And so we approach the very end of our year….
We had our Graduation for our wonderful Rang 6 class this morning. It was a beautiful ceremony celebrating the children and all their achievements over the last eight years. It also gave us the opportunity to say farewell to all the families who will be leaving our school this year.
This week we raised our Amber Flag in recognition of our efforts to create and maintain a healthy, inclusive environment that supports mental well-being. Two very special pupils in our school raised the flag together - Théo in Rang 6, as the oldest child in the school, and Katie in Junior Infants, as the youngest child in the school. We also used this opportunity to say a fond farewell from our student body to Rang 6, who happened to also be our Wellbeing Committee for the year.
We also had our EU Project showcase this week where Rang 6 had the opportunity to show off all their work on their chosen countries. We were blown away by the effort and the detail that the children went into - and we all came away with full tummies, sampling the cuisine of the country also. Thanks to Hazel Chu, for opening the morning for us officially.
The Choir and Orchestra gave a wonderful performance to their parents during the week, showing off all the work that they have accomplished over the year.
There are two keyboards, in working order, available to be taken from the school if anyone is starting out taking keyboard or piano lessons and is interested in them. Please let the office know if you would like one of them!
Our annual end of year Summer Newsletter will be sent home in the bags on Monday so keep an eye out for it! It gives a really good update on all of our activities and events over the year.
We will be celebrating Pride in RMDS on Monday so please don’t forget to wear in brightly coloured clothes! 
And a final reminder that our school will close for the summer holidays next Friday, 30th June at midday.
Please check the RMDS Calendar on our website for all dates of upcoming events.
Rosemarie
Check out some of the beautiful life sized artwork in Rang 2 this week….
Thank you so much to everyone who got involved with the PA. It's been a wonderful year with great events that would not have been possible without the time, skills and input from the parent body. We look forward to September already! Have an amazing summer everyone.
The PA are going for a pint in The Hill on Thursday, June 29th at 8pm. Everyone is welcome and we would love to raise a glass with you all.
Check out some pictures from the Ranelagh Cup which took place last night!
Thanks to Sarah Hogan who organised the RMDS teams, Ronan Nulty & Barry Browne who coached the R5 girls, Fergus McCluskey who coached the R5 boys, Oscar Carolan who coached the R6 boys and Tom Griffiths who coached the R6 girls.
Great fun was had by all!!!
Gráinne & Lorraine
PA Co-Chairs
Green Schools Tips
Installing Solar Panels
If you're considering installing an array of Solar PV Panels (electricity) or Solar Thermal Panels (hot water), outlined below are a few points you'll want to take into consideration.
Planning Restrictions
Since 2022, most residential planning restrictions for Solar Panel installation have been lifted. However, restrictions are still in place if your house is on the the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) or is located in an Architectural Conservation Areas (ACA).
Contact your local Conservation Officer if you have any concerns that this may be the case.
Energy Requirement
Your demand for electricity and hot water is largely governed by the number of occupants in your household. Particularly with electricity, demand throughout the day greatly differs depending on whether your home is occupied during the daytime or not.
Solar Panel systems can be geared for peak morning and evening demand or more constant demand throughout the day.
Please note that it’s more cost effective and far better for the environment to take measures to reduce your demand for electricity and hot water first, before even considering installing Solar PV or Solar Thermal Panels.
Orientation, Angle and Size
It’s very important having a site that ensures the panels work efficiently. Ideally you want the panel orientation to be south-facing, but twin east/west-facing arrays also works well.
In Ireland, the panels ideally should be around 30 degrees from horizontal. This angle tends to match up well with that of pitched roofs.
The size of your array will depend on your demand for electricity and hot water, budget, available grants, payback considerations and the size of your site. A large Solar PV Array may require that the roof be reinforced.
Shading
You want to avoid shading from trees, buildings, chimney stacks etc. Shading greatly reduces efficiency.
Location
The majority of panels are sited on pitched roofs. A flat roof or garden can work too, in which case the arrays are usually mounted in a frame with the optimal orientation and angle.
The benefit of locating an array on a flat roof or garden is that it makes it easier to clean and service the panels.
Roof
If you’re attaching the array to your roof, you’ll need to ensure that it’s in good condition as the panels will be mounted there for decades. You don’t want to have to remove them to fix a leak.
Electrical
Cables need to be run from the Solar Panel to an inverter and then on to your Consumer Unit (formerly known as a Fuse Board/Electrical Fuse Box).
You and the installer will need to consider where the inverter will be located and how the cable runs will be done to minimise disturbance.
If you are considering a battery, you’ll also need to plan for that location and cable run. The same applies for a diverter to your hot-water cylinder.
Payback Calculator
SEAI have a basic payback calculator at: https://www.seai.ie/tools/solar-electricity-calculator/
Individual Grants
The maximum Solar PV grant from SEAI is currently €2,400.
https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/solar-electricity-grant/
The maximum Solar Thermal grant from SEAI is currently €1,200.
https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/solar-water-heating-grant/
Installers
Ensure that you get advice and quotes from more than one installer. Discuss the specific needs and occupancy of your household, how the system will integrate with your property, how long it’ll take to install and what grants will apply.
Ask about the expected longevity of the proposed system, servicing costs, guarantees etc.
SEAI have a list of Renewable Energy Installers that are registered with them: https://www.seai.ie/grants/find-a-registered-professional/
Roland Ramsden
Andrea Scott
Green Schools Committee Parent Representatives
Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School, Ranelagh Road, Dublin 6, D06 Y658
Telephone/Fax: (01) 4961722 ● E-mail: secretary@rmds.ie
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Roll No. 19928Q ● Principal: Rosemarie Stynes
