Deep Energy Retrofit plan for the Enterprise Building

Over the summer of 2023 and 2024 the Enterprise building in our North Mall campus will undergo a deep energy retrofit that will reduce the building's energy use by 60% while also providing a more comfortable environment for our students and staff.

Under the HEA pathfinder program UCC applied for and secured 75% of the funding required to undertake the deep energy retrofit of the Enterprise building and install a ground source heating system. The HEA Pathfinder funding program seeks to test a range of building retrofit approaches to build evidence and capability in the sector, and to inform decisions as larger scale decarbonisation programmes are rolled out in the future.

A mini-bio blitz, facilitated by Irene (Greenshoots Coordinator) was carried out on Thursday 25^th of May. The team of recorders assessed UCC's wildflower meadow, which was sowed in 2018 as part of UCC's biodiversity plan and commitment to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. A variety of species were recorded; here is a sample list.

The 18th instalment of the Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to Professor Justin Holmes, the Professor of Nanochemistry in the School of Chemistry in UCC. Justin first talks about his early career in chemistry.

When I first joined the UCC Environmental Society as an undergraduate student in 2018, I knew next to nothing about environmental issues. I was aware of the ecological and human impacts of fast fashion, but other than that, my understanding was minimal. During my first year in the society, I focused my efforts on individual action, running events and designing how-to guides for students so they could learn to reduce their carbon footprints and how they could have a ‘green Christmas’. And if I knew next to nothing about environmental issues, I knew even less about economics.

If you’re walking through an Irish town or city, it won’t be long before you spot one (or many) brightly-coloured vapes that have been discarded on the ground or in our waterways. Vapes (also known as e-cigarettes) are handheld devices that use the heat generated from batteries to produce an aerosol mixture of nicotine, flavourings, and other chemicals that users inhale. First introduced to the market in the early 2000s, vaping has risen in popularity in recent years with many adults using vapes to stop smoking. They’re often perceived as being less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re safe.

Welcome to our monthly energy blog where we communicate UCC’s energy performance.

UCC Green Campus is delighted to host another Guided Meditation session hosted by The Green Step on 21st February from 5-6pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith The Hub, UCC. These monthly guided meditation sessions and mindful practices are suitable for beginners and offer a chance to relax, reflect and regenerate

Read on for details and to hear about some of the exciting events taking place on Campus this week.

• Repair and Mend Workshop, Monday 13^th March, 16:30-17:30. Western Gateway Building, 2.26
• Nature & Foraging Walk - Tuesday 14^th March, 12:00-14:00. Meeting at Glucksman Gallery 
• Spring Campus Biodiversity Walk - Wednesday 15^th March, 12:00-13:30. Meeting at UCC Main Gates (Alumni Bridge)

As part of UCC Green Week Niamh Guiry is hosting a symposium in The Shtepps in The Hub building on Monday the 13th of March at 5:30 pm. 

To download the programme click UCC Green Week Programme

You can download the full book of abstracts GwS Book of Abstracts