The Downs – Coralstown – Killucan SEC Energy Master Plan

An Energy Master Plan helps communities understand the energy demand and supply. Every community is encouraged to look at energy efficiency first. This is because energy efficiency work is typically low risk and has high payback. The Energy Master Plan is also a live record of the community’s energy status and achievements. It will evolve to form the foundation for other applications and projects. For more information on the SEAI’s Energy Master Plan initiative, please go to this link

Individual actions for homeowners

…some quick and easy sustainability ‘wins’ to save you energy and money as well as reducing carbon emissions

Step 1: Do Your Own Audit:

• Check windows, external doors, vents, floor spaces, fireplaces, and stoves with a stick of incense: and track down and eliminate draughts.
• Check insulation levels in attic, basement, walls (including the meter box), and floors
• Check your boiler and stove; what age are they? When were they last serviced?
• Collect energy bills and scrutinise them over a year or 2.
• To save money in the short term see if you need to change your electricity supplier.

Step 2: Actions to save 12% of your energy costs and fossil fuel use:

• Turn everything off – don’t leave on standby (2%)
• Use a clothes line when possible – no tumble dryer (7%)
• Wash clothes @ 30 degrees (1%)
• Turn off lights when not in a room, replace bulbs with CFLs at least, or with LEDs if possible (2%).

Step 3: Save energy by thinking about the way you control and use heat

• Maintain room temperature 190C (this can save up to €350 every year for each degree lower you heat the house)
• Close the curtains at dusk to keep heat in the room that would otherwise be lost through the cold windows, and you could save up to 10% of your heating costs.
• Consider fitting shelves above radiators as they redirect the warm air that rises from them back into the room.
• Ventilate your house 3 to 5 minutes, a couple of times a day, instead of opening windows a little bit all day. Shut off your heating, during ventilation. This can reduce heat loss by 16%.
• Bleed your radiators regularly. If there is air in your radiator your boiler burns longer. Always start with the lowest and end with the highest radiator.

Home Retrofits: Make your home cozier, save money and reduce carbon emissions

** includes expected savings and rebate from PV installation

Photovoltaic (PV) in the home: make your own electricity and save money

A domestic solar PV system consists of a number of solar panels mounted to your roof (or in your garden or adjacent field) and connected into the electrical loads within your building. Solar PV systems are rated in kilowatts (kWp). A 3kWp solar PV system would require about 12 solar panels on your roof needing about 8m² of space, and will generate about 2,900 units of electricity (kWh) a year.

Since you pay about €0.31 per kWh to your electricity provider, a 3kW PV panel system  (if the home is occupied during the day) could save the homeowner about €637 per year. There would also be an additional payment from the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) Tariff (of up to €140 per year in this case). On an installation costing €4,800 (nett of SEAI grant of €1,600) this would achieve a simple payback of 6.1 years.

There is a significant grant incentive available from the SEAI for PV installation for homeowners. The full details are available at this link.

The Downs SEC Solar Meitheal

Members of the Greystones and Delgany SEC Solar Meitheal, Co. Wicklow. PIC: greystonesgreenenergy.ie

Express your interest in joining a Solar Meitheal in The Downs SEC area

Not living in the Downs SEC Area? Find out about Solar PV elsewhere at this link: https://www.seai.ie/blog/solar-pv-meitheal

EV Comparison Details [1]

[1] Comparison is from the SEAI’s tool available for hundreds of models and makes LINK