At Ghan House, we take clean energy very seriously. In recent years we’ve been taking initiatives to make clean energy choices. Below is a list of the Initiatives taken & being taken to make Ghan House more energy efficient, save money & therefore, reducing our carbon footprint! This is only the start of our clean energy journey…
We now use, converting all energy use to KW, 31% less energy per year in 2023 compared to comparable year 2017. In addition, the carbon footprint has been reduced by 48%.
Energy Initiatives
Water
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- Pipes on our roof direct all of our rainwater under the car park & automatically feeds our pond (1998).
- Gents’ toilet is fitted with movement sensors for urinals and tap (1999).
- We all like a good powerful shower in the morning, so we use a water pump for all our showers – so we save water & re-use water elsewhere;
- Being on 12 acres, there are water pipes running underground in a lot of places – so water use is monitored & measured each week – so water leaks (and there have been a few) are quickly realised and fixed. (www.newater.ie John/Larry)
- Ladies’ toilet in the bar is fitted with movement sensor for tap, flush and soap dispenser – cutting down water use and better from hygiene aspect. (2001)
Gas
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- Is from 100% renewable sources – BioLPG is made from a mix of wastes & residues and sustainably sourced vegetable oils. We pay extra for renewable rather than conventional gas.
- Dryer for laundry – gas dryer – fitted 2002 – a clear sign indicating precise drying time for various types of load – correct drying time eliminates approx 10 – 20% of gas use.
Electricity
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- All the electricity is from 100% renewable sources and has been since 2015.
- The Main House & the 8 garden bedrooms are kept at a constant 21 degrees Celsius & constant hot water by 2 x Air Source heat pumps. The idea is that instead of the old gas boiler periodically blasting the radiators & water tank with loads heat, off & on, a gentle heat is maintained at 21-degree 24hrs a day. Hence the radiators will never be hot, a gentle warmth will be maintained and regulated by how warm the outside temperature is. (Jan 18th 2018 & Jan 21st 2022).
If you want to learn more about the system, talk to me – Paul. - Outside the garden bedrooms you will see 2 car electric charge points – which all we ask our guests who use them to make a donation, into the charity box by the jams in the entrance hall. (2013)
- All batteries for TV & mini hi-fis are rechargeable. (2001)
- Non-atmospheric lighting changed to low energy bulbs – such as corridors & lighting with coloured shade.
- All unnecessary electricals such as lights and computers are turned off when not in use.
- 3 public toilets & all downstairs garden bedroom bathrooms fitted with a motion detector fan that will automatically turn off if no movement for 3 minutes (2015 & 2018).
- Bar lights have been changed to low energy smart bulbs.
When all bar lights are on, it is now 60W versus 600W previously. (2012)
- 70% of electricity consumed at Ghan House is now from wind turbines (from the electricity company), and all is 100% renewable making the electricity used almost 4 times cleaner than the average usage over the whole of Ireland.
Waste
- Your toiletries in your bedroom – are not tested on animals, they have no SLSs, parabens or petrochemicals and the card packaging used if you wish to buy – is from sustainable sources and printed with vegetable-derived ink. They come from the Handmade Soap Company in nearby Slane – giving us less waste and giving you enough gorgeous product to keep clean!
- Likewise, for breakfast, instead of small little pots of jams & marmalades, there is a selection of larger pots to choose from to help yourself to your own jam & marmalade – which are made by proprietor Joyce Carroll.
- Both the milk and orange juice are supplied in glass bottles which are returned to Muchgrange Farm – just down the road – cutting out about 3 sacks of bin bags full of single use plastic bottles each week.(March 2022)
- Both the soaps and jams are available for sale if you like them as much as we do!
- We compost uncooked fruit & veg peelings. Old kitchen oil is kept and then taken away & recycled into fuel by Frylite. All cooked leftover food is taken away by Frylite for conversion to lorry fuel, energy use & compost
- Periodically (depending on decomposition) 100% of breakfast waste into green cone & decompose naturally – we have 3 green cones all called different days of the week. (2010)
- Own herb & vegetable gardens for the kitchens.
- Old newspapers & paper napkins used to make log fires.
- All cardboard, paper and plastic bottles into green bin for recycling. All glass bottles & kitchen oil are collected for recycling.
- Deliveries into kitchen – most boxes and crates taken back by supplier for re-use at time of delivery.
- Both sides of A4 printed paper used when appropriate.
- On arrival after a long journey, we appreciate you may have built up some debris in the car – which is why by the door to the garden bedrooms, we have provided you with 4 waste bins segregated into glass, plastic, paper & cans!
Other initiatives
- Customer bills, if not kept, are sliced in ½ and postcard for sale to guests & money encouraged to go into charity box.
- Our main house oil boiler (which now since Jan 2022 only kicks in when really cold as Air Source now operating) has had its’ burner adjusted & configured to burn diesel instead of Kerosene (2005)
- Gas drier installed for laundry (2002). Gas meter for the kitchen, gas meter for the laundry, electric meters for the 2 x Air Source Heat pumps, the overall electric meter, the meter on the oil boiler are all read every week & any discrepancies addressed. (2005). I use the app called ‘Meter Readings’ – by Graham Haley from the App store
- The water meter is also read remotely (by newater.ie) & any water leaks can be detected within 24hrs. (2010)
- Attic spaces fitted with 100% Pure Sheep wool insulation (8 to 10 inches) from County Wicklow www.sheepwoolinsulation.com – Aishling
- Feather down & duvets and pillows – are made from 100% natural materials – asthma & allergy treated (Oeko-Tex 100) – and are anti allergic and asthma safe (County Wicklow – www.bedsofafeather.com – Deborah or Freya).
Low, warm, energy efficient lighting at Ghan House.
Future Plans
- 50KW Solar electricity generation
- Convert commercial kitchen from gas to 100% electric & change gas drier to moist sensor electric drier & hence zero gas .
- Windmill for electricity generation.
- Biogas waste food into gas generation.
