Johan Muller: Energy Officer

What is your job title?

My Job title is Energy Officer.

When did you start working in Kilkenny County Council?

I started working in Kilkenny County Council in mid-February.

What does your new role entail?

My role is to look after the energy management in the Council. This involves the reporting of energy consumption and other obligations on the SEAI Monitoring and Reporting (M&R) system and the maintenance of the ISO50001 Certification in Energy Management received in 2021. Through this process my role is to identify energy reduction and decarbonisation opportunities across the services provided by the Council, identify funding scheme and then support the completion of those projects. Currently the Energy Officers in each of the Local Authorities in the South East are collaborating as part of the SEAI Pathfinder Programme for the retrofit of Council buildings. I am also here to support other members of the Climate Action team and other sections in the Council with their energy and carbon emissions related queries.

Where did you work before this position?

Previously I worked for the South East Energy Agency as an Energy Engineer. The agency offered me my first job after my engineering degree in France. My role was to support the local authorities in the South East and the Midlands in complying with their energy obligations in term of reporting, auditing, display certificate and maintenance of their ISO50001 Certification. I was also mentoring other public sector organisations on behalf of the SEAI regarding their energy monitoring, gap to target and ISO50001 Certification.

What sports/hobbies do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I am member of a running club in Gowran and Triathlon Club in Kilkenny. In general, I would be running cross country during the Autumn and Winter and racing triathlon during spring and summer. I am also doing a few team adventure races during the year, those involve trail running, mountain biking, kayaking, orienteering and rope activities like climbing and abseiling. Team members need to stay together at all times and navigate the course with only the help of maps and compass. Those events can range from a few hours (morning or day event), locally they are organised by the Adventure Racing Ireland (ARI) association members, to the multi-day expedition race organised by members of the Adventure Race World Series (ARWS). On the multi-day events, sleep can become a luxury when you are competing for a podium or are struggling to meet cut-offs.

How important is the issue of Climate Change/Action to you personally?

Being from a farming background, climate change had a big impact on the way the family farm was run. It impacted the income from the sale of crop and the expenditure for the purchase of animal feed due to poor yield following, heavy rain or drought. Now, despite not being on the farm anymore, I am hearing more and more about the unpredictability of the weather and the increase in extreme event. Agriculture is the first emitter of GHG emissions, but it is also an essential sector for the provision of necessary resources for daily living. It needs to be part of the solution to mitigate against climate change.

On a personal level, during the COVID pandemic lockdown, with my landlord, we progressively insulated the house (attic and walls) to make it more energy efficient and lower its heating requirement. We also built a glass house using single glazed windows being replaced by a neighbour. The new glass house is now perfect to grow tomatoes, salads, and herbs.