Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD today (Monday) announced funding of €12 million for the second call of the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme for the higher education sector – doubling the funding made available for the first call last year.
This is a key climate action measure, which will support higher education institutions in making progress towards 2030 targets of a 50% improvement in energy efficiency and 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The pathfinder programme will continue to test a range of building retrofit approaches to build evidence and capability in the sector, and to inform decisions as larger scale programmes are rolled out in the future.
Minster Harris said:
“I am delighted to announce that we are doubling the funding available in this programme to advance the climate action agenda in the higher education sector. We want more institutions involved and more money making a difference on the ground.
Our 2030 targets for energy efficiency and decarbonisation are ambitious, but I’m here to say that we plan to meet them. This programme will help institutions get there, developing and disseminating knowledge of how retrofitting will work for the sector as a whole. This of course is building on the excellent work already being done by the sector in the area of sustainability and climate action.”
Minister Ryan said:
“Our higher education campuses are where our young people come to learn and share ideas, and they are also places of research and innovation. So it’s appropriate that this sector is taking a lead role in energy efficiency and climate action. Our target of achieving at least 50% emissions reduction by 2030 is challenging but we are determined to achieve it. I’m impressed with what has already been done in this sector and am delighted that we are increasing the funding for another round of projects through the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme.”
The programme is co-funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications under Project Ireland 2040, and administered through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Higher education institutions will be invited shortly to apply for funding for projects to be carried out in 2022 under the programme.
Among the pathways that will be considered for funding include: deep retrofit with low temperature air source heat pumps; geothermal water source heat pump with borehole; deep fabric retrofit; medium retrofit with high temperature air source heat pump; biomass and medium fabric upgrade; and medium retrofit with mechanical and electrical upgrades.
Grants will be provided for successful projects through the Higher Education Authority.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
This latest call is modelled on the initial version of the scheme, while building in a number of lessons learned from the first round of the programme. It is also informed by the stakeholder technical steering group convened by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to assess decarbonisation pathways for the higher education sector.
The first round of the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (EEDPP) was announced in March 2020 and included total funding of €6m. The eight projects which were approved for funding in September 2020 under the first call of the EEDPP are now proceeding with implementation.
HEI Project Description
Trinity College Dublin: Moyne Institute – Part Window Replacement, Roof Installation, LED Lighting and Base Load Heat Pump
NUI Galway: Áras De Brún – Energy and Carbon Efficient Upgrade
Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire (IADT): Energy Efficiency Upgrades - Atrium Building
University College Cork: Decarbonisation of the O’Rahilly Building Heating System as a pathway to B2 Certification
Maynooth University: John Paul II Library
University College Dublin: Belfield Campus DHS Heat Pump
Dublin City University: Marconi Building Deep Retrofit and BER Upgrade
Letterkenny Institute of Technology: Phase 1 Extension Retrofit