards greater food security will involve firstly more food for domestic markets being grown in Ireland, and secondly, a much higher proportion of food being produced using methods that are sustainable in the long term. This in turn will involve more local, small scale production, and a greater diversification of crops grown.
Domestic gardens ands municipal allotments will play an increasing role in providing food in the future. The Sustainability Institute has been carrying out research into small scale sustainable food production, and recently carried out a detailed food audit of the institute site near Westport. The energy value of all the crops grown on the site was carefully calculated, and compared to the estimated yields in the future if growing potential were maximised.
The 0.16 ha site currently produces food with an energy value of about 100,000 kcal per annum. This represents about 40 days supply of food for one adult - not bad considering only a fraction of the site is actually devoted to food production - the remainder being used for buildings and hard surfaces, nursery beds, and biomass (firewood) production. However, it is estimated that food production can be increased by a factor of three to five over a period of eight to ten years.
Results will be posted on this site on a regular basis. The research will provide valuable and much needed information on potential food yields in mixed land use situations - an essential resource in developing greater food security in Ireland.
Fruit and nut trials
The Institute has now established a small nursery operation on site, dedicated to raising varieties of fruits and nuts suitable for the Irish climate. The work is concentrating on damsons, plums, blueberries, Siberian kiwis, apples, cobnuts, chestnuts and walnuts. Trees are planted out on site where space permits, and are also offered for sale. Some cultivars are also bought in from specialist nurseries in the UK, the Netherlands and France.
The Institute also offers support for landowners wishing to participate in nut tree trials in other parts of Ireland. Trees are available at discounted prices and a free site assessment is provided.
Further details can be found on our sister website: fruitandnut.ie
National Nut Tree Audit
During the early 1880s , Robert Hutchison carried out a series of tree audits on behalf of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. One of these was on walnut trees. Robert catalogued the largest walnut trees growing in Scotland at that time, some of which were hundreds of years old and had girths of in excess of 6 meters (20 feet). He also noted that some of the trees produced occasional crops of ripe nuts, including one remarkable tree on the Altyre estate east of Inverness, some 250km north of Edinburgh. This location is at 57.5º N and far, far further north than it is generally assumed walnuts can bear viable nuts. The occasional success of walnuts in Scotland certainly illustrates the potential for Ireland. The surveys carried out by Robert Hutchison also demonstrate the importance of cataloguing information.
The Sustainability Instutute, in conjunction with Sonairte, the National Ecology Centre, is intending to carry out an audit of nut-bearing walnut and Spanish chestnut trees growing in Ireland. The audit is to be publicised in the local and national press in the near future. People with nut bearing trees will be requested to pass on details of their trees to either Sonairte or the Sustainability Institute, where the information will be compiled into one reference document. It is hoped this information will help determine climatic and topographical limitations for both species of tree, and provide a focus for the trialling of new nut trees in Ireland. For further information, phone 087 6714075.
Walnuts in Scotland (Robert Hutchison's survey)
Biomass production
The Sustainability Institute has also carried out a detailed biomass audit of the institute site. The annual yield of biomass suitable for burning as fuel on site is upwards of 1000kg (weight at 20 percent moisture content). This study has provided an evaluation of the growing resource on a tree by tree basis, and includes an estimate of current volume in cubic meters and of additional volume per annum. The current yield per unit area is far higher than can be achieved from conventional broadleaved forestry. The big question is can this high yield be maintained long term. There are no imports of artificial fertilizer.
Another aspect of this research looks at annual production of green or semi-woody material suitable for composting. This resource is utilised in two ways: firstly from fallen leaved that naturally collect under the trees, and secondly from material that is taken from coppiced or pruned trees during the growing season. The latter - which included some woody material up to 2cm in diameter - is composted on a controlled basis in relatively large but simple composting boxes made from unmortared concrete blocks.
This year (2009) is the third year of operation. The volume of raw material added so far this year (measured when compressed by repeatedly trampling on the material inside the box) is in the region of 5 m³. A nutritional analysis of the resultant compost will be provided when the composting process is complete in two years time.
