Inspirational Sustainable Energy Community
What have you achieved to date as a Sustainable Energy Community? We want to hear your story and showcase your community.
About the Award
This award is for members of the SEAI Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Network. We want to give you the opportunity to showcase and present your sustainable energy journey. All you need to do is tell us about your SEC so we can hear your achievements and share your story. This is not just about big projects. This might include energy retrofits, renewable energy upgrades, behavioural change initiatives, hosting community energy events, development of energy cooperatives, energy master plans, and the level of innovation demonstrated by the community in approach, activities and achievements. It can be your story from any part of the Learn, Plan Do, journey.
Shortlist for Video Production and Energy Award Finalist
There will be 4 shortlisted finalists who SEAI will work with to produce a video in their community to showcase their story. The videos will be voted on by your Peers, the SEC network, with one finalist crowned Inspirational Sustainable Energy Community at this year’s SEAI Energy Awards in November.
Non-Shortlist - Showcase of your story
If you don't make the shortlist, there will still be opportunity for SEAI to come out to run a community reel, showcase your SEC as a case study or get in touch to promote your story as a blog post on the website and for social media. Sharing your story will help SECs get connected, allow you to share but also allow you to see the work of others.
Who should apply
Applications are welcome from all of SEAI's Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) Network.
Previous Energy Award finalists under this category include
Corca Dhuibhne SEC
Corca Dhuibhne SEC, established in 2018, is part of the collaborative Dingle Peninsula 2030 initiative. They actively collaborate with the local community, including schools, business, transport, farming and tourism sectors. Their goal is to enable broader societal changes. These changes are to foster a sustainable low-carbon transition.
The Dingle Hub is working to identify employment opportunities. They want to help develop a sustainable economic future for the area. This is essentially an experiment. Through engaged research, MaREI is tracking, analysing and publishing experiential learnings. This is to help inform policy and practice, both locally and nationally. So far engagement events have reached up to 2,000 people from all sectors of society. Activity includes an Anaerobic Digester Feasibility Study, audio training material, home trial on solar PV, battery management, heat pumps and electric vehicles. This project illustrates how collaboration can support and enable active community responses.
Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative CLG
Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative CLG (ECTC) is a community-led home insulation upgrade and renovation organisation. They focus on getting grant aid, sourcing contractors and overseeing projects. This activity is for homeowners, businesses and community groups. ECTC grew out of a desire by rural communities to keep people in their areas. Energy efficiency was seen as a great driver of local economic growth. It also plays an instrumental role in helping Ireland achieve the target set out in the Climate Action Plan.
Its mission is to allow communities to create local employment and community benefit. This can be done by reducing their carbon footprint. They are focussed on eliminating fuel poverty and generating community-owned energy. Since 2012, ECTC and its 15 member communities have upgraded over 860 homes and secured over €12 million in investment for Tipperary.
The ECTC application demonstrates that they have been very proactive in promoting the message of energy efficiency and being instrumental in implementing significant projects with communities.
Mulranny Green Plan
Mulranny is a small community of 300 overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The Mulranny Green Plan SEC Group work with partner groups connected to Mulranny Community Futures. This is an umbrella group with representatives from 25 community organisations. They are employing a cooperative-based approach to climate action. Mulranny Green Plan SEC group strive to be carbon neutral, eco-friendly and inspirational. They aim to help the community improve the energy fabric of their homes and businesses. They also wish to develop renewable energy projects. The community will own these projects for the benefit of the community. They have created Ireland's first community owned E-Bike Share Scheme. This is fully powered by renewable energy. They have also run energy retrofitting workshops. Their vision is to preserve the unique environment of Mulranny. They want to enhance it for future generations.
Wicklow Tidy Towns SEC
Wicklow Tidy Towns Sustainable Energy Community was set up in 2019. They are focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint. They hosted an Energy Awareness Day in June 2022, where 18 Electric Vehicles were displayed, plus several trade suppliers of renewable and energy-efficient technologies. A one-stop shop answered questions on the new retrofit grants. Representatives for two proposed offshore Wind Banks also explained their projects. 400 people attended this unique event to the county. The success of the event has given volunteers new motivation for the future. Their vision is to play their role in tackling climate change ambitiously.
We are all absolutely delighted on behalf of Inishowen SEC to win this community award. It's great for everybody that's been involved over the long number of years in getting to this point, and we really look forward to pushing things forward and this will give us a real shot in the arm to do so.
Application guidelines
- Please submit your application online by 5pm Friday 7th July.
- You are eligible to apply under more than one category that you feel you fall under. Simply follow the online guidelines and copy and paste your application to a new category and amend your answers as appropriate.
- Please ensure all mandatory fields are completed before you hit submit.
- Please complete the 'Data' section to the best of your ability.
- Once you submit, you can still edit your application up to the deadline date.
- Please keep attachments to 5MB or less.
- Shortlisted applications for video production and SEAI Energy Awards will be announced in July.
- The SEAI Energy Awards will take place in November.