K Club's five stars now powered by hydro!

The K Club in County Kildare has become pioneers in the hospitality sector by harnessing the power of the legendary River Liffey to become the first hydro-powered five-star hotel in Ireland.

Originally installed more than a century ago by the Barton family, the then owners of the estate, the generator supplied electricity to Straffan House (the original house at the heart of what is now The K Club Hotel) for over 60 years.

To meet the modern-day energy demands of a luxury five-star hotel, the historic weir located along The K Club’s 550-acre estate’s mile-long stretch of the River Liffey needed modernising. Michael Fetherston, the owner of The K Club, enlisted the help of Eco Hydro to restore and improve the structure making it fit for purpose. The new, advanced Eco Hydro unit which replaces the old equipment achieves 92% efficiency. The new generator will now produce 90 kW of continuous power when in operation, which represents over 70% of the total energy requirements of the hotel.

The K Club’s General Manager Paul Heery said: “Ireland was once 100% powered by renewable energy. Almost every town and village across the entire country was powered by hydroelectricity, which provided light and heat to local communities. We have a piece of that history right here on our estate.

“We firmly believe that it’s our responsibility to monitor the energy that we use, find innovative ways to reduce our estate’s energy consumption and switch to renewable energy sources wherever possible. Taking our lead from the original weir struck us as not only an obvious undertaking but also a means of honouring The K Club’s rich legacy whilst transforming it into a modern-day solution.

“We’re preserving the old turbine for heritage and it will be positioned on display beside the powerhouse so that visitors who are interested can see the old system and the installation side-by-side.” 

Robert Quirke, Managing Director at Eco Hydro added: “It is amazing to think that this renewable energy solution at The K Club was installed more than 100 years ago. The original powerhouse was constructed on the riverbank beside the weir and remains solid to this day. Although the original equipment was disused, the original turbine, gearbox and 45 kW generator were in surprisingly good condition, showing the quality of the engineering which was built to last. Through restoring and reactivating this part of our country’s history, we have made The K Club one of Ireland’s most sustainable hotels. Not bad for a solution which all fits inside a garden shed!” The K Club was also recently awarded Historic Hotels Worldwide Sustainability Champion at an awards event held in Virginia, USA last month. The global award is presented annually to an historic hotel that best implements and practices innovative green initiatives and programs, demonstrating historic preservation.