Winter is coming and so are the bills

Ireland’s manufacturing base was already well aware of its role in helping Ireland meet its climate goals under the Paris Agreement, but there’s nothing like an energy crisis to reinforce the message.

Those who have already taken steps to improve their energy efficiency can now bathe in the warm glow of having done all they can to keep costs down. Those with more to do have the soaring cost of energy to spur them on.

That’s on top of the newly-agreed sectoral emissions ceilings which set maximum limits on greenhouse gas emissions for each sector of the Irish economy to the end of the decade.

The enterprise sector committed to a 35 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030. But Dublin-based snack-maker Manhattan Peanuts has already hit industry targets of 35 per cent less emissions – eight years ahead of the deadline. That’s because last year Manhattan partnered with solar-as-a-service provider UrbanVolt to install a solar array at its site in Finglas. By generating its own clean energy, Manhattan is on track to save 152 metric tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to a car driving around the world 15 times.

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The massive solar array at the facility has generated close to 80,000 kWh of electricity since it started operating in February 2022. During the summer 60 per cent of all its energy usage came from the solar panels, peaking in August. Over the course of a calendar year the snack-maker expects an average 40 per cent of all energy usage to come from its solar power.

Manhattan Peanuts, which despite its name is wholly Irish, was started in the 1950s, and today employs more than 50 people. Says managing director Don O’Neill: “I believe that it is our responsibility to leave the world in a better shape than we inherited it. I’m happy that we have taken the necessary steps and partnered with UrbanVolt to future-proof our business because this is not just the right thing to do for the environment this is also the smart thing to do for the economy, and to protect ourselves against the high cost of fossil fuels.”

Businesses of all kinds are taking similar steps. The Factory, an eco-print and graphic design studio in Dublin, has invested in more than 20kW of solar panels, which it installed on the roof of its building in 2020. It is helping to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by around 10 tonnes per year. It also meets the majority of the business’s electricity needs, in combination with power generated from its 2.4kW wind turbine added last year.

The Factory now generates 65 per cent of its electricity on-site via wind and solar power. It has also installed LED lighting, uses an air-to-water heating system, and invested in an electric vehicle for deliveries.

A range of State-backed funding is available to help businesses become more energy efficient, including the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland’s Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, worth up to €150,000 at terms of up to 10 years.

“Unsurprisingly Dublin Chamber members have repeatedly cited energy prices as the key driver of non-wage business costs this year. The prospect of energy shortage is an additional blow to businesses. The current energy crisis is a further indicator that Ireland needs to enhance investment in Ireland’s indigenous renewable energy base. In this regard we welcome the Government’s upcoming hydrogen strategy paper. In the meantime tools such as SEAI’s support scheme for energy audits should be widely publicised and made known to SMEs,” says Aebhric McGibney, director of public and international affairs with Dublin Chamber

The SEAI’s EXCEED grant scheme provides grant support of up to €1 million to organisations planning an energy investment project. The SEAI also runs a support scheme for renewable heat, open to commercial and industrial heat-users. The scheme offers 30 per cent of the installation cost of selected renewable technologies as well a multi-annual payment, for a period of up to 15 years.

Businesses that want to reduce their tax bill and energy costs can also avail of the Accelerated Capital Allowance, a tax incentive encouraging investment in a wide range of energy-saving technologies.

The SEAI’s Energy Contracting Support Scheme provides financial assistance to implement energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects.

Residential and commercial solar installation company Activ8 Solar Energies is unsurprisingly “on the ball” when it comes to energy efficiency. The company, which was established in 2004, recently opened a new 20,000sq ft facility in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, a model of energy efficiency and renewable energy production.

The A1 energy-rated NZEB (nearly zero energy building) commercial building actually produces more energy on-site than it consumes. It is fitted out with highly efficient air-source heat pumps, a heat recovery system and solar panels, as well as sensor-driven LED lighting. The building is also highly insulated. As a result of all these steps the building is operating “47 per cent more efficiently than baseline energy consumption”, according to the SEAI, which has shortlisted it for an award.

Speaking at the building’s launch Activ8 CEO Ciaran Marron said it is leading by example. “Our new headquarters and the energy efficiency measures incorporated into the design and delivery of this building is the example and action we want to set as a progressive renewable energy company. This facility is a crucial step in being able to help deliver the aims and objectives of the current Climate Action Plan.”

It will also help keep the firm’s energy bills down this difficult winter.