Other composting experiments
Over 95 percent of paper and cardboard wastes generated by the instutute are composted on site. Recently, glossy paper, and half rotted composite timber boards have been added to the material being composted. Generally these are mixed with high nitrogen materials such as lawn cuttings to accelerate composting.
Other renewable energy-related research
The Institute is also very interested in setting up a small solar testing facility in Co. Mayo. Independent research carried out in Switzerland suggests that contrary to the claims of the manufacturers and suppliers of evacuated tube solar collectors, this type of collector is actually less efficient than the flat plate collectors. This finding has enormous implications for the development of the solar energy resource in Ireland. Further research is urgently required.
Another area in which there is a dearth of reliable information is the micro-wind sector. Given that unti recently the Sustainability office was powered by an off-grid solar PV and wind installation - and will be again in the near future - we can hardly be accused of being hostile to these technologies, but at the same time we are appalled by the lack of good independent data on the products. Funding permitting, we intend carrying out tests into some of the micro turbines currently on the market. If it goes ahead, this project will be the first comprehensive study of micro wind ever carried out in Ireland, and will provide valuable information both to consumers and people working in the sector.
Sustainable building methods and materials
The Institute is also interested in examining the problems of moisture in straw bale constructions. Anecdotal evidence suggests that most straw bale structures built in Ireland to date have suffered problems with high moisture levels within the straw. We believe that this is not due to inherent shortcomings of straw as a building material but more a reflection of the need to design carefully and to build to the highest possible standards when using straw bale in a damp humid climate.
A further research project will examine the performance of insulation in cavity wall construction. It will focus on the performance of the insulation in relation to varying standards of workmanship and competence during installation.
We are under the impression that Sustainable Energy Ireland, the government body charged with promoting renewable energy in Ireland, is frightened to fund the type of research we are proposing, in case the findings contradict much of the ‘perceived wisdom’ in the sector and illustrate the folly of some of their own ‘green’ initiatives.
State Research
In 2004 alone, SEI provided €1,000,000 for research and consultancy reports on large scale wind technology. While there may be benefits arising from this research, they are hard to ascertain at the present time. Also in 2004, SEI spent €3,000,000 on the ‘house of tomorrow’ and other projects within the building sector. A similar amount of money was allocated in 2005, and presumably in 2006. In addition, up to €20,000,000 was spent on financing the so called ‘Greener Homes Scheme’. This very poorly thought out scheme was a knee jerk reaction to a decade of doing nothing to promote greater sustainability in the housing sector. The most significant change which took place during that period was the relentless suburbanisation of the countryside.
While it is true to say that some householders have benefited from the Greener Homes Scheme, it beggars belief that there was absolutely no mechanism in place to ensure best practise or even competence among the installers. Equally, it is astonishing that grants of €4-6000 were handed out to householders to install wood pellet or heat pump based heating systems in their homes without a proviso obliging them to take steps towards making their homes more energy efficient (as is the case in the UK).
None of the money allocated by the State to research and development in the building sector was spent on research into low cost low impact dwellings. None of it was used to carry out research into alternative low embodied energy building materials such as cob, straw or hemp lime. None of it has been used to examine ways of recycling construction materials.
Much of the research and development has focussed on expensive high tech, high embodied energy materials and equipment. To the best of our knowledge, almost no monitoring of completed ‘low energy’ or ‘passive’ houses has taken place. Very little work has been done on investigating best practise regarding the installation of insulation and on how installation techniques influence the thermal performance of buildings. The direction of research and development has been entirely dictated by large commercial interests in the construction and domestic heating sectors. This is not in the public interest.
Individual and Corporate Sponsorship
We are seeking sponsorship from individual and corporate sources. In the short to medium term most of the funding sought relates to the purchase of monitoring equipment and materials, and to installation infrastructure. None of this money will go on wages or administrative costs and all expenditure is fully documented.
Any organisation or individual who thinks they can help in any way is requested to contact us directly.
