Markree Castle

Project Name: Markree Castle, Co Sligo (December 2024)

Markree is a 17th Century authentic Irish 4* castle hotel situated in a 500 acre estate.  There are 31 en-suite luxurious bedrooms. Markree is one of the Romantic Castles of Ireland.

Facing steep annual carbon taxes, the hotel owners were motivated to boost their establishment’s eco-friendly image by prioritising sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. Moreover, they secured funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) through the SSRH (Support Scheme for Renewable Heat), a grant programme with a 15-year payback period, enabling them to transition to renewable energy and recover the costs associated with this upgrade.

Project Background – What the Client required?

Markree Castle wanted to improve their current heating system with the focus on reducing reliance on fossil fuels, improving sustainability and mitigating the cost of carbon tax. At present carbon tax is €56 per tonne of C02 which will rise annually until 2030 when it will be €100 per tonne. The biomass installation will have an annual CO2 saving of up to 160 tonnes. It was important that any installation was carried out with minimal disruption to the hotel. The biomass plantroom is built and fully equipped off site at our premises and transported to site and commissioned and connected to the hotel’s heating system within one day. The hotel will benefit from the SSRH grant (annual payments for 15 years) and once again the installation passed the SEAI inspection first time – highlighting the reputation we are gaining for our quality installation.

Biomass heating is a carbon-neutral fuel type that not only matches the energy efficiency of gas or oil but also sets itself apart as a green and renewable source of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, biomass heating contributes to a reduced carbon footprint, making it an environmentally responsible choice. One of the key advantages of biomass heating is its ability to provide consistent heating and hot water, even for large spaces or multi-roomed buildings like hotels.

Our company was contracted to provide install a biomass plant room which would integrate with their existing heating system. It consisted of following system elements:

  • Herz Firematic 349 Biomass Boiler (Wood Chip)
  • A 140m3 wood chip fuel store adjoining to the biomass plantroom is used to hold wood chip fuel for the boiler. Fuel is transferred via horizontal spring agitator from the fuel store and fed to the boiler via a screw conveyor. The operation of the conveyer is automatically controlled by the boiler controls.
  • Installation of 8,000 litre buffer tank
  • Expansion vessels
  • Energy saving pumps
  • Thermal insulation of the heating pipework system – insulated pumps & valve covers
  • Pipework connecting biomass boiler plantroom in Warehouse building to heated buildings will be buried pre-insulated REHAU Rauvitherm Pipe
  • Plate heat exchanger
  • BMS automated controls to maximise efficiency and generate reports

L-R

Ivan Sproule Energy Consultant, Nicholas Ryan Manager at Markree Castle, Paula Lynch – Programme Manager SSRH, John Smyth – CHP Mechanical Services Ltd, Tom O’Callaghan – SEAI Auditor