Plans to establish Ireland’s national wind energy academy in Donegal

A NATIONAL wind energy academy is to be established in Donegal as part of the county’s efforts to market itself as the number one area in the country for wind energy.

Donegal is a net exporter of wind energy to the rest of the country, exporting 160mw of the 240mw it produces. It aims to provide 350mw to 500mw of wind energy by 2020.

The first phase of the establishment of the academy will see the continued development of Letterkenny Institute of Technology’s (LYIT) Higher Certificate in Engineering (Wind Energy) programme. A franchise agreement has just been signed between LYIT and BZEE, Germany’s leading centre for renewable energy education, allowing LYIT to deliver the BZEE course.