Bluesky and Ecopia Partner to Create First 3D Map of Ireland

Cork, 26 April, 2023 - Bluesky International and Ecopia AI (Ecopia) have announced a partnership to develop the first ever 3D land cover map of Ireland. Generated using Blueskyʼs high resolution aerial imagery and Ecopiaʼs AI-based mapping systems, this comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date map of Ireland will enable the public sector and private organisations alike to make better informed decisions.

Through this new partnership, Bluesky and Ecopia will deliver map data with unprecedented detail throughout Ireland. The resulting 3D land cover map includes high-precision vector layers for features that include everything from buildings, roads, sidewalks and bridges, to parks, sports grounds, forests and lakes.

Together, Bluesky and Ecopia will update this data annually to ensure the map stays up-to-date with a rapidly changing world. This fresh and accurate map data will inform decision-making across industries, spanning use cases including urban planning, stormwater management, telecommunications network expansion, and more.

“At Bluesky, innovation is at the heart of everything we do and this partnership with Ecopia, a leader in AIbased mapping, will enable us to help our clients derive additional value from our high-resolution aerial imagery in a new and exciting way,” said Rachel Tidmarsh, Chief Executive Officer at Bluesky. “Ecopiaʼs AI algorithms generate accurate and detailed mapping and this partnership will enable us to drive innovation that meets the rising demand for this high quality geospatial information.”

“Ecopia is excited to partner with Bluesky to bring our 3D mapping capabilities to Ireland,” said Abigail Coholic, Senior Director of Partnerships at Ecopia. “The nationwide 3D map of Ireland is a great example of how geospatial companies can work together to provide critical insights to both the public and private sectors, and we are proud to work with longtime market leader Bluesky to deliver this unprecedented level of detail to our customers.”

For more information on Ecopia, https://www.ecopiatech.com/

To view Ecopia HD map samples, click here.

Retrofitting Step-By-Step Guide to Making Homes More Energy Efficient

Choosing the right heating solution for your customerʼs home can be a challenging task. From the initial design and planning stages to installation and maintenance, there are so many factors to consider. Firebird is here to help you select the best solution for your customerʼs needs, and their expert team is on hand at every stage of the process.

For over 40 years Firebird, based in the Gaeltacht, has been a global leader in designing and manufacturing high-performance solutions for the home heating market. Responsibility comes with being a market leader, and over the past number of years Firebird, with a clear focus on sustainability, has dedicated many resources and investment in developing products that will future-proof home heating. All of their products are developed with an emphasis on ease of installation - great for installers and for their customers.

The following are a list of easy to follow steps that Firebird have put together to help your customer on their retrofitting or new build journey:

Planning

Firebirdʼs technical team are here to assist installers and service engineers in choosing the best heating solution for new builds or retrofits. This service is completely free and Firebird can recommend a heating system that offers world class quality, is cost effective and is compliant with all building regulations.

Choosing

On reviewing house plans, Firebirdʼs experts can calculate the exact needs such as radiators and/or underfloor heating, hot water and heat pump outputs, based on heat loss calculations and the heating requirements for each room. Their team will put a detailed quote together for you to review with your customer.

Installation

Firebird will work with installers providing installation documentation and a step by step checklist to ensure that the heating system is compliant with all regulations. They also provide comprehensive product familiarisation and work with BER assessors to ensure that the building delivers on the promise of a sustainable, world class, cost effective heating solution.

Commissioning

Following installation, a Firebird engineer will commission the new heating system. This process will ensure that the unit is installed correctly and set up to match the customerʼs needs.

After Sales

As Firebirdʼs products are designed in house, they have technical experts and a knowledgeable customer service team just a phone call away. All of their heating solutions come with comprehensive warranty and should you need any spare parts, their customer service team is on hand to help.

For more information visit www.firebird.ie

This year, National Food Waste Recycling Week will take place from 5th until the 11th June 2023.

The aim of this national campaign is to encourage people to continue to recycle their food waste, providing them with practical advice, and tips on how easy it is to get involved and correctly separate food waste.

Nationwide, this campaign is funded by the Department of Environment, Communications and Climate Action, is organised by the regional waste planning offices and supported by all local authorities.

The central aim is to show people what can be put into their food waste recycling bin, the importance of separating waste food from its packaging, and the reasons why doing so is good for the Irish environment.

Environmentally, recycling food waste diverts this important waste stream from landfill and allows it to be transformed into renewable energy and bio-fertilisers for horticulture and agriculture use.

At a local level this campaign, helps increase understanding and awareness of the role the public can play in Irelandʼs circular and green economy. Environmental Awareness Officers nationwide are engaging with the campaign. Their work will help raise awareness with householders by informing about the importance of correctly separating food waste. Recent research has shown a 2% increase in plastic in the food waste recycling stream and this campaign aims to reverse that trend. Environmental Awareness Officers will also promote some forthcoming regulation changes:

• From January 1st 2024, all households regardless of geographical location will be eligible for a food & bio waste service from their waste collector.

From July 1st 2023. All commercial waste management companies will be obliged to provide bins for compostable material from commercial sources.

Both of these regulatory changes will radically improve Irelandʼs management of food waste.

Aside from the local authorities a range of other stakeholders are engaging with National Food Waste Recycling Week such as community groups, Tidy Towns Associations, Schools and industry stakeholders such as the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland (Cré) and the Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA).

The distribution of food waste caddy packs is integral to this campaign. Numerous projects conducted between 2018 and 2020 proved that a kitchen caddy makes the action of food waste separation much easier by acting as a visual reminder to separate food waste in the kitchen. Using a caddy liner – takes the “mess out of the stress” as it aids in keeping both the caddy and the external food waste bin clean. A starter pack of liners is included in each food waste separation pack being distributed as part of this initiative.

People attending this yearʼs Bloom Festival will be able to check out popular TV gardener and MyWaste ambassador Marie Staunton who will be speaking at Bloom Festivalʼs Sustainable Living Stage. Other National Food Waste Recycling Week speakers will include Pauline McDonogh, Southern Waste Region and Mary Coughlan chair of Cré.

A full list of all activities and all the resources associated with the food waste recycling project are available at https://www.mywaste.ie/food-waste-campaign-toolkit/