Waterford Energy Bureau - Grants and Supports

Waterford Energy Bureau aims to help the general public and communities to reduce their energy consumption / costs and greenhouse emissions. There is a range of energy efficiency / renewable energy technology grants from Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland and the European Union, which includes:

SEAI Grants

1. Home Grants
• Better Energy Homes (for further information click here)

Better Energy Homes is a Government programme operated by SEAI which gives grants for energy efficiency upgrades, helping to make your home more comfortable and cheaper to run. It is available to all owners of homes built before 2006 and it regards:

• Insulation Grants (find out more)
• Heating Upgrade Grants (find out more)
• Solar Thermal Grant (find out more)
• Building Energy Rating Grant (find out more)
• Better Energy Warmer Home Scheme (for further information click here)

This scheme funds energy efficiency improvements to those homes of vulnerable people in, or at risk of, energy poverty. The improvements offered are:

• Attic insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Draught proofing
• Lagging jackets
• Low energy light bulbs
• Energy advice
2. Community Grants
• Better Energy Community (find out more )

The BEC program funds a large range of projects. The goal is to deliver energy savings to homeowners, communities and private sector organizations. Waterford Energy Bureau / Waterford City and County Council are preparing an application and are looking for participant partners. Funding of 50% is available for community groups and 30% for businesses, with a wide range of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies being supported such as insulation improvements, heat system upgrades, windows / doors installations, solar water / PV etc. For further information check on the attached pdf or contact Waterford Energy Bureau at: info@waterfordenergy.ie. Interested applicants can complete the attached expression of interest form.

Measures supported both for residential and non-residential project are:

• Building fabric upgrades
• Technology and System upgrades
• Integration of Control Systems
• Integration of renewable energy sources
• Domestic Combined Fabric Upgrade
3. Business Grants
• Project Assistance Grants (find out more )

This scheme helps you to cut costs of energy bills by reducing the energy use. It could bring the following benefits to your organisation:

• Drop in energy costs
• Enhancing of the organisation’s reputation and image
• Product competitiveness
• Improve the knowledge of your employees around reducing energy use
• Improve your Display Energy Certificate
• Ability to divert savings to other activities
• EXEED Grant Scheme (find out more)

It is for both private and public companies planning in an energy efficient design project.

• Smart Lighting Pilot (find out more)

It is aimed to small and medium-sized enterprises that want to reduce the lighting electricity cost by up to 90%. They have to belong to one of the following sectors: fitness centres, retailers, small hotels, pharmacies, nursing homes, jewellers.

4. Electric Vehicle Grants (find out more)

The grant level applies to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and it depend on the list price of the vehicle.

European Union Grants

A lot of European programs are available for Energy Efficiency / Renewable Energy Technology project. They are listed below

• FREE – Future of Rural Energy in Europe (for further information click here)
• European Energy Program for Recovery (for further information click here)
• Connecting Europe Facility (for further information click here)
• Horizon 2020 (for further information click here and here)
• Financing Energy Efficiency (for further information click here)
• Interreg Europe (for further information click here)