Gaelectric employees at the summit of Carrantuohill with a 50 watt wind turbine to showcase the benefits of renewable energy
A charity climb up Ireland’s highest mountain Carrantuohill over the weekend resulted in a wind turbine being placed on the summit to showcase the benefits of renewable power.
A team of climbers from the wind energy developer and energy storage company Gaelectric took part in a charity challenge up Carrantuohill on Saturday in order to raise up to €20,000 for three charities: Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland, Renewable World, and United Ways of Cascade County in the US.
In all, more than 30 climbers from Gaelectric reached the summit of Carrantuohill, Ireland’s highest peak at 3,414 feet or 1,041 metres, to erect a 50 watt wind turbine. The idea of the challenge was to demonstrate how the turbine could generate sufficient electricity power to pump 20 litres of water from Lake Eighter at the foot of the mountain.
Gerard Vowles, a project manager at Gaelectric and team leader of the event, said the challenge aimed to demonstrate the untapped reserves of wind energy available throughout Ireland, and to show how that energy can be harvested, stored and put to useful effect.
Gaelectric’s in-house technical team designed and manufactured the turbine.
