Solar panels at Inishtrahull (photo: John Kelly)

OUR POLICY of providing lights using efficient renewable energy systems continues. Last year I reported that one major acetylene gas light and four minor gas lights had been converted to solar powered electric lights. These lights have worked well since their inception; indeed the new lights at Blackrock Mayo and the Carlingford Leading Lights have been reported as considerably better than the gas lights they replaced. The programme has been continued in 2000, and two major electric lights and two minor gas lights have been converted to operate using energy efficient equipment powered from battery backed solar energy.

Bull Rock Lighthouse
At Bull Rock the optic system was replaced with a PRL400 dual-drive revolving pedestal supplied by Pelangi, similar to that used in the Blackrock Mayo project, and equipped with main and standby 35 Watt discharge lamps mounted in a lamp changer, to give a 21 nautical mile white light. The eight-panel lens arrangement on the pedestal rotates at Þ rpm to give one flash every 15 seconds. The light went into operation on 18 September 2000.

The monitoring equipment has been replaced with an energy efficient Datac 932 unit which communicates directly with the monitoring centre in Dun Laoghaire through the cellular mobile phone network.

The systems are powered by an array of 32 Solarnova 50 Watt solar panels arranged to charge two parallel connected 24 volt 2,750 Ampere hour (Ah) lead acid batteries through regulators. The solar panel array has been mounted on a stainless steel frame located close to the old fog signal house on top of the rock.

The two diesel generators at the station, which can be switched on remotely through the monitoring system, will now just provide back up power to charge the main batteries if required, provide intermittent conditioning heating for the dwelling, and provide domestic power for visiting personnel.

The old oil store, which was erected just over a hundred years ago as a temporary structure, has been replaced by a smaller unit comprising a structural steel frame clad with Tegral fibre cement sheeting.

Inishtrahull Lighthouse
Inishtrahull is the second major lighthouse to be converted to operate from solar power in 2000. At this station the existing 375 mm glass optic and its PRB22 rotating pedestal have been retained but the 1 kWatt metal arc lamps have been replaced with 35 Watt discharge lamps fitted in a lamp changer incorporating glass reeded diffusers. This reduces the nominal range of the light from 23 to 19 nautical miles. It went into operation on the 12 September 2000.

Although the fog signal at this station was discontinued some years ago, the visibility meter has been retained to switch on the light in poor visibility. The station is also equipped with a dual-band X/S Racon (radar transponder beacon).

The monitoring equipment has been replaced with a Datac 932 unit similar to that used in Bull Rock, which communicates through the cellular mobile phone network directly with the monitoring centre in Dun Laoghaire.

The systems are powered by an array of 36 Solarnova 50 Watt solar panels arranged to charge two parallel connected 24 volt 2,750 Ah lead acid batteries through regulators. The solar panel array has been mounted on a stainless steel frame located between the dwelling and the tower.

To provide back-up power, two of the diesel generators have been retained; these can be switched on remotely to charge the main batteries if required. They also provide intermittent conditioning heating for the dwelling and provide domestic power for visiting personnel.

Angus Rock Lighthouse
The propane gas powered light at Angus Rock was converted to electric on 18 July 2000. The new light is a Vega VLB 38 LED Beacon. This is a new technology beacon and comprises a sealed optic inside which is a circular array of high output light emitting diodes (LEDs). At this station the requirement is for a red light with a nominal range of 6 nautical miles.

The system is powered from three Solarex 38 Watt solar panels mounted on the balcony wall charging a 340 Ah battery housed in a stainless steel box on the first floor of the tower. A new stainless steel balcony railing was manufactured in the Lighthouse Depot and fitted at the station to ensure the safety of personnel working on the balcony.

Inishgort Lighthouse
This light was converted from a propane gas light to a solar electric powered light in October 2000. The light consists of a Tideland ML300 lantern with 20 Watt tungsten halogen lamps fitted in a lamp changer to give a white light with a nominal range of 10 nautical miles.

The system is powered from four 50 Watt solar panels mounted on the outside of the balcony railings charging a 510 Ah battery. The new light went into operation on 21 October 2000.

Valentia Directional Light
Work to replace the directional light at Valentia with a modern equivalent and to improve safety aspects at the station was completed on 23 November 2000.

The new light is a sectored precision entry light (pel) similar to that used at Cashla Bay Lighthouse, which provides red, white and green sectors for safe entry through the channel. The pel lantern uses a projection lens system to produce very accurate boundaries between the colours. It is fitted with 35 Watt tungsten halogen lamps in a six-place lampchanger to provide a nominal range of 11 nautical miles in the 2 degrees of arc white sector and 8 nautical miles in the red and green sectors. At the same time the rear leading light was replaced with a PL155 lantern.

