Small and Medium Business

About the Award

This award is at aimed small and medium businesses, with an energy spend of one euro to €1.5 million with employee numbers from 1 to 250, that go beyond best practice in in energy efficiency, energy management solutions or renewable technology deployments. Entrants should outline what energy savings have been made to date against their long term ambition.

Who should apply?

Applications are welcome from SMEs across all sectors.

Previous project finalists include:

The Falls Hotel & Spa

The Falls Hotel & Spa, a family run hotel, worked over a six-year period to reduce their CO2 emissions. Their sustainability journey started with smart energy changes within the hotel, such as switching  all of the light fittings to LED, fitting aerators on all water supply systems and using BioLPG fuel. They then invested in  using hydro power. This is powered by the cascades that give the hotel its name. Installing a hydro-electric turbine on the river next to the hotel reduced their carbon emissions by 70%. In addition, they are selling their excess hydro-electricity back to the grid. This and other sustainability initiatives led to the hotel being declared a carbon neutral property. They were awarded their GreenMark recognition in March 2021. Now with a 56 tonne emission reduction by the end of 2021 and 70% reduction in energy bills, they can see a huge change. They proudly have guests stay at a carbon neutral hotel. 

The FACTORY

The FACTORY is an eco-print and graphic design studio. The FACTORY is now generating 65% of its electricity on-site via wind and solar power. It has installed  LED lighting, an air-to-water heating, a solar PV array, a small wind turbine and invested in an electric vehicle for local deliveries.  Other measures implemented include a four-day work week and managing 5 acres of land for biodiversity. The FACTORY is determined to make its sustainable energy journey fully transparent and it has shared its journey and results on social media. The data shows how small businesses can be more sustainable and the FACTORY wants to empower similar businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. 

Activ8 Solar Energies

Activ8 Solar Energies is a residential and commercial solar installation company. As the company grew, it was necessary = to build a new head office  and more importantly, it allowed them to deliver a world-class building. They saw it as an opportunity to be a leader in energy efficiency. Over 3 years, they worked towards the move. They combined internal energy efficiency policies with the design principles of the new building. Their goal was to optimise every aspect of their operations to be more sustainable. They have installed air source heat pumps, heat recovery and solar PV. They have supplemented LED lights with sensors throughout. They've added exceptional insulation measures and EV car chargers. They have also implemented rainwater harvesting. Through all of this, they have delivered a new head office at the forefront of sustainable energy. The building is operating 47% more efficiently than baseline energy consumption.  

Chemifloc

This project is a great example of how an energy audit can give you an opportunity to look at the energy usage across different processes. Chemifloc’s caustic cooling project provided the opportunity to spot clever ways of saving energy. After completing an energy audit, the project looked at the good principles of chemistry and engineering to combine two processes so that they complimented each other. As a result, instead of requiring energy input, both processes became energy neutral. The project was supported by the SEAI EXEED scheme.

Falls Hotel & Spa

The Falls Hotel & Spa, a family run hotel based in the Burren UNESCO Geopark, worked over a five-year period to reduce their CO2 emissions, being declared a carbon neutral property in early 2021 by Green Hospitality and awarded their GreenMark recognition. The Falls Hotel sustainability journey has included planting native Irish saplings to offset carbon and using hydro power from the powerful cascades that give the hotel its name.

Bocan Community Creche

Bocan Community Creche is small yet environmentally conscious childcare facility, which aims to reduce its carbon footprint through a series of cost effective and ‘green’ choices. The creche has already installed geothermal heat pumps, eliminating the need for oil and installed electric solar panels which generate electricity, reducing the demand on our national grid. This continues to be one of the factors in helping to keep the creche fees at a low and sustainable rate for parents. The creche has also been awarded with three green flags through the Green Schools programme. Further eco-adjustments will be made as they advance on their sustainability journey.

KORE Insulation

Over the past five years, KORE has implemented major reform in reducing their energy demand and carbon emissions. KORE Insulation participates in many retrofit schemes across the country and have also implemented a range of energy saving measures in their own factory. KORE is focused on reducing their carbon emissions and have installed a solar PV renewable energy system, amongst other upgrades. KORE has set a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Application guidelines

1. Please submit your application online by 5pm Friday 7th July.
2. You are eligible to apply under more than one category. Simply follow the online guidelines and copy and paste your application to a new category and amend your answers as appropriate.
3. Please ensure all mandatory fields are completed before you hit submit.
4. Please complete the 'Data' section to the best of your ability.
5. Once you submit, you can still edit your application up to the deadline date.
6. Please keep attachments to 5MB or less.
7. Shortlisted applications will be announced in August.