Sustainable & Regenerative Tourism

Sustainable & Regenerative Tourism - Our Journey

We are privileged to live in a region so incredibly scenic, culturally rich and environmentally diverse. To ensure its preservation and ongoing regeneration for generations to come we need to carefully mind its unique landscape, biodiversity, heritage, language & culture as we seek to minimise our impact and reduce our carbon footprint. It is our way of showing appreciation and respect for our environs and our community. We strongly believe that by working together, small acts, across local businesses and local communities like ours, can have a very positive impact. We are committed to playing our part and in doing so; ensuring that people continue to have the opportunity to live, visit and enjoy this most wonderful part of the world.

Circular Economy for Regenerative Tourism (CE4RT) Training & Coaching Programme

While a sustainable and regenerative ethos was always at the heart of our values at Cill Bhreac House, we got a great boost in our endeavours when we were chosen to participate in the Circular Economy for Regenerative Tourism (CE4RT) Training & Coaching programme that ran from January 2023 to January 2025. Led by Munster Technological University, it gave 80 cross-sectorial tourism SMEs from Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Poland & The Netherlands a unique opportunity to go on a shared journey towards embedding circular and regenerative practices into the core of our businesses.

Sustainability Strategy

Through the CE4RT programme, lots was learned and lots was achieved. Our carbon footprint was calculated and our sustainability strategy was formulated. A clear action plan was formulated to guide us in our journey towards carbon neutrality. Below are some insights on progress that we have been making across the key pillars of our sustainability plan.

Pillar 1: Tackling Climate Action & Biodiversity

We did a deep dive into our use of fossil fuels and water, how much we waste, where we put it and how we can bring more buzz and life to our great outdoors. Below are some key measures that we have implemented and significant investments that we have made that have slashed our co2 emissions across the key areas of energy, water and waste.

Fossil Fuels

- 16,965kWp Commercial Solar PV installation (39 panels) for Electricity Generation
- Solar Eco Diverter for Hot Water Generation
- Air-to-Water Heat Pump installed
- Triple Glazing installed
- Kitchen & Laundry Appliances Upgraded (A+ Rated)
- Energy Efficient Lighting Installed
- Building Insulation Upgraded
- External air-drying of laundry (weather permitting)
- Minimising food miles e.g. make our own bread, our eggs come from Orla’s uncle’s free-range egg farm.

Waste Reduction

- One-off consumables eliminated from breakfast room
- Rigorous recycling of all cardboard, paper, plastics, glass etc. including segregation of all guest waste
- Composting of green/organic waste (e.g. coffee grounds)
- Breakfasts cooked-to-order
- Drinking water piped to bedrooms
- Migration from paper to digital for local guides, diary management, customer receipts, invoicing, etc.

Water Use

- Rainwater harvesting for garden use
- Eco Hot Water kitchen tap
- Dual-flush toilets

Biodiversity

- Pollinator friendly planting & hedging set
- Wilding section in garden for bees
- pesticide-free garden
- Food sourcing from local and sustainable sources

Pillar 2: Benefiting Host Communities

You have no idea how much we value your visit to the Dingle Peninsula. Your visit has such a positive impact on preserving this unique, remote and vibrant place that allows our family, our friends and our wider community to live and work here all year round. You give us the opportunity to provide local employment. You enable us to source produce from many of the fantastic local food producers. Thanks to you, we have an ‘excuse’ (as if we needed one!) to adjourn the walls and shelves of our home with the creative endeavours of our talented local artists, authors, potters, craftsmen, photographers, etc. We prioritise purchasing goods and services locally because we are acutely aware just how important this is in stimulating our local economy and maintaining a vibrant community life here on the Dingle Peninsula. After all, it is these local business people and indeed ourselves, who are in turn supporting and sponsoring our local festivals, sports clubs, community groups, schools, etc. Your money is going full-circle – the very definition of ‘Regenerative Tourism’ – whereby your visit gives back more than it takes. Thank you!

Pillar 3: Championing Local Areas

We are so proud of our local culture, heritage and language and want you to experience and love it too! With us both born and reared here on the Dingle Peninsula, you will have the inside track on discovering the well-travelled and less well-travelled parts of the peninsula. We pride ourselves in connecting you with fellow local businesses and operators, ensuring that you carve out the best, most authentic and memorable of experiences. Our personally compiled website, in-bedroom information literature, dining and nightlife guides, along with our ‘Wall of Suggestions’ are all brimming with our top local tips. All of this combined with our in-person check-in / welcome, ensures that you will know how best to utilise your time with us in Dingle.

Pillar 4: Empowering Visitors

We like to make ‘doing the right thing’ by this beautiful place and its people easy for our visitors. We don’t do preachy. People like ‘doing the right thing’ and we see everyday visitors responsibly and respectfully immersing themselves in our community for which we are most thankful. We like to facilitate greener choices by our guests, including encouraging a 2 night minimum stay. Even simple actions like turning off all lights and electrical equipment when leaving your room help make a difference. That said, our top suggestion to you while you are here on the Dingle Peninsula is to ‘think local’ and ‘support local’, it means so much to our community!

We are proud of how far we have come. That said, we appreciate that sustainability is a never-ending journey. We are committed to keep evolving in the years to come. The power of people and the passion for place is what makes the Dingle Peninsula such a unique experience, we are all in this together. ‘Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine’ is a lovely Irish proverb which means we all depend on and look out for each other, what’s not to love about that!

New in 2025

Solar Power - Harnessing the power of the Sun

In 2024, following engagement with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), we arranged for an energy assessor to come on-site to complete an independent energy audit of Cill Bhreac House. This audit highlighted that our greatest opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions, was to harness the power of the sun for electricity generation. Armed with the facts & figures, we immediately set about seizing the opportunity.

Fast forward to May 2025, and we take a major step in our journey towards carbon neutrality. A 16.965kWp Commercial Solar PV system is installed – 39 solar panels, each boasting 435 watts, were mounted across our eastern (8), southern (22) and western (9) facing roofs. This multi-orientation setup ensures that we generate a yield from dawn until dusk each day, closely correlating with our energy consumption profile.

Our Solar PV project was a substantial investment, but one that will significantly reduce our carbon footprint, slash our energy costs and secure our energy independence into the future. This latest investment will compliment our existing Air2Water Heat Pump and paves the way for further investments in other renewable technologies in the near future.

Scope for Growth

Annually, our household typically consumes 9,000 kWh of electricity but we are now self-generating 15,000 kWh of clean, green, renewable energy (167% of household consumption). The excess electricity that we are generating is currently being sold back to the electricity grid – providing a renewable energy source for other local homes and businesses. That said, our solar PV system was designed with the future in mind, and with plans in motion to rollout other renewable technologies (e.g. EV charging) we anticipate that our rate of consumption of our self-generated electricity will increase in the years ahead.

Keeping it Local

In keeping with our circular economy principles, we were delighted to be able to partner with our neighbours, Solar Beo, for our PV installation. It was great to be able to support a fellow local business who provide year-round local employment here on the Dingle Peninsula – an innovative local business going from strength to strength both locally and beyond.