11. Greystones and Delgany Energy Action Plan
The following action plan is given as an example on how to put in place the recommendations listed in the Registers of Opportunities in Year 1. The scale of the action plan is directly related to the ambition of the community, the homeowners and the owners to implement energy efficiency improvements
11.1 List of possible actions for year 1
| Action type | Actors | Action | Measures | Grant scheme | Payback |
| All | SEC | Energy awareness campaign to promote the SEC and the Master Plan | – Energy awareness day | Short term | |
| Domestic | Homeowners | Level 1 Basic upgrade – Assess feasibility and cost for implementation of measures – Create economy of scale for costs by grouping the works per contractorOr Contact SEAI approved Technical Advisor regarding the implementation of the Option B Approach described in the Register of Opportunities | – Roof insulation upgrade – Cavity wall insulation upgrade – Lighting upgrade | Home energy grant | Short term |
| Transport | SEC / Business owners / Communities | Assess electric vehicle ownership in the area and find out if many plan to purchase electric in the future. Based on your findings consider applying for funding for a lamppost EV charger of up to 6kW | Public charger grant | Short Term | |
| Transport | Business owners / Communities | Speak with local business owners and community leaders to identify the optimum location for cycle parking that will allow residents to go about their daily business by bike | – install cycle parking | Smarter Travel Measures grant through Wicklow CoCo | Short Term |
| Non Domestic | Business owners | Small and medium businesses in the area should apply for the Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA) described in the available supports and Grants section | |||
| Domestic | Homeowners | Level 2 Advanced upgrade – Assess feasibility and cost for implementation of measures – Create economy of scale for costs by grouping the works per contractor | – Level 1 + – Heating system upgrade | Home energy grant | Medium Term |
| Action type | Actors | Action | Measures | Grant scheme | Payback |
| Domestic | SEC / Homeowners | Begin the process for Level 3 Home Retrofit upgrade – Engage an energy agency or project coordinator to submit your proposed projects in a grant application for one of the national schemes (Better Energy Communities, National Home Retrofit Scheme). – Assess feasibility and cost for implementation of measures for a Home Retrofit upgrade. – Preparation of application in submitting in year 2 | – Make residents aware of support and funding- Identify buildings for improvement and list the improvements that are needed.- Decide upon funding stream | BEC, SEC funding, National Home Retrofit | Long term |
| Non-Domestic | SEC / Business owners / Communities | Begin the process for energy efficiency upgrades – Engage an energy agency of any trusted intermediary to include your proposed project in an application for one of the national grant/funding schemes (Better Energy Communities, National Home Retrofit Scheme). – Assess feasibility and cost for implementation of measures. – Preparation of an application in year 2 | |||
| Non-Domestic | SEC/ Business owners / Communities | Future projects – Promote the project to engage with other communities and businesses – Complete an energy audit report (for year 2 and 3) | |||
| Renewable Energies | SEC / Business owners / Communities | Carry out feasibility studies on renewable energy projects – Solar PV – Hydro generation | Long Term | ||
| Transport | Business owners | Speak with Wicklow Co Co about installing Electric Vehicle chargers on their sites | Long Term |
11.2 Year 2:
| Building type | Actors | Action | Measures | Grant scheme | Payback |
| All | SEC | Energy awareness campaign to promote the SEC and the Master Plan | – Energy awareness day | Short Term | |
| Domestic | Homeowners | Level 1 Basic upgrade – Investigate feasibility and cost for implementation of measures – Create economy of scale for costs by grouping the works per contractor | – Roof insulation upgrade – Cavity wall insulation upgrade – Lighting upgrade | Home energy grant | Short Term |
| Domestic | Homeowners | Level 2 Advanced upgrade – Investigate feasibility and cost for implementation of measures – Create economy of scale for costs by grouping the works per contractor | – Level 1 + – Heating system upgrade | Home energy grant | Medium Term |
| Domestic | Homeowners | Level 3 Home Retrofit upgrade | – All measures to reach minimum of BER B2 level | Better Energy Communities/National Home Retrofit Scheme | Medium/Long Term |
| Non-Domestic | Business owners/ Communities | Energy efficiency upgrades | – Energy awareness – Building fabric upgrades – PV Systems – Heating system upgrades – Lighting upgrades | Better Energy Communities | Depends on actions taken |
| Renewable Energies | SEC/ Business owners/ Communities | Tendering process and works | – PV system – Hydro generation | Medium/Long Term |
11.3 Employment Opportunities
In November 2021, The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs completed a study on Irelands “Skills for Zero Carbon”. This was an evaluation of the demand for renewable energy, residential retrofits and electric vehicle deployment skills required to achieve Irelands Climate Action Plan goals for 2030. The table below summarises the Labour Market Analysis for key occupational groups required to achieve Irelands Climate Action goals.
Table 14: Summary of Labour Market Analysis – Skills for Zero Carbon
| Occupation | Labour Market Analysis Summary |
| Engineering | Other than Electrical and Retrofit Engineers/Designers, there does not appear to be a significant gap in FTE Labour Demand relative to overall Higher Education Institutions (HEI) supply. There does appear to be a shortage of engineers with the necessary skills and experience to work in the Engineering sector. |
| Environment, Planning, Legal and Professional | There does not appear to be a labour shortage relative to overall HEI supply. There does appear to be a shortage of professionals with the necessary skills and experience to work in the Environment, Planning, Legal and Professional sector. |
| Construction | While formal labour supply indicators are not available for many construction occupations, there are likely to be labour shortages among general construction occupations relative to the projected increase in demand. |
| Other Emerging and Niche Renewable Energy Occupations | A number of new occupations will be required in the Renewable Energy Occupations. Given their novelty, most currently lack direct and obvious routes for new entrants, which acts as a barrier to stable supply. |
| Electric Vehicles | Current levels of training for EV technicians appears to be sufficient in the short-term, while the inclusion of EV training within the existing Motor Mechanic apprenticeship would likely ensure stable supply for most of the decade. |
| Craft & Retrofit | There appears to be significant labour and skills shortages among most craft & retrofit occupations relative to current supply indicators. This shortage will be particularly acute in the middle of the decade, when retrofit targets are expected to reach their maximum output. There is also a disparity in the numbers completing apprenticeships, and the low numbers subsequently undertaking further training to work in the retrofit sector (e.g. heat pump installation training for plumbers). |
The demand for labour combined with the huge investment expected from government within the next decade to achieve Ireland’s Climate Action Goals could mean there is an opportunity for people within the SEC area to upskill or change career path to work within the above identified occupational groups.