SAMSEC is currently in the process of commissioning an Energy Management Plan for Sandymount. The Steering Committee has engaged Michael Hanratty of IHER as consultant to draw up this plan in co-operation with the committee, which will be funded by our SEAI Sustainable Energy Communities grant of 25,000 Euro.
The Energy Management Plan will consist of an audit of energy use in Sandymount, together with a “Register of Opportunities”, or list of ways that residents, community groups and businesses can save energy and improve our area's carbon footprint.
The focus will be on retrofitting houses.
The Steering Committee has selected 15 homes as 'Domestic Participants, representative of Sandymount house types, to undergo various types of SEAI energy assessments.
The reports will be published, anonymously, in the Energy Management Plan, so as to share all the useful practical information about retrofitting, with householders in similar properties.
We also must finish selecting 12 non-domestic buildings, in community or commercial use, for energy assessments, and would welcome suggestions.
Sandymount's Energy Management Plan should be published, and launched, in October or November.
We also hope to join the 'Sustainable Energy Communities Buying Club' organised by CODEMA, City of Dublin Energy Management Agency, which is launching this autumn.
This should greatly help to simplify the process for householders trying to organise grants and contractors for retrofitting their projects, large and small.
We are very grateful to Gerard Doherty, our SEAI Sustainable Energy Communities mentor, for all his help and support.
