Island facts
Sherkin Island, Ireland, is located southwest of County Cork - together with the islands of Roaringwater Bay. The island is interconnected to the neighbouring island of Cape Clear. Sherkin's ultimate aim is to achieve a 100% RES goal through developing its own microgrid and exploring options for transitioning the island's ferries to green, sustainable alternatives, which are essential given the island's reliance on ferry transport.
Sherkin Island Development Society (SIDS) is a versatile local development company committed to community welfare and sustainable development. As such it has been working with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to develop an Energy Master Plan for Sherkin Island. This plan is crucial for the promotion of the energy efficiency, the adoption of renewable energy sources, and sustainable practices, contributing to both environmental conservation and long-term energy security on Sherkin Island.
Key findings from the Energy Master Plan provided valuable insights into the island's residential energy needs to inform strategies for energy efficiency and retro-fitting. Understanding non-domestic energy usage on the island and addressing the broader energy consumption patterns that encompass businesses and infrastructure is now required to complete the Energy Master Plan. Sherkin island will also work with the small neighbouring islands of Heir and Long to bring them along in this decarbonisation journey.
Please note that Sherkin Island has applied for the 30 for 2030 call jointly with Inishbofin | Clean energy for EU islands (europa.eu) and Bere Island | Clean energy for EU islands (europa.eu)