Are you ambitious to see the development of a renewable energy project in your community in 2021? It’s not too early to take the first step, with a grants scheme now open to help support these investments.
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has launched the €28 million fund for community energy projects across Ireland – the Community Energy Grants scheme.
Funded under the National Retrofit Programme, it is now open for applications, offering grant support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects throughout the country.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is administering the new scheme, which is an enhanced version of the previous Better Energy Communities scheme.
This new scheme has a “larger budget, will accommodate larger projects and now offers enhanced support for upgrade of rented properties”.
There will also be a shorter evaluation time for applications and a longer time in which to carry out the projects.
‘This sector has a bright future’
“The increased budget for the scheme and other improvements will enable delivery of larger projects and more wide-scale benefits,” Minister Eamon Ryan said.
“By shortening the evaluation period and lengthening the works window, this scheme will help make the retrofit sector the year-round industry we intend it to be.
“Besides the very real benefits in the homes and communities for people all over Ireland, this scheme will help grow the market and create high-quality sustainable jobs in the retrofit and energy service sector. This sector has a bright future for good quality careers for decades to come.”
William Walsh, CEO of the SEAI, added that communities are central to achieving climate action across society.
“Already, almost 19,000 homes and 2,900 public, community and commercial buildings have been upgraded,” he said.
The achievements of these communities can be replicated, drawing even more participants into Ireland’s clean energy transition.
The maximum evaluation period for applications has been reduced to eight weeks. The scheme will now operate a longer works window of January to October. Maximum funding for larger projects has also been increased to €2 million.
Project co-ordinators combine home retrofits, business sector and/or community or public sector facility projects together into an aggregated project package that meet the criteria stipulated by the SEAI.
Projects are scored based on factors which include value for money; energy saving impact; carbon savings; partnership and community approach; and delivery capacity – with funding awarded to qualifying projects on a first-come-first-served basis, until the funding is committed.