Check out the improved SEAI: Non-Domestic Microgeneration Scheme

The Non-Domestic Microgeneration Scheme, operated through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is available for applications. Amendments to the Scheme include a tiered grant support for solar PV installations for sizes greater than 6 kWp up to 1,000 kWp (1 MW) capacity.]

The Non-Domestic Microgen Grant (NDMG) provides financial assistance to help businesses and other sectors to install solar PV panels to generate electricity on site. This technology reduces commercial electricity costs and increases security of supply, while enhancing a positive sustainability image. Grant funding is available for systems up to a maximum 1000kWp.

You can apply here:

Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme | Business Grants and Supports | SEAI

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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s webinar will cover:

Register here:

Webex Events (classic)

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The Kildare-based retail group, which operates a chain of Eurospar stores across counties Dublin, Clare, Kilkenny, Kildare and Westmeath, said it had spent €400,000 installing solar panels at all feasible locations across its chain of eight stores.

The company has also invested a further €1.4 million to replace more than 100 refrigeration units with new, ultra-energy efficient fridges. The fluorinated gases used in fridges are powerful greenhouse gases with a higher warming potential than carbon dioxide.

Furey Smyth Group says its investment has cut the company’s energy usage by 40% and this will cut its annual energy consumption by more than 1.1 million kilowatt hours. The investment will also cut its carbon footprint  by 350,000 kg of carbon dioxide per year.

Director Chris Furey said the investment represents the single largest sustainability programme by an independent retail group in Ireland.

“It follows other initiatives across the business, including the rollout of energy efficient lighting in all our stores and an infrastructure optimisation initiative aimed at identifying other energy efficiency opportunities,” he said.

“Ultimately, we are working towards carbon neutrality and are targeting being off-grid in the summertime in the near-term.

“Newer technologies are currently being developed and tested which will facilitate complex carbon neutrality in the future and we endeavour to embrace these solutions as they become available.”

Furey Smyth Group carried out the €2 million investment programme over 10 weeks to minimise the impact on trade. It estimates it will take six to seven years to achieve a return on investment through energy savings.

The company said the  investment was completed with the help of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland  (SEAI) and wholesale group BWG Foods.

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The current scheme provides a grant up to the value of €600 towards the purchase and installation of a home charger unit. The company vehicle must be primarily parked overnight at the employee’s place of residence.

Ambitious target

Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD said“We have set a very ambitious target of almost a million electric vehicles on the road by 2030 to help us meet our climate goals and reduce air pollution at the same time. It’s very encouraging to see the rapid increase in EV sales. We particularly want to encourage companies to switch to electric and make their businesses more sustainable. We are making it easier and more attractive to do that by extending the home charger grant to employees who need to use a company car for business purposes.”

Carbon footprints

Declan Meally, Director Business, Public Sector and Transport at SEAI said “This development will further facilitate those who drive company cars and those businesses who are working towards reducing their carbon footprint by switching their company passenger vehicles to EVs. Home charging is convenient, cost effective and environmentally friendly. Today it accounts for 80% of EV charging sessions and we see that continuing into the future.”

Company car users may apply online for the Home Charger grant on the SEAI website: https://www.seai.ie/grants/electric-vehicle-grants/electric-vehicle-home-charger-grant/

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SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave MarketPlace stores have teamed up with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the ninth consecutive year to spearhead environmental change in the Irish retail sector and beyond through their ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ initiative. Once again in partnership with the SEAI, a number of community upgrade projects were completed, with 10 stores across Ireland participating in the initiative. The community grant scheme administered by SEAI supported the project with a total investment value of €265,000.  

 Energy efficient

The initiative calls on stores to identify and upgrade areas of their own operations which can be made more energy efficient, in keeping with high standards of energy efficiency and renewable energy usage, but also enables them to identify community buildings in their area to donate funds and enable them to upgrade their facilities. The objective of the initiative is to reduce energy costs, fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions year on year.  

