Ciaran Coffey is the Energy Manager at Maynooth University and has experience in both the public and private energy sectors. He is currently overseeing several energy efficiency projects at the university including LED lighting upgrades, boiler replacements, and planning for a large-scale CHP plant. Successful energy projects require technical knowledge, design support, adequate financing, and streamlined administration. Coffey has the in-house technical expertise and believes consultants can provide design support, but securing funding and simplifying the public sector procurement process are ongoing challenges.

1. Ciaran Coffey C Eng
Energy Manager Maynooth University
NUIM /SPCM
Background
- ESB 1984 – 1996 Semi State
- Superquinn 1996 – 2009 Private Sector
- NUI Maynooth 2009 – to date Public Sector

2. Current Projects at NUIM/SPCM
• Major LED Lighting Upgrade - External 95% - Internal 70%.
Total cost estimate €750k
• Mechanical plant replacement - 2 larger buildings – cost
estimate €350k
• Boiler replacement - Student Apartments 114 boilers being replaced with
12 boilers. Estimated cost €750k
• Boiler replacement and assoc. plant at one of our larger building €255k
• Convert large steam boiler from HFO to gas and remove HFO storage.
Estimated cost €120k (phase 1)
• Planning stage for a large scale CHP Plant. Estimated cost €1.5 m - €2m
• ISO 50001 certification in progress €20k – (energy credits)

3. Four Crucial Elements for success of
Energy Efficient Projects
• Technical Knowledge
• Design Support
• Finance
• Administration

4. Technical Knowledge
• In-house – experience (Energy Manager)
• Maintenance – experience
• Faculty knowledge – in house expertise
(Dept. of Electronic Engineering)

5. Design Support
Consultant and Specialists – Framework
- Design
- Professional Indemnity
- Tendering
- Project management
- Commissioning
- Validation – Energy Saving

6. Finance
• Grant Aid (Really Good)
It can get marginal projects over the line. (Lighting Upgrade)
• Maintenance Budgets (Good and Bad)
Budgets are often thinly spread and specification can suffer as a consequence
• Emergency Funding (Usually Bad)
This is usually provided to resolve an issue quickly – often the specification is poor.
• Ad Hoc Funding (Good depending.....)
This often allows projects which are already identified to proceed
• ESCO Model (Really good idea .....)
For long payback projects a simple model could really work
• E I B Funding ( So far so good ...)
We have secured EIB funding which has allowed us to take on large scale projects

7. Public Sector Administration for
projects valued up to €2m
• Procurement – Tendering Is bureaucratic. Selective
tendering works in the Private Sector.
• Evaluation of tenders is overly complicated
• A simple Legal Pack would help (off the shelf)
• ESCO – a simple user friendly model is required
• Grants for Education sector when available need to be
allocated early in the year

8. CHP Plant

9. Old 1.2mW sectional
Boiler x 2
9 x 250w modular Boilers

10. Lighting Upgrade Voltage Control

11. Conclusion
• We have the Technical Knowledge
• The market can provide the Design Support
(Framework)
• We need the money
• We need to simplify the Administration