Minister Ryan opens €50 million retrofit scheme for SMEs – Business Energy Upgrade Scheme

• Business Energy Upgrade Scheme will support small and medium businesses to improve energy efficiency and save costs

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, has launched a new €50 million Business Energy Upgrades Scheme (BEUS) to support small and medium sized businesses to carry out energy efficiency upgrades. The scheme will provide substantial support to the SME sector to address energy costs and reduce emissions in their buildings, making them healthier, more comfortable and cheaper to run.

The scheme, funded from the Climate Action Fund, offers up to €120,000 for a range of common building upgrade measures including pumps, solar thermal, automatic controls, heat pumps, ventilation and wall insulation. In addition, support is offered to significantly enhance existing building management systems and for retrofit design activities. The scheme is open to all businesses and small public bodies who are upgrading a building they own or occupy.

The initiative will be administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), with applications opening today. Building on the success of SEAI’s Support Scheme for Energy Audits and the Non-Domestic Microgeneration Grant, which have collectively supported thousands of businesses in recent years, the Business Energy Upgrades Scheme promises to be fast and seamless.

An application can be made quickly by an SME, and a decision and grant offer can be generated within minutes. This addresses a key barrier for SMEs, allowing business owners to progress investments without delay and reducing the time spent accessing grant support. This new scheme is one of several initiatives that will continue the scale-up of retrofit activity over the coming years.

Minister Ryan said:

“I am very pleased to launch this scheme today, to build on the unprecedented level of support that has been made available to businesses to improve their energy efficiency, securing themselves against energy cost volatility and demonstrating leadership in reducing their climate impact.

“We have listened to businesses and we know that they want to retrofit their buildings but they want to do so as fast and as simply as possible. This scheme delivers just this. It is targeted, simple and straight forward. It is designed with small businesses in mind in particular, and especially businesses who are renting premises. It is a vital step in helping us decarbonise as a country, and it does this while also helping hard pressed businesses right across the country to reduce their energy costs and make their work places warmer and healthier.”

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, said:

“Sustainability is good for business. It can reduce costs and so make businesses more competitive.

“The Business Energy Upgrade Scheme is an important part of the Government’s package of measures to support businesses to become more sustainable and competitive. I would recommend to all eligible businesses to access this scheme from the SEAI, alongside the Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme from the Local Enterprise Offices, which can be invested in new energy efficient equipment, smart control systems, heat recovery, and more.”

SEAI CEO, William Walsh, said:

“If we are to successfully achieve our climate action ambitions then all sectors of society need to take rapid and substantial action. SEAI has already led a revolution in home energy upgrades, which we want to replicate in the small and medium business sector. The new Business Energy Upgrades Scheme also builds on our hugely successful audit and solar PV schemes, which have supported thousands of businesses to take action and address energy costs and emissions.

“This new scheme, coupled with SEAI’s other business supports and services, will catalyse a step change in energy upgrades in the commercial sector, building the skills necessary for this sector, and support a thriving, low carbon, enterprise sector. Small businesses are the life blood of Ireland’s economy and need accessible support to drive the changes they wish to see in their businesses.”

For further information on the Business Energy Upgrade Scheme, please visit the SEAI website.

Business Energy Upgrade Scheme

The new Business Energy Upgrade Scheme is part of SEAI’s overall portfolio of Business Supports, which includes the Energy Academy, Introduction to Energy Management Training, Support Scheme for Energy Audits, Non-Domestic Microgen Grant, Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, and Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED). These supports allow businesses to Understand and Assess their energy use.

The Business Energy Upgrade Scheme is specifically targeted at small businesses such as hotels, retail, offices, and hospitality to provide support for a range of energy upgrade measures that will support the achievement of Ireland’s commercial built environment emission targets, while reducing business running costs, enhancing comfort, and supporting the business’ own emission reduction ambitions.

SEAI

SEAI is Ireland’s national energy authority with a mission to be at the heart of delivering Ireland’s energy revolution. SEAI partners with citizens, communities, businesses, and Government to drive the reduction and replacement of fossil fuel usage. SEAI invests in and delivers appropriate, effective, and sustainable solutions to help Ireland’s transition to a clean energy future.

SEAI is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.