 Huge undertaking

This a huge undertaking of both time and capital, with over €1.2m invested by the stores that participated in 2020 whereby several energy-saving measures and solutions were implemented. SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave MarketPlace have said the Building Sustainable Communities initiative is one they are ‘extremely passionate’ about, adding that the long-term difference it makes in their local communities makes their investment and efforts worthwhile.  

This year, the community buildings associated with stores who participated in the scheme received up to €129,000 between them as a result of energy saving measures implemented by their respective SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave Marketplace stores.  

The 10 stores involved in this year’s Building Sustainable Communities initiative were:  

• SuperValu Sundrive, Dublin  
• Centra Newtownpark Avenue, Dublin  
• SuperValu Rush, Dublin  
• SuperValu Youghal, Cork  
• SuperValu Newmarket, Cork 
• SuperValu Midleton, Cork 
• SuperValu Carndonagh, Donegal 
• SuperValu Ballybunion, Kerry  
• Musgrave MarketPlace Limerick  
• SuperValu Dungarvan, Wateford 

 New heights

Soaring to new heights with their sustainability credentials this year, a number of the stores installed solar PV panels to their roofs. Not only are these stores conserving energy through LED lighting upgrades and new refrigeration systems, but they are now creating their own eco-friendly energy to power their stores.   

A shining example of the fantastic strides being made in their green endeavours is SuperValu Ballybunion, Co Kerry. The store underwent a refrigeration and LED lighting update in 2017 which greatly reduced their electricity consumption and carbon footprint by almost 30%. This year, the store had PV solar panels installed which has reduced their carbon footprint by a further 20% now that the store is generating its own green energy. 

 Solar panels

On the Centra side, their store in Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, also made huge energy savings as a result of new PV solar panels installed this year, reducing their carbon footprint by 40%.  

SEAI are again encouraging all of us to make an effort to be more energy conscious in our own homes. Climate action is everyone’s responsibility. We must all play our part and whether we’re at home, at work, at school or in our community, there are things we can do to address climate change. Simple changes that can be made in the home include: 

• Reduce the heating thermostat by one degree 
• Turn radiators off or down in rooms that you do not use very often 
• Replace your old inefficient light bulbs with low energy CFLs or LED lights. Start with the lamps in your living room or kitchen where you spend most of your time 
• Unplug appliances when they are not in use. Even in ‘standby’ mode, they are using 20% of the energy they would consume if they were on 

Speaking in relation to their role within the Sustainable Communities Initiative, Declan Meally, Head of Transport and Communities with SEAI said:  

“SEAI are delighted to work with Musgraves and the Communities on another successful year for the ‘Building for Sustainable Communities’ initiative. This year it was great to see another ten stores across Ireland, with each stepping up to the plate to make sustainability improvements in store and provide some additional benefits for their wider communities.  

Leading by example

The Musgrave Group have been leading by example in their own stores with their energy saving initiatives, in addition to informing their communities and customers in the process to illustrate how everyday changes can make a big difference.  

Everyone can contribute to a sustainable future for Ireland by making sustainable changes. You can do this from home by reducing your energy usage; by perhaps starting with upgrading your lights to LED bulbs. SEAI also see the added benefit of working together as a community and we now have a network of over 500 Sustainable Energy Communities across Ireland who are taking action and working on our future.   

We’re proud to once more support these projects with Musgraves and recognise that it is a successful model that has delivered each year and we look forward to working with more stores and communities across Ireland in the future,” Mr Meally said. 

 Positive impact

Echoing the statement of the SEAI, Ian Allen, Managing Director for SuperValu and Centra commented:  

“As part of our sustainability plans, we are committed to making a real difference and creating a positive impact on communities across Ireland. We are constantly looking for ways in which we can operate our business in more environmentally friendly ways for example we are working to ensure that 100% of our ‘Own Brand’ range packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 and to reduce our carbon emissions to net zero carbon by 2050.”   

Building sustainable communities

“The Building Sustainable Communities initiative is one that we are proud to be part of each year and it’s quite rewarding to see a significant reduction in the various stores’ energy bills having completed the various works. It’s even more rewarding to see our community buildings are also benefitting from this initiative and I look forward to the other positive changes we’ll make together in the future”, Mr Allen added.   

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