Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 September 2022
26. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports that are available to businesses to undertake energy audits to assist them in driving down their energy costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45101/22]
View answerIt’s clear that this is a really challenging time for enterprise. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has driven energy costs to unprecedented levels. Faced with higher energy prices many companies are looking for ways to bring their costs down. While ultimately this will mean a move away from fossil fuels and towards more sustainable, cheaper alternatives, improving energy efficiency can lead to immediate savings. It reduces a company’s exposure to energy price volatility and improves their climate resilience.
An Energy Audit voucher is available to many businesses from the SEAI. The Support Scheme for Energy Audits pays for a high-quality energy audit for SMEs that spend more than €10,000 annually on energy. There is also a range of energy efficiency modules on offer through the SEAI Energy Academy – a free, online e-learning platform designed and curated by Ireland's leading energy experts. The first step to achieving greater energy efficiency is for businesses to gain a better understanding of their current usage.
The Climate Toolkit 4 Business also provides a clear and accessible starting point for any business, pointing them to enterprise-specific climate action resources, including energy efficiency measures. Businesses can save their results and then monitor their performance over time.
The new Energy Monitoring and Tracking Systems scheme is aimed at energy intensive businesses who are manufacturing clients of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. It helps them begin to measure and reduce their energy demand, while also accounting for the carbon footprint of their activities. Funded under the Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund , it offers businesses 50% grants of between €5000 and €50,000 toward the installation and commissioning costs for hardware equipment.
