ESB International - Cúl Green
What is Cúl Green?
Cúl Green is a major energy efficiency partnership between the GAA and ESB, making Croke Park a carbon neutral stadium.
A carbon-neutral Croke Park
Croke Park has become one of the first net-carbon neutral stadiums in the world. ESB and the GAA announced on Friday 1 May 2009 that the stadium - which attracted almost two million visitors last year - has reduced its carbon footprint by 4,500 tonnes, reaching the standard required to deem it a carbon-neutral venue.
The target has been reached through a major overhaul of energy management at the stadium and by fans pledging reductions in their own carbon footprint.
ESB International involvement
As part of the Carbon Management Plan for the stadium, Deirdre Newell, an Environmental Engineering Specialist from ESB International, along with ESB engineers carried out an environmental audit to establish how Croke Park could maximise energy efficiencies and reduce its overall energy consumption.
A new energy monitoring system was put in place at the stadium that has resulted in it reducing its energy consumption in the first three months of 2009 by over 10% compared to the same period last year.
The stadium also has a renewable energy supply agreement with ESB Independent Energy (ESBIE). By choosing resource, ESBIE's Renewable Energy Portfolio, Croke Park Stadium made a strategic commitment to reduce the impact of its energy consumption on the environment.
Your involvement
Fans played a crucial role in the delivery of Cúl Green's targets. A total of 33,000 energy saving pledges were made on the Cúl Green website www.culgreen.ie. Pledges involve fans pooling travel arrangements to and from Croke Park; using public transport; switching off lights and electrical appliances when not in use; installing enhanced energy insulation in their homes and places of work. These efficiencies were netted against the residual carbon footprint for Croke Park using a methodology accredited by an independent assessor (CRed - University of East Anglia).
At Culgreen.ie, you can make "energy saving" pledges towards the environmental targets for Croke Park.
Cúl Green success
Padraig McManus, ESB Chief Executive said "Achieving a net carbon neutral facility on the scale of Croke Park and in less than a year has involved an enormous amount of expertise and skill as well as public participation. The project has shown us what can be done with the right mixture of technical knowledge and public commitment. Croke Park serves as an exemplar and blueprint for how carbon neutral status can be achieved against considerable odds."
Peter McKenna, Stadium Director Croke Park, said "Our net carbon neutral goal has been achieved through the collaboration and commitment of the GAA, ESB, and Croke Park along with the support of fans and the general public in making carbon saving pledges. We are very proud to be the first carbon neutral stadium in the country and all visitors to the stadium, museum and conference centre appreciate the efforts that are being made. We look forward to achieving even more ambitious energy efficiency targets in the years ahead."