Power up your energy-retrofit journey on Cork's Grand Parade

Information on offer at the Home Energy Upgrade booth on Grand Parade, Cork, includes financial advice, organisational, technical and legal support, facilitation and mediation, and follow-up services on how to form an energy community.

The bright little Home Energy Upgrade booth on Grand Parade, Cork, will be in place until January of 2024, and is well worth a visit to kickstart your energy retrofit journey or to simply get some advice on strategically and steadily improving your home’s efficiency.

This initiative is part of UP-STAIRS, a pan-European project to empower communities to get on board with renewables, and energy efficiency, and to offer practical advice to householders.

Dr Padraig Lyons, Head of Group at International Energy Research Centre (IERC), says: “We want to bring homeowners, neighbours, and local communities together to form ‘energy communities’. When people work together, they can often get better results at a reduced cost. 

"For instance, if a group of neighbours are interested in getting solar panels on their houses, it would be cheaper for them to come together as an energy community for the project, as often the costs, such as hiring a cherry-picker for installation can be spread across the group.”

Information on offer includes financial advice, organisational, technical and legal support, facilitation and mediation, and follow-up services on how to form an energy community.

Those interested can also log onto the UP-STAIRS Digital Platform where they can register which aspects of energy consumption reduction that they are interested in.

One of five offices around Europe, this project is co-ordinated by the IERC part of Tyndall National Institute, with the participation of Cork City Council; h2020-upstairs.eu.