Skelligs Rock and Eagle Island Lighthouses
Work has commenced on the design, specification, and procurement of equipment for the re-equipping and solarisation of Skelligs Rock and Eagle Island Lighthouses.

Light Intensity Measurements
During the past year the General Lighthouse Authorities' Research and Development Section based in Trinity House carried out light intensity tests at Eagle Island to assist with the selection of a suitable replacement lamp for the solarisation programme, and at Inisheer and Broadhaven Lighthouses to investigate possible replacement lamps.

Vessel Traffic Services
Throughout the year Irish Lights has continued to co-operate with port authorities wishing to extend their Vessel Traffic Services (vts). At Loop Head Lighthouse, Shannon Estuary Ports have installed radar and communications equipment to supplement the system already at Kilcredaune Lighthouse to enhance their vts facilities at the mouth of the Shannon.

The Port of Waterford Company has installed radar and communications equipment at Hook Head Lighthouse to provide extended vts facilities at the entrance to Waterford Harbour.

At time of writing Belfast Harbour Commissioners are proceeding with the installation of radar and communications equipment at Blackhead Antrim which will transfer radar images back to the Belfast vts Control Centre.

Review of Maintenance Management Strategy and Procedures
In the past twelve months Irish Lights has initiated a major review of engineering design, maintenance, project installation, and buoy assembly operations. P-E Ireland management consultants, who were employed to carry out the initial studies, commenced work on the project in November 1999 and consulted widely with employees at all levels in the organisation. Their report, which was made available to all engineering employees in July 2000, recommended wide-ranging changes to the way work is carried out and managed.

They found that whereas engineering standards were very good, and the Service provided marine aids to navigation which consistently met or exceeded national and international reliability and performance standards, the structure of the Engineering Department should be altered to re-define key areas of managerial control and responsibility.

The Board accepted the findings and recommendations set out in the consultants' report. A Change Management Team was set up within the Engineering Department in June 2000 to formulate proposals for the way forward based on the recommendations, and proposals for New Working Arrangements were presented to a meeting of all Engineering Department employees at the Lighthouse Depot on 15 September 2000.

Traditionally the Engineering Department has been organised along the disciplinary lines of electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering design sections, with the Lighthouse Depot workforce carrying out buoy preparation at the Depot, and equipment installation and maintenance operations on the coast. A team of coast-based employees managed by the civil engineering section carries out building maintenance.

The main thrust proposed in the new way of working is Team Working, the use of dedicated multi-disciplinary multi-skilled teams for projects, maintenance, and buoy assembly operations, working without demarcation but within skills competence levels.

In the new structure it is proposed that a Principal Projects & Design Manager, supported by Projects Managers and Design & Planning Engineers, will look after all planning, design, and installation work associated with projects. Three dedicated projects teams of multi-disciplined design and installation technicians will be established and will be led by working team leaders.

It is also proposed that an Engineering Operations Manager, supported by two Regional Managers, will manage all electrical and mechanical maintenance work in regional areas on the coast, carried out by four multi-disciplinary maintenance teams, again led by working team leaders.

The emphasis of maintenance is to move from mainly 'fire brigade' breakdown maintenance to planned preventative maintenance, with one or two planned maintenance visits to each station every year.

A Depot Operations Manager, who will be responsible for the Lighthouse Depot and the buoy assembly operations team, will also support the Engineering Operations Manager.

Building and infrastructure work, carried out by the coast workforce, will remain under the control the Civil Engineering and Property Manager.

The support functions of safety management, planning, and lighthouse monitoring are also included in the team-working concept.

Travelling arrangements for Depot based employees are set to change with the proposed introduction of a number of Service vehicles and the extension of the use of personal cars. Training programmes will be initiated to update existing skills, and provide additional skills consistent with individuals' abilities and the changing needs of the Service.

Maintenance
Throughout the year our crews of technicians, coast tradesmen, painters and general workers have worked hard to ensure that all our aids to navigation meet the required international availability standards. This work is carried out in adverse weather conditions at times, and thanks are due to each one of them for playing their part.

Senior Engineering Managers
Three Senior Engineering Managers retired from the Service in the last twelve months: John Donnelly, Bill Mawdsley and Michael Taylor. We wish them a long and happy retirement.