Sustainable Energy Communities Programme supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
About this good practice
The investment by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland SEAI (the Irish state) in resourcing the Sustainable Energy Communities programme.
Resources needed
As an example, five SECs could be set up with a fund of €90,000: six days of mentoring for each SEC @€500/day (€15,000). Each SEC can access €15k each to complete a local community Energy Master Plan (€75,000).
Evidence of success
There are currently 34 SEC’s in County Donegal. Inishowen SEC was formed with support from IDP (local development group), Co-Op (local farmer cooperative) and the Local Authority as well as members of the community itself. The EMP is complete. The SEC is very active in the community and has helped coordinate ‘Warmer Homes Scheme’ grant applications (helping older people get grants for energy efficiency measures), it has completed grid assessments and accessed other funding sources.
Potential for learning or transfer
The setting up of a Sustainable Energy Community Programme is potentially interesting for other regions for the following reasons:
1. Feasibility of implementation: Indicates that the GP is adaptable to regions with
constrained resources.
2. Scalability: Set up multiple SECs with a limited fund.
3. Empowerment through local planning: SEC developing a local community Energy
Master Plan (EMP) empowers communities to identify and prioritise energy efficiency
and renewable energy projects.
4. Utilisation of funding: Once SECs have their EMPs in place, they are positioned to
access various funding.
As noted, this programme requires a small amount of funding to set up and then is easy to replicate and scale up. It is running successfully in Ireland and could also be implemented in other Countries. The only stumbling block may be getting interested community members to come together to form a SEC.
