The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is calling on communities, businesses, organisations, and individuals that are championing sustainable energy to enter the SEAI Energy Awards 2021.
Now in their eighteenth year, the SEAI Energy Awards reward those individuals and organisations who “really push the boundaries in energy efficiency best practice, innovative renewables, awareness raising and inspiring others”.
The SEAI launched the awards today at the SEAI Energy Show.
Speaking at the launch, SEAI business and public sector head Fergus Sharkey said: “More than ever, it is imperative that Ireland use less energy, move away from fossil fuels, and take advantage of innovative energy solutions to address the climate crisis.
With Irelandâs new climate law, the country âis now one of the most ambitious countries in the world on climateâ, according to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar.
âClimate change is a threat to all of us and transitioning to a low-carbon economy is a major priority for the Government,â he said in address to the annual energy show staged by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
âOur targets will require a huge shift in the energy we use, how we manage our waste, our housing stock and transport systems,â he added.
Businesses had a really important role to play in the overall decarbonisation effort that was about to be pursued across the economy, Mr Varadkar said.
Ministers Foley and Ryan launch â¬14 million 2021 Schools Energy Retrofit Pathfinder Programme
Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD today (Monday 26 April) launched a â¬14 million Pathfinder programme, that will demonstrate the approach to deep retrofit in the schoolsâ sector, testing energy efficiency solutions and renewable heat technology.
This government-funded energy retrofit Pathfinder programme will target energy use and CO2 emission reduction by 50%, testing deep retrofit and low carbon heating solutions. The 2021 programme will see six schools benefitting from a selection of energy efficiency works.
It is jointly funded with a â¬14 million budget from the Department of Education and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Planning and Building Unit in the Departmen
Irish homes are responsible for one quarter of overall energy use and 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The plan is to reduce those emissions from six million tonnes in 2017 to less than four million tonnes by 2030 and to do so by retrofitting 500,000 homes.
But how is work towards those targets progressing?
Declan Meally, head of the Department for Transport and Communities at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), sees retrofitting as a huge transformational opportunity and he is confident the target will be met.
He says that, last year, the work was carried out on 4,000 homes, it will be 13,000 this year, and 30,000 next year, ramping up to 50,000 after that.
Electric vehicles: Ireland ranked fourth most expensive country for charging Republic is well ahead of most European neighbours for electric car costs, survey finds
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Ireland has been named as the fourth-most expensive European country in which to charge an electric vehicle (EV).
A lower cost of running is generally cited by most consumers as one of the key attractions of electric car ownership, and while taking power from a plug is always going to be cheaper overall than paying for liquid fuel, the fact that Ireland sits so high in the cost charts is concerning.
The survey was carried out by Switcher, an online service that allows consumers to chop and change their electricity providers, as well as other utility bills and financial services. The survey found that Germany is the most expensive country in which to charge an EV, with an average price of 30c per kilowatt-hour (kWh). That equates to €19 every time you fully charge an average 62-64kWh battery,