Teagasc and Geological Survey of Ireland will run a half day workshop on Tuesday, 22nd February from 10am - 1pm on heat pump technologies and their relevance to the agricultural sector.

With farm carbon emissions under the spotlight and an increasing emphasis on sustainable agriculture, many producers are moving away from fossil fuels.

Heat pumps can offer a good solution for poultry, pig, horticultural units and on some specialised tillage units, with a low carbon footprint and the advantage that they can cool as well as warm spaces to keep buildings at the ideal temperature, whatever the weather.

The workshop will address the following areas:

• How they work
• Ground source heat suitability maps (Geological Survey Ireland)
• Benefits to farmers
• Installation and running costs
• The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat
• Compatibility with existing heating system
• Planning and potential pitfalls
• Integrating green electricity
• Examples of heat pumps in action (Horticulture & Pigs)

Agenda

• Introduction to Heat Pumps in Agriculture - Barry Caslin, Teagasc
• Overview of Geological Survey Ireland’s geothermal programme - Sarah Blake, Geological Survey Ireland
• Using shallow geothermal energy with heat pumps - Taly Hunter Williams, Geological Survey Ireland
• Heat Pumps in the Dairy and Agribusiness sectors - David Connolly, Astatine
• Developing Policy to Support Heat Pumps - Nick Vafeas. iCRAG, UCD
• Farm case study - Mike Cotter, Alternative Heating & Cooling (AHAC)
• Irish Heat Pump Association - Walter Stephens, Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions Europe

Followed by discussion.

Download the workshop flyer here.