Construction BUSINESS

Tipperary County Council has signed up to an energy partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to adopt cost saving and efficiency measures to ensure its energy consumption is reduced in line with the 2020 public sector energy efficiency target of 33%.

The partnership programme helps public bodies to save money, improve the environment and meet national obligations by making significant reductions in their energy usage.

At the signing in Nenagh, Joe MacGrath, Chief Executive said: “Tipperary County Council is committed to working with the SEAI, Tipperary Energy Agency, local business and our communities to achieve sustainable energy targets. The Council has already put in place a range of strategies and actions and I look forward to working with the SEAI through this Partnership Agreement in making progress on our shared objectives.”

Jim Gannon, SEAI CEO said: “We welcome Tipperary County Council as they join more than 90 public bodies demonstrating their commitment to business improvement and leadership in addressing major challenges confronting Ireland today. SEAI match this commitment with a range of supports including assessment, training and planning, all designed to ensure maximum success. This partnership is a natural extension of a long term relationship between SEAI and Tipperary County Council.”

The development builds on the energy programme already in place at Tipperary County Council. In 2014, the council completed a massive solar photovoltaic project across nine public buildings, which is currently saving the county €25,000 per annum. Other notable projects include heat pumps installed in the county’s libraries and works on leisure centres, including LED lighting and biomass boilers. Many of these projects received financial support from SEAI.

Future plans for Tipperary County Council include the implementation of their Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) which includes 32 actions to reduce CO2 levels in Tipperary. These actions range include more renewable energy projects, active energy days and increased social housing and public health retrofits of homes.

Tipperary Energy Agency’s aim is to support the development of sustainable energy in Co. Tipperary and beyond. The Agency is committed to providing a comprehensive range of services to all sectors in Co. Tipperary with a view to implementing sustainable energy projects which are developed using best practice. The Agency works in the fields of energy efficiency, energy management, renewable energy and sustainable transport.