My Department is actively participating in the Public Sector Energy Reporting Programme reporting all of its energy consumption through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) Monitoring and Reporting online system.
Since 2009, energy efficiency has improved by almost 21% in the Department, towards the 2020 target of 33%. In this time, DAFM has reduced its energy consumption by 19% or over 9M Kwh. This has been achieved mainly by low cost measures such as behavioural changes, better energy management, and lighting retrofits. In order to achieve continuous energy efficiency, additional works throughout DAFM and across the public service are required to reach 2020 and 2030 targets.
My Department is engaged with the OPW on various projects throughout DAFM that will aim to achieve more energy efficiencies and is an active participant in the Office of Public Works (OPW) Optimising Power @ Work campaign.
My officials are working proactively with State Bodies under the remit of my Department and with Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE), the OPW, and SEAI to progress both energy efficiency projects and energy management initiatives. My Department has submitted a detailed project pipeline to DCCAE and continues to work with State Bodies to assist them develop their own pipelines of capital projects.
My Department is committed to embedding energy efficiency into the culture of the organisation and continues to progress energy management initiatives across its main locations, including energy awareness days and local building audits. There are ongoing awareness campaigns in all Department locations.
