GRANTS FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES TO SAVE UP TO 60% ON LIGHTING ENERGY COSTS – MINISTER BRUTON

Applications open today, up to €2 million available to SMEs to upgrade their lighting and save energy

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D today announced €2 million funding for small and medium-sized businesses to invest in energy efficient lighting. The grant, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), will cover 30% of the cost of upgrade work and can help save up to 60% on lighting costs.

The grant is open to all small and medium-sized businesses including retailers, the hospitality and tourism sector, private health and education facilities, and manufacturers.

Making the announcement, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, said:

                “Decarbonisation can be a challenge for business. However adapting to the changes that are needed is now crucial for businesses to secure their competitiveness and prosperity in the long-term. Lighting is a great place to start. Collectively SMEs spend over €2 billion annually on energy. Individual companies stand to save up to 60% on their lighting bills by making these upgrades.  

Jim Gannon, CEO of SEAI, said:

                “After staff costs, lighting is the second highest cost for many businesses. Improving the energy efficiency of lighting helps businesses to cut costs, frees up resources that can be invested in more productive activities, and makes them more resilient and competitive. Over 200 businesses have benefitted from support through SEAI’s lighting grant, generating cost savings of €2.7 million. The payback for those businesses varied between one to two years”

Kevin Greaney, Managing Director of Greaney Glass, carried out lighting upgrades in 2017 with the support of the SEAI lighting grant. Speaking about the improvements, he said:

                “We are a family run business based in Galway since 1973. We replaced 516 lamps with 256 LED commercial highbays. This resulted in better light quality for office and warehouse staff, as well as reduced costs overall. These upgrades resulted in a 60% energy saving and an overall saving of €15,256 for Greaney Glass in the first year.”

The scheme is open for applications from Monday, 08 April, until Monday, 20 May. Early application is strongly advised as in the event of all funds being allocated prior to the closing date the scheme will automatically close. Applications can be submitted by individual businesses or by contractors. Contractors may group applications where they are delivering lighting upgrades for a number of small businesses.

For further information on the grant and details on how to apply visit seai.ie/grants.