Our business team at SEAI will take you through education supports, energy audit voucher,s and grant supports for businesses who want to save energy and reduce their bills. You will also learn about how you can fund your renewable energy transition.

1. 22nd February 2023
SEAI Business Briefing:
Reduce Your Use and Fund
your Renewable Energy
Transition

2. This event is being recorded
WebEx Housekeeping
2 www.seai.ie
Attendees are muted with cameras off
Questions submitted by clicking Q&A bubble
Questions will be answered at end of event
An FAQ will be created and shared from all questions submitted
A recording and slides will be distributed after the event

3. 3 www.seai.ie
Agenda
• Welcome and Understanding Energy Use
– Ali Donnellan, SME Programme Executive, SEAI
• Discover the benefits of an energy audit
– Eóin Cullen, SME Programme Executive, SEAI
• Support Scheme for Renewable Heat & Updates
– Ray Langton, Support Scheme for Renewable Heat Programme Manager, SEAI
• Electric Vehicle Supports
– Conor Edgely, Electric Vehicles Programme Executive, SEAI
• Community Energy Grant Overview
– John Flynn, Community & Housing Grants • National Retrofit and Community, Manager, SEAI
• SBCI Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme
– Shane McCullough, Strategic Banking Cooperation Ireland
• Q&A

4. Understanding your
Energy Use
4
Ali Donnellan| SME Programme Executive SEAI

5. 5 www.seai.ie
Energy Academy
• Free e-learning platform
• Encourage sustainable energy use behaviors
• Increases motivation and confidence to reduce energy
use in the workplace
• Join over 5,000 learners:
https://www.seai.ie/energyacademy/
• Energy and Climate Change
• Business Energy Efficiency
• Office Energy Efficiency
• Eco-Driving
• Lighting Efficiency
• Decarbonisation for Business
• Introduction to Electric Vehicles
• Introduction to Solar PV

6. 6 www.seai.ie
How is the Energy Academy helping businesses?
Free training for
staff
Upskill your staff
with practical,
business focused,
free training. This
can boost staff
morale and
retention.
Achieve a
certificate of
completion,
demonstrating
commitment to
reducing carbon
impact.
Improve your
brand image
Deliver cost
savings
Discover
opportunities to
reduce your
energy use and
save costs across
all areas of your
business and
home.
Reduce energy
waste
Increase your
energy efficiency,
lower your carbon
footprint.

7. 7 www.seai.ie
• Introduction to Energy Management Training: Create an Energy
Action Plan
• Takes you through the six steps to creating an energy action plan
1. Create the business case for energy management
2. Assign an energy coordinator
3. Write your energy statement
4. Track your energy consumption through bills and meter
readings
5. Identify potential areas to save energy
6. Create your energy action plan
• Check out the SEAI Eventbrite page for the next online
workshop – Thursday 2nd March.
Reduce Your Use: Create an Energy Action Plan

8. 8
Support Scheme for
Energy Audits (SSEA)
Eóin Cullen| SME Programme Executive SEAI

9. 9 www.seai.ie
How to plan?
• Complete an Energy Audit - Support Scheme for Energy
Audits (SSEA)
• Offers SMEs a voucher of €2,000 to get an energy audit with
an SEAI Registered Energy Auditor.
• Open year round for applications.
• To be eligible, your company must:
• Be a Small or Medium Enterprise
• < 250 employees
• Turnover < €50M or balance sheet < €43M
• Spend at least €10,000 on energy per year
• Be tax compliant
• Find out more and apply online:
www.seai.ie/sme/energyaudits

10. SME Energy Audit trends
Sectors
• 70% of Audits are in the;
• Wholesale and Retail Trade
• Manufacturing
• Accommodation and Food Services
• Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Top recommendations
• Solar PV
• LED lights
• Energy management, monitoring and
metering
• Refrigeration upgrades
• Renewable Heat
10 www.seai.ie

11. 11 www.seai.ie
Supermarket in Cavan
Energy audit key findings:
1. Energy mgmt. system #1
2. <€5k investment = €13k savings
every year
3. Solar is #2 – most saving but
large investment
4. This supermarket can
• Avail of the Communities grant for 30%
grant funding (plus potential of 10%
covered by obligated energy providers)

12. Support Scheme for
Renewable Heat
Ray Langton| Programme Manager – Support Scheme for Renewable Heat
12
www.seai.ie

13. Heat is often the Lion’s share of business energy and GHG emissions
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www.seai.ie
70%
30%
Energy use in Hotels, Breweries/Distilleries
Heat Electricity
Hotel electricity
Lighting AC
Cooking Catering
Swimming pool Other
Leisure Offices
Typical Hotel Heat
Space heating Hot water Catering
Are you using Fossil
Fuel?
How much heat are you
using?
Where are you using
heat?

