Funding secured for Mayo county town's energy master plan

Castlebar Tidy Towns have been awarded a grant of €20,000 by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

This funding will allow Castlebar Tidy Towns to engage an energy consultant to create an Energy Master Plan for Castlebar.

The plan will be publicly presented and available which will allow residents, businesses, and community service groups to understand their energy usage and how they can save energy and lower costs.

The plan will detail the current energy usage of the town, identify existing renewable sources, identify opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy and select suitable projects for implementation over the following years.

Mayo County Council, as part of a memorandum of understanding with SEAI, will handle the public procurement process to appoint an energy consultant.

Developing an Energy Master Plan is the first step in a three-year Partnership Agreement with SEAI.

Over this three-year timeframe, Castlebar Tidy Towns will have access to SEAI technical support to establish the baseline Energy Master Plan, identify energy-saving opportunities, and implement a tailored program of activities for the community.

This partnership is been formed as part of the Sustainable Energy (SEC) Communities Network of which Castlebar Tidy Towns is a member.

The network’s core purpose is to catalyze and support a national movement of SECs operating in every part of the country.

An SEC is a community in which everyone works together to develop a sustainable energy system.

To do so, they aim as far as possible to be energy efficient, use renewable energy where feasible, and to develop smart energy solutions.