The Energy Efficiency Grant supports the investment in technologies and equipment of enterprises following on from a Green for Business Report, GreenStart Report or a SEAI Energy Audit with 75% of eligible costs from a minimum grant of €750 to a maximum of €10,000. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the impact of enterprises on the environment thereby increasing the agility and resilience of these businesses, to operate in a sustainable manner. The support provided should be to support the recommendations of one of the above reports.
This scheme supports all aspects of sustainability project expenditure associated with the operation of an enterprise including water; energy; circular economy etc. Enterprises should be signposted to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for grant aid in respect of the building they are located in.
Who is Eligible for Energy Grant
The Energy Efficiency Grant is open to small enterprises (with between 1 and 50 paid employees) who:
- have undertaken a Green for Business, Green Start or SEAI Energy Audit.
- are not currently clients of Enterprise Ireland or IDA.
- are established and trading for at least 6 months, registered, and operate within the area of the Local Enterprise Office.
- this grant aid is considered not to give rise to unacceptable deadweight (where the project would have proceeded anyway)
are solvent as demonstrated in the financial statements supplied.
Businesses must have either:
A fixed premises that is commercially rateable. Businesses will be required to supply a commercial rates bill to verify this.
Or be:
An establishment which is approved within the Fáilte Ireland National Quality Assurance Framework. Businesses will be required to supply approval documentation to verify this.
- Own the building/premises where the investment will take place or must hold a lease agreement on same, with at least 12 months remaining or agreed option to renew.
- Where an enterprise has multiple business premises, it can apply for projects across each premises, subject to the overall limits set out per undertaking.
- Any business that has a commercially rateable premises, or where rates are paid on their behalf and attributable in the rental or other agreement to the business premises they occupy, can apply.
- Commercially rateable premises, where a business is rateable but is not currently rated by Valuation Office for a variety of reasons, can apply. Businesses will be required to submit documentation from a Local Authority demonstrating that they have a commercially rateable premises that is not currently rated.
Ineligible Businesses
- Are operating solely from a domestic/home based office.
- Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, “not for profit” organisations – which do not meet the above criteria, trade associations, company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce, Sporting Bodies – which do not meet the above criteria and other non-commercial bodies or associations are not eligible to avail of the Energy Efficiency Grant.
- Are operating in the coal or steel sector.
- Are active in the primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture sectors.
- Are involved in activities that Local Enterprise Offices considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk. Ineligible activities include activities relating to:
The gambling sector, including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956).
Adult entertainment.
Tobacco and tobacco related products.
Cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list and Enterprise Ireland has a dynamic policy position on several activities. Any queries in relation to the eligibility of an acitivity will be directed to the Enterprise Ireland Policy department who will assess the case.
Eligible Costs
- Meters (electricity, gas, diesel, oil, water, steam & loggers) and installation costs
- Smart energy controls e.g., heating, cooling, lighting, automatic on/off systems, parasitic load controls
- Upgrade lighting to LED (only as part of a package of eligible cost measures)
- Replacement/upgrade with more energy efficient system, e.g. Heat Pumps (including air, water, and ground source) for manufacturing heating processes
- Heat recovery
- Technology/Equipment replacement/upgrade must be more energy efficient than what was in place at time of application, and can only be replaced/upgraded if it is greater than 5 years old. Examples of eligible technology/equipment include refrigeration units, electric steam boiler, electric oven and an industrial dishwasher.
- Small wind turbine & hydro generator (Subject to a pre-investment technical assessment by the LEO to confirm site and proposed capital investment suitability, identifying any technical risks or uncertainties. It should also be noted that Local Authority planning permission is required to install either a small wind turbine or hydro generator. Applicants must submit a copy of their Local Authority Planning Permission Approval as part of their application.)
- Investment in energy and resource efficient systems
- Food waste systems. (For Anaerobic Digestors and land spreading of Anaerobic Digestor digestate, either planning permission approval/permit, or, a letter from the appropriate regulatory authority confirming planning permission/permit is not required, must be submitted as part of the application. Projects must comply with relevant EU and national environmental legislation and where applicable applicants must provide confirmation that appropriate Anaerobic Digestors digestate storage is in place and procedures for the disposal of excess Anaerobic Digestors digestate are in place (i.e., waste shall be collected for off-site disposal or recovery by a contractor who is in possession of a Waste Collection Permit)
- Water management systems (Applicant must submit project outline (providing details of capital costs and reduced environmental impacts) to LEO for eligibility review in advance of application)
- Circular economy systems (Applicant must submit project outline (providing details of capital costs and reduced environmental impacts) to LEO for eligibility review in advance of application)
- Sustainable packaging equipment/technology (Applicant must submit project outline (providing details of capital costs and reduced environmental impacts) to LEO for eligibility review in advance of application)
- Eligible costs are equipment costs including installation and commissioning costs, where the equipment cost must be more than the commissioning and installation cost. Replacement/upgrade/new technologies and equipment for which the investment is applied for should meet the new criteria of the SEAI Triple E register if within the Triple E register scope. When the new Triple E register platform is operational, technologies and equipment in scope should be listed on the Triple E register. If not in scope, evidence is required to show improved energy efficiency and, if applicable, other reduced environmental impacts.
Ineligible Costs
- Solar panels: a Solar PV grant is available under SEAI Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme
- Biomass and biogas boilers,
- Building energy upgrades’, E.g., heat pump for space heating, insulation, pumps, heat recovery on ventilation systems
- Insulation
- Waste treatment systems for regulatory purposes
- Activities related to fossil fuel e.g., fossil fuel condenser boiler.
- Mobile assets such as electric forklifts, air compressors etc.
