Údarás na Gaeltachta was presented with an SEAI energy award at a ceremony in Dublin last night (19 November). Údarás received the award for a number of energy conservation projects it is spearheading throughout the Gaeltacht.
Údarás was nominated in the Collaboration Category which recognises organisations, communities or individuals working together with a common goal of promoting energy demand reduction. Údarás na Gaeltachta has been focussing its efforts on implementing a programme of energy conservation in the Gaeltacht and helping communities and businesses make more efficient use of energy by lowering their energy usage and costs.
These projects include SEAI’s Better Energy Communities scheme, which sees the implementation of an energy saving investment programme in 17 projects throughout the Gaeltacht, to include buildings occupied by its client companies, community projects, and Údarás buildings and industrial estates in 2015, with a total investment cost of €688,545; the EU funded GREAT (Growing Renewable Energy Applications and Technologies) project which focussed on providing data on developing technological solutions in relation to smart grid, renewable energy and distributive generation; and Údarás na Gaeltachta’s commitment to become a Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) which aims to provide solutions to reduce energy consumption and costs in the Gaeltacht area and the increase energy efficient and energy renewable technologies in the area.
Steve Ó Cúláin, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta said, “We wish to thank all our partners in this collaborative effort and especially wish to acknowledge the efforts of our own staff, SEAI, GREAT and many community volunteers throughout the Gaeltacht. This award belongs to all of them.”
The collaboration partners include local community groups, Mayo County Council, Mayo Energy Agency, INTERREG and the GREAT EU Project, Retrofit Energy Ireland Limited (REIL), Community Gain Investment Fund and many of our client companies.
The Sustainable Energy Awards, presented by the Sustainable Energy Association of Ireland (SEAI) rewards achievements in sustainable energy management.