SEAI Award Winners 2017
Large Business Energy Project, sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland
Astellas (AICL) Kerry Plant
Project information
Astellas Ireland is a pharmaceutical company, manufacturing a range of health treatments which are distributed globally from Kerry. Astellas has applied the Energy Efficient Design Standard IS399 approach, which considers potential opportunities to maximise energy saving benefits from the start of new investment projects. This minimises energy consumption through their lifecycle. It has applied the standard to three projects to date; a canteen expansion, a compressed air upgrade and a chiller plant upgrade. Collectively, these projects have delivered annual energy savings of 1.7GWh and €135,000 cost savings. A further 6 projects are currently underway.
Energy Team / Energy Manager of the year
Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)
Project information
WIT is the first Institute of Technology to achieve the international energy management standard ISO50001. ISO 50001 supports organizations in all sectors to use energy more efficiently, through the development of an energy management system. WIT has exceeded its public sector 33% energy saving target, having achieved over 36% to date and has made cost savings of over €300,000. A team of WIT staff and students working together have driven the project and they continue to enable staff and students to bring energy to the agenda of everyday life at WIT as well as in their homes.
Large Business Energy Management, sponsored by ESB
Dairygold
Project information
Dairygold's energy management programme is founded on the international energy management standard, ISO50001 and they have received certification for two processing sites in Mitchelstown. The standard is extensively utilised to drive the ongoing development of their energy management programme and identification of energy saving projects for investment. To date they have implemented numerous projects, including the largest biogas boiler installation in Europe. The majority of projects carried out were relatively low cost while delivering a quick payback. Annual energy savings of 7.67 GW and €300,000 in cost savings have been achieved to date.
Small Business Award
M50 Concession Ltd
Project information
M50 Concession Ltd, a public private partnership company that provides maintenance on the M50 motorway, employs 23 people. It has installed power controllers which reduces the amount of energy used for lighting at set times of the night depending on traffic flows. This is a viable and affordable alternative and an example of what can be done quickly to achieve significant savings. When combined with LED upgrades, it could prove to be a real game changer in street lighting efficiency. The project has delivered 43% energy saving equating to financial savings of just over €300,000 annually.
Research Award
Exergyn
Project information
Exergyn research is based on developing an engine to convert hot water to power. It is expected to be the only zero emission generator that can deliver reliable low-cost power whenever it is needed and could solve many of the world's energy problems. Exergyn won a €10,000 bursary as the winner of the Research category, which will go towards the next stages of research for the company, including testing of a full scale engine and the endurance of different engine parts.
Community Award
Energy Communities Tipperary Co-operative CLG
Project information
Energy Communities Tipperary Co-operative CLG brings twelve communities in Tipperary together in a co-operative to carry out deep retrofits on homes. The aim of the project was to save energy, save money, create warm homes and generate jobs. Their action has resulted home owners benefitting from higher levels of comfort, with €4 million generated in energy cost savings to date. Their project brings together rural communities with diverse backgrounds and needs, and focuses on what can actively be done to mitigate climate change one step at a time. This approach could easily be adopted by other rural communities.
Public Sector Award, sponsored by Enprova
National Ambulance Service
Project information
The HSE's National Ambulance Service has undertaken a Green Technology Initiative in their fleet of emergency ambulances. It has reduced fuel use and emissions through driver behaviour change, an eco-anti-idle system and built in solar PV systems which fully charge the vehicles' equipment while parked up on call. To date, savings of over €750,000 have been achieved.
Energy in Design
Durkan Residential
Project information
Durkan Residential Ltd is a Dublin based private housing developer who has focused on developing cost effective methods for building energy efficient houses. It has built the largest certified Passive House development in Ireland at their site in Citywest. Each house takes only 12 weeks to build and is extremely cost effective to run. The 58 houses meet Ireland's 2020 Near Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) targets for performance and surpass the proposed Building Regulation standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
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