EcoVision delivering for sustainability needs across local communities
EcoVision Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) is delivering services to meet the sustainable energy needs of communities across the mid-west of Ireland.
EcoVision Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) has its roots in Ireland's first community-led local energy plan, developed by Drombane Village Group near Thurles, Co Tipperary in 2014.
Partnering with other SECs, EcoVision supports homeowners and businesses across counties Tipperary, Limerick and Clare with energy upgrades and retrofitting. The cooperative now has a team of seven staff members, including two project managers, a general manager, a finance manager and a projects team. Their work brings investment and employment into Sustainable Energy Communities while helping them meet their energy efficiency and generation goals, contributing to Ireland’s sustainable energy future.
“There are over 1,040 Sustainable Energy Communities across the country and the great thing about them is they all have different ambitions for what they want to achieve in their local community,” says William Walsh, CEO of Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). “There are some that are only starting out with a small team, whereas others are building on existing initiatives. Either way, these are teams of volunteers making a real impact in their local community and we at SEAI are here to support them.”
He underlines the uniqueness of EcoVision: “EcoVision is actually very unique. It’s an example of a Sustainable Energy Community with paid staff members that offers professional services across several counties. That’s atypical, most SECs remain a small community group of volunteers.”
Over the years, EcoVision has evolved from a sustainable energy community into a cooperative of communities through partnerships and funding from national and EU sources. EcoVision are now delivering services to meet the sustainable energy needs of communities across the mid-west of Ireland.
“What EcoVision has done could potentially work in other areas but the more typical SEC would have very different aims. Typically, SECs start with a group of volunteers interested in making a change to energy use in their community. They might originally come together through a tidy towns group or a GAA green club for example, and then they decide they want to do something with more of an energy focus and apply to us for funding for a mentor to help get them started.
"Once up and running, they might run an information evening or a workshop to get more people involved and ultimately it ends up with them developing an Energy Master Plan of their area, with assistance and funding from SEAI, to see what would work best in their local community and really help them identify impactful projects. And these projects make a really positive addition to the whole community.”
In 2020, SEAI awarded €15,000 to EcoVision SEC to complete its Energy Master Plan (EMP). This baseline study helped the community understand their energy use and emissions, and identify actions for energy savings, retrofitting, and local renewable energy generation.
“Energy Master Plans are really important to the work of any SEC, because they provide the evidence base to help decide what would work best in that community. They are completed by an expert, and the work is fully funded through SEAI. They give those involved in the SEC a really detailed understanding of how energy is used locally and this baseline is vital to measuring the impact of certain measures. The Plan will also identify a list of projects in their area for them to pursue,” he added.
Bringing the community on board is integral to the success of projects such as Community Solar PV Pilot at St Ruadhan’s Community Hall in Lorrha, Co Tipperary.
“It is really fantastic what the SEC in Lorrha has achieved. They’ve managed to significantly lower the electricity costs of their community hall, which is a real hub for the local area. I believe they have a volunteer-shop and heritage centre operating out of the hall too, which will feel the benefits of this work.”
Community Centres in general are great partners for SECs, he says: “They’re really important for providing a space for the local community, for classes, indoor farmer’s markets, sports and youth groups etc, but they tend to be older buildings, that are harder and more expensive to heat. So, things like insulation projects, or solar panels, can make a big difference. And if a hall is warmer, it’s more comfortable, it’s cheaper to run, then people are more likely to use it.”
Community projects are central to achieving Ireland’s green goals and reducing reliance on overseas fossil fuels.
“All the work we do at SEAI is around helping people, businesses, and communities move away from fossil fuels, towards more sustainable sources of energy. This is not only the right thing to do from a climate perspective; it also really increases quality of life.”
People living and working in better-insulated, more energy-efficient homes and workplaces are warmer, more comfortable, and healthier.
“They also have cheaper energy bills. The wonderful thing about the SECs is that they are driven by those who live in a local area and understand what that area needs. They are a really important piece of the overall puzzle.”
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