14. Why switch to Renewable Heat?
For many businesses heat is a big portion of total energy and can be the
single biggest priority to tackle in terms of efficiency, cost and sustainability.
Switching to renewable heating delivers a large reduction in carbon emissions.
The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) gives a financial incentive
to replace fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps or biomass or biogas
heating systems.
SSRH is Suitable for any business using fossil fuels!
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www.seai.ie

15. A hybrid scheme of
How does the SSRH work?
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www.seai.ie
Investment aid
A grant of up to 30% for
- air source heat pumps
- ground source heat pumps
- water source heat pumps
Operational aid
based on eligible heat use
- a tiered tariff (reduces as heat output increases)
- ongoing quarterly payments for 15yrs
- for biomass & anaerobic digestion heating systems

16. 16
www.seai.ie
Case study – Radisson Blu, Letterkenny.

17. 17
Electric Vehicles
Conor Edgely | Programme Executive, Electric Vehicles

18. Electric Vehicles 2022
11k
Vehicles received grant support
€53m
In grant payments

19. • Fuel – save up to 70%
• Maintenance - save up to 60%
• Tolls and motor tax.
• Accelerated Capital Allowances on charging equipment and EVs - triplee@seai.ie
Lower costs
• Your company is contributing to a cleaner more sustainable environment
Positive brand image
• No tailpipe emissions from the BEV to pollute our air
• Reduced noise pollution
• Increase use of renewable energy
Reduced emissions
Why change to EV?
19 www.seai.ie

20. SEAI Grants
€3,800 for Commercial purchase of Vans
(N1)
€7,600 for Commercial purchase of 3.5T
Large Panel Vans (N1)
€600 towards charger install
VRT Relief
€200 for N1 vehicles
Low VRT rates on passenger cars (7%)
Benefit in Kind
Pay €0 on the first €35k, reducing on a sliding
scale to 2025
Summary of EV Supports Available
20 www.seai.ie

21. Considerations Before Buying
• Suitability
– Understanding your driving
needs
– Get the right EV for your needs
– www.drivingelectric.ie
– TCO Calculator
– Test Drive

22. 22
Community Energy Grant
John Flynn|Programme Manager‐ Community & Housing Grants • National Retrofit and Community

23. Strategic Banking
Corporation of Ireland
SBCI Energy Efficiency Loan
Scheme
Shane McCullough - Product Development Manager
February 2023

24. What is the SBCI?
Ireland’s National Promotional Institution
 Established in September 2014
 Owned by the Minister for Finance
Objectives
 Reduce the price of borrowing for Irish SMEs
 Make access to finance easier for SMEs in Ireland
 Increase competition in the Irish Credit Market
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25. 25
Source: SBCI 2022 Mid-year Impact Document (progress to mid-year 2022)
Key Business Highlights

26. SBCI Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (EELS)

27. Businesses can use EELS funding for
Solar panels Heating/Cooling equipment LED lighting
EVs charging points Kitchen equipment Lighting controls

28. Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme
Key Features:
• Finance from €10,000 to €150,000
• Repayment terms of 1-10 years
• Reduced interest rate
• Available up to 31 December 2023

29. How to Apply for EELS?
STEP 1 – Submit the Eligibility Application Form available on the
SBCI.gov.ie website to verify if you are eligible to apply for a loan
under the scheme.
STEP 2 – If successful, provide the SBCI Eligibility Code to one of
the scheme participating on-lenders to start your credit process.

30. How to Apply for EELS?

31. Where to apply for an EELS loan?
Additional
lenders to be
announced in
the coming
weeks

32. Follow Us for Updates!
@SBCIreland
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland
sbci_irl
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland - SBCI

33. Q&A
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