Public Sector Case Study
Company name: Carlow County Council
Project actions: Upgrade of lighting system by replacing the existing quad by LED fitting and by the installation of occupancy sensor.
Installation of PV Panels, with a capacity of 5kWp.
Finance source: Internal
Additional funding: SEAI BEC 2017 programme
Funding: 30%
Grant amount: € 7,552
Total project cost: €25,173.35
25-year savings: €38,320
Simple payback time: 11.5 years
Carlow Assembly Rooms facilitates the offices of the Environmental and Water Services section of Carlow County Council. The lighting of the building is a source of a large electricity demand. After successfully upgrading their lighting and installing PV panels, the benefits and cost savings were clear. The 3 Counties Energy Agency (3CEA) through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Better Energy Communities programme is helping by administering state-wide funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
| Annual Energy (kWh) | Annual Value (€) | Annual CO2 (tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imports Before project | 31,621 kWh | €4,964.50 | 14.8 tonnes |
| Imports After project | 21,857.93 kWh | €3,431.70 | 10.2 tonnes |
| Savings | 9,763.07 kWh | €1,532.80 | 4.6 tonnes |
Benefits
- Thanks to the lighting upgrade and the installation of PV panels, Carlow County Council saved money and reduced its carbon footprint through the BEC 2017 Programme.
- The lighting upgrade has resulted in a much better quality of light by using the newest technology LED lamps. The decrease in wattage has led to much lower electricity bills.
- The installation of PV panels on the roof of the building has led to a reduction in grid imported electricity on the site.
