Nominations Open for SEAI Energy Awards

Deadline: 18-Jun-21

Nominations are now open for the SEAI Energy Awards to recognize and reward excellence in all aspects of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Communities, businesses, individuals, and organizations all across Ireland are moving away from fossil fuels and taking advantage of innovative energy solutions to address the climate crisis. The SEAI Energy Awards celebrate these champions and leaders.

The categories for 2021 cover a wide range of areas and activities that reflect SEAI’s key focus areas. The Awards continuously showcase the organizations, communities and individuals who are leading in smart energy solutions and practices.

Categories are open to individuals, groups, businesses or organizations, public and private sector from either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Award Categories

The nine categories for 2021 cover a wide range of areas and activities that reflect SEAI’s key focus areas.

Large Business – Exemplary Energy Management
- This award is aimed at organisations with an energy spend of over €0.5 million that have demonstrated achievements in energy efficiency and decarbonisation over a number of years. Entrants should outline what energy savings have been made against their long term ambition, and any innovations in their actions, projects or engagement that have improved energy performance.
Small and Medium sized Business – Exemplary Energy Performance
- This award is aimed small and medium businesses, with an energy spend from €1 to €1 million and employee numbers from 1 to 250, that go beyond best practice in in energy efficiency, energy management solutions or renewable technology deployments. Entrants should outline what energy savings have been made to date against their long term ambition.
Leadership in the Public Sector
- This Award is aimed at public sector organisations that have demonstrated leadership in energy efficiency and decarbonisation over a number of years. Entrants should outline what energy savings have been made against their long term ambition, and outline any innovations in their actions, projects or engagement that have improved energy performance.
Inspirational Energy Community
- This award is for members of the SEAI Sustainable Energy Communities Network. It will recognise the inspirational efforts of teams leading a sustainable energy community that go beyond the norm through a combination of ambition, passion and commitment.
Energy in Buildings
- This award celebrates sustainable and low carbon buildings that have demonstrated best practice in design, construction or operation. Applications are welcome from new build or substantial retrofit projects, in residential or commercial settings. Projects must be complete and buildings occupied.
Innovative Deployment of Renewable Energy
- This award recognises organisations that have demonstrated a high level of innovation in the deployment and/or operation of a functioning renewable energy project. Projects may be in renewable heat, electricity or transport, and may include projects for self-supply to a discrete facility.
Excellence in Energy Research and Innovation
- This award is aimed at organisations that have researched and developed innovative energy-related technologies, processes or systems, which will contribute significantly to Ireland’s clean energy transition. This winner will receive a €10,000 bursary.
Energy Team/Manager of the Year
- This award celebrates individuals or teams in the public, private or voluntary sectors, who have demonstrated long-term leadership and ambition in implementing energy management and delivering significant benefits for their organisation.
Emerging Sustainable Energy Champion
- Their “Emerging Sustainable Energy Champion” award was introduced in 2019 to recognize the outstanding work that many young people do to further the cause of sustainable energy as a key pillar of climate action. This year they have added this award to our category list and you can now apply rather than be nominated. Applicants must be in fulltime education (primary, post-primary or 3rd level excluding mature students) or of school / college going age.

Eligibility Criteria

Large Business – Exemplary Energy Management
- Applications are welcome from Large Businesses across all sectors who can demonstrate achievements in energy efficiency.

Small and Medium sized Business – Exemplary Energy Performance
- Applications are welcome from SMEs across all sectors.
Leadership in the Public Sector
- Applications are welcome from all public sector organisations.
Inspirational Energy Community
- Applications are welcome from community partnerships, groups and organisations involved in leading change and championing sustainable energy at local level. You must be a member of the SEAI Sustainable Energy Community network.
Energy in Buildings
- Applications are welcome from new build or substantial retrofit projects, in residential or commercial settings.
Innovative Deployment of Renewable Energy
- Applications are welcome from Renewable energy project owners, Facility / building owners with innovative renewable energy deployments including houses. Technology developers and suppliers with suitably innovative projects
Excellence in Energy Research and Innovation
- Applications are welcome from private enterprises; Universities, Institutes of Technology and state funded research organisations; or public sector/semi-state bodies involved in impactful energy research and innovation
Energy Team/Manager of the Year
- Applications are welcome from individuals, teams or organisations, across the public, private and voluntary sectors
Emerging Sustainable Energy Champion
- They welcome applications from students in fulltime education (primary, post-primary or 3rd level excluding mature students) or young people of school / college going age.