Easy Wins Business Case Studies
Hear from SMEs across Ireland who have received funding and support from SEAI to reduce costs and carbon emissions. It’s an easy win!
Ahascragh Distillery is Ireland’s first zero energy emissions whiskey and gin distillery, located in Ahascragh, Co. Galway. Founded by Gareth and Michelle McAllister, they have blended tradition and heritage with innovation and sustainability by housing a state-of-the-art distillery in a restored 19th century corn mill. You will also find a Visitor Centre, which provides tours of the facility, the Old Mill Shop and Café and Clan Colla restaurant. Michelle and Gareth used the SEAI EXEED approach to significantly reduce the energy required for production at their facility.
The distillery uses a novel technical approach deploying heat recovery, thermal storage, heat pumps and solar PV. This energy efficiency design approach has cut energy demand by two thirds compared to a conventional distillery and ensures that no fossil fuels are consumed on site, and zero emissions are produced. The project is world leading in the deployment of energy efficient design, heat pumps and heat recovery and serves as a showcase for distilleries nationwide.
With the support of SEAI, annual savings at Ahascragh Distillery are as follows:
(At time of application – 2021 prices)
- €165,330*
- 735 tCO2 Scope 1 and 1690 tCO2 Scope 1 and 2
- 2,862,089 kWh
*Cost savings correct at time of grant application and calculated at market energy rates.
“Whiskey has always been an interest. That interest became a passion, and that passion became a business. We were never going to build a warehouse in a greenfield from scratch, and that’s aligned with our values around sustainability. The distillery is built in three buildings in a historic mill and is now powered completely with green electricity, from wind power on the grid, and from the solar PV on site. The heat pumps are powered with this green electricity and there is zero emissions, stacks or chimneys on site.”
“Businesses should take note, it is possible to cut costs and carbon at the same time. The support from SEAI was essential and made this project viable, and the engineering and construction teams brought our vision of a zero emissions distillery to reality”
Poppies is a popular family-run café located in the picturesque village of Enniskerry, in Co. Wicklow. Poppies first opened its doors in 1984 as a small tearoom and over the next 40 years it has gone from strength to strength, both increasing in size and product offering. The current owners bought the café in 2001 after giving up the corporate life because they ‘wanted to make a difference and be their own boss’.
Poppies invested circa €70,000 in energy upgrades including solar thermal, solar PV, heat pumps, and efficient appliances. Full list below. They were able to avail of SEAI grants for an energy audit and solar PV which made the investment more affordable, making a massive difference to their bottom line.
- Solar PV, 15kw battery and display monitor - €20,000
- Heat pump - €5,000
- Solar tubes - €5,000
- Ovens and hobs, €11,000
- Fridges - €15,000
- Bathroom upgrade - €10,000
- Lights and sensors - €1,000
“To have a good business you have to obviously look after the business itself, you have to look after your customers and you have to look after society, and I like to think at Poppies, we do all three.”
The energy crisis was turning point for their business, and it was then that owners, Peter and Fiona, realised that investing in energy efficiency made perfect business sense. “It stressed the importance of being sustainable and reducing your energy consumption” says Peter. They invested in new technologies that would help to reduce energy consumption and cut back on bills.
Advice to other businesses
“The core thing is that sustainability is profitability. Businesses need to take this seriously and take advantage of the SEAI supports available to enhance and futureproof their business”
Shannon Springs Hotel is a 71-bedroom, 4-star hotel, located in Co. Clare. The hotel is adjacent to Shannon Airport and Bunratty Castle, and between Limerick City and Ennis Town and close to the Wild Atlantic Way. The hotel includes the Old Lodge Gastro Pub, restaurant and live music venue.
Supported by SEAI, Shannon Springs undertook a comprehensive retrofit project. This included switching out oil boilers for air-to-water heat pumps, installing split AC units to replace electric heating, installing Solar PV, energy metering, new pumps and booster set upgrades.
Annual savings from the retrofit investments were as follows:
(At time of application – 2023 prices)
- €35,296 *
- 128 tCO2
- 510,100 kWh
*Cost savings correct at time of grant application and calculated at market energy rates.
“We started by metering our energy consumption and we engaged an energy consultant for a deep dive energy audit. Before we put in the heat pump, we were spending about €4,000 per month on kerosene! We expect a return on investment of around 4 years”
“Energy costs are a huge factor in running a successful hotel. To address this significant overhead, and ensure that we can show our sustainability credentials, we engaged external expertise to audit and advise on energy upgrade opportunities. The support from SEAI was invaluable to make the project work for our business”