The Falls Hotel of Ennistymon, Co. Clare, used over 6,000 kilowatts of electricity during the Clare constituency's general election count in 2016, which is enough power to enable an average electric car to circumnavigate the planet. However, when the time comes to count the votes again next month, the hotel will be generating electricity instead of consuming it thanks to a hydroelectric power plant that has been constructed at the property.
The Falls Hotel estimates that, to date, the plant, which uses water from the nearby River Inagh to generate power, has prevented the release of 550 tons of carbon into the environment.
"Looking For Green Places To Comes And Stay"
The Irish Times quotes McCarthy as saying, "People are looking for green places to come and stay.
"These days everyone wants to do their bit for the environment. If you could choose between two hotels, one that was green and one that wasn't, you'd pick the green hotel all day long."
The hotel also plans to create a pumping system that would allow the venue to generate all of its hot water from renewable sources.
"Education Is The Key"
McCarthy asserted, "Everyone needs to do their bit. Awareness of the environment and the different issues that need to be addressed has grown massively in this area in recent years. I think that education is the key. The more people know, the better able they will be to change."
Prioritising The Fish
Commenting on how the plant affects fish in the river, McCarthy added, "If the level in the river starts to get low, the turbine stops working, so it never takes all the water from the river. The river gets priority over the power and the fish pass is the top priority. If there was a drought, the fish pass is the last bit of the river that will dry out."
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
