Better Energy Workplaces

better energy workplaces | Mckeon.ie Better Energy Workplaces – For Business & Public Sector

Grants of up to €500,000 available

Under the Government’s Jobs Initiative, the ‘Better Energy – The National Upgrade Programme’ was launched by the Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources on 11th May 2011. This new programme aims to deliver a major increase in the pace, scale and depth of sustainable energy investments in upgrading existing buildings and facilities.

Within this programme, financial support is available through the Better Energy Workplaces scheme, for implementing a wide range of qualifying sustainable energy upgrading projects in the public, commercial, industrial and community sectors.

Who can avail of the Scheme?

The Scheme is open to projects and related initiatives for the sustainable energy upgrading of buildings, services, and facilities of organisations in the public and private (including community) sector.

What types of Projects are eligible?

Support is available for sustainable energy upgrades to buildings, services, facilities and processes, involving investment actions comprising individual or packaged measures, aimed at achieving ongoing and lasting energy savings. Projects entailing upgrades to thermal, electrical or transport energy performance are all considered eligible.

Where the project involves purchase of plant, machinery or equipment in the product/ technology categories listed on the SEAI’s ‘Triple E’ register , then generally such products will be required to be drawn from that register.

Projects must include an efficient and effective mechanism for energy use data collection, monitoring and/or verification of savings.

Projects containing at least two of the following features are particularly encouraged:

Include retrofitting of one or more energy services within a cohort of buildings or facilities to best in class performance.
Incorporate innovative delivery facilitation and financing models, especially those drawing on the principles of energy performance contracting.
Involve the services of Obligated Parties as a mechanism to deliver the projects.
Incorporate an innovative energy saving technology, or application.
Incorporate a range of energy efficiency actions of varying complexity and investment attractiveness.
Involve multiple project/ technology elements across single or multiple sites (or organisations) that are coordinated through a central body or organisation.
Utilise the International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol (IPMVP) to monitor and verify the energy savings from the project.

What level of support is available?
In general, grant support per project will not be less than €20,000 and will not exceed €500,000. Projects of a scale eligible to attract grant support of over €100,000 and projects submitted via Obligated Parties (i.e. energy supply companies) are particularly encouraged.

The Scheme offers support up to the following grant levels depending on the nature of the project and sectoral category outlined below:

Non-commercial public sector: Support of typically 50% of eligible costs is available; although in some cases public bodies may qualify for support of up to 80%. Only projects which score highly under the criteria outlined in section 6b below can avail of funding greater than 50%.
Private sector, voluntary/ community sector and commercial public sector organisations: Support of up to 35% of eligible costs is available. However, voluntary/ community organisations funded primarily by from public funds may be open to consideration for similar treatment as non-commercial public sector organisations.

For Private Sector this means that overall minimum project budget will be €57,000 + VAT
& for Public Sector will be €25,000 to €40,000 + VAT but larger scale projects are preferred.

Eligible Costs

The eligible costs are:

Costs of external labour required to install and commission the energy efficiency project, i.e. to implement the project.
Costs of materials, equipment, hardware or control systems necessary to implement the project.
Better Energy Workplaces Application Guide, Version 1.0, June 2011 Page 6 of 12
Additional specialist costs, which in relevant circumstances may relate to design, procurement and contracting activities, will be considered on a case by case basis but these should be clearly specified in the project application.

How McKeon Group Help?

McKeon Group has extensive experience (Both as consultants and contractors) with SEAI grants schemes in previous years. Our past and current clients include those in the private sector and public sector educational institutes.

McKeon Group can work closely with clients during the application process and right through until project completion with: