Bringing Locals Together to Develop Sustainable Energy

Original Article in the Carlow Nationalist found here by Suzanne Pender.

Creating jobs and saving money within any community is a great act. Doing it through the use of energy-efficient projects is even better.

Tullow Sustainable Energy Community Network (SECN) is aiming to unite locals by developing a sustainable energy system to benefit the entire community. Money can be saved through the use of energy-efficient projects and to create local jobs through energy efficiency.

According to the Carlow Nationalis “Tullow joins more than 100 sustainable energy communities across Ireland, with hopes that communities can save as much as 20% on their energy use, lower their fuel bills and improve comfort levels”.

“Tullow SECN was reformed in May 2020 and aims to bring the benefits of a sustainable energy community to private residential homes, business premises, sports clubs, schools, community buildings and to local farmers”.

Thanks to the work of Fr Andy Leahy (chair), cllr Will Paton (secretary), Larry Kavanagh and Kathy Walsh (treasurers), Eileen Doyle, Sr Carmel McEvoy, Molly Kirwan and Billy Dawson with advisers Marina DeCosta (Carlow County Development Partnership), Jane Wickham (3 County Energy Agency) and Pat Harrington and Lilly Slye (Carlow County Council) who been working since May towards on the application to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for funding to complete an energy master plan for Tullow.

As Suzanne writes in here article, “If the application for funding is successful, Tullow SECN will hire a consultant to write an energy master plan for the town. Assisted by SEAI, Tullow SECN will provide local knowledge, time, and people to help with buildings audits to write the energy master plan.

Tullow SECN is partnered with Carlow County Development Partnership, Carlow County Council and the 3 County Energy Agency in developing the master plan. It is hoped that by combining grant-aid from County Carlow Development Partnership (the local LEADER company) and SEAI that community buildings could get a grant up to 95% of the cost of improving their energy efficiency, while businesses, homes, sports clubs, schools, and farms could get grants of up to 50% to improve their energy efficiency and delivering cleaner, greener energy across Tullow”.