Heat Merchants Group recently committed to the Low Carbon Pledge initiative by Business in the Community Ireland with an undertaking to reduce the organisation’s scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission intensity by 50% before the end of 2030.
The group is well on the way to achieving its target to reduce carbon usage with the range of initiatives currently underway. Heat Merchants Group is in the process of installing 470 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the company’s business support offices and central distribution hub in Athlone in a major show of support for commercial solar PV green energy. The installation – covering 835m2 of surface area – is expected to provide over 85% of the company’s energy demand on site. The installation will generate up to 150kWp of renewable power, and will reduce consumption from the grid by circa 120,000kWh per annum, preventing approximately 80,000kg of harmful carbon dioxide from being released to the environment each year.
As part of its ongoing commitment to reducing the company’s carbon emission, Heat Merchants Group will introduce electric vehicles to the company fleet and will install two vehicle charging points at the offices and central warehouse in Athlone.
The project to replace all light fittings in the 44 branches and business support offices nationwide with energy efficient LED lighting has been completed and will achieve savings of approximately 667,000 kWh per annum or 447,000kg of carbon dioxide.
The upgrades to energy efficient lighting and the installation of the solar photovoltaic panels were supported by the Better Energy Communities program which is offered by SEAI to assist energy efficiency community projects through capital funding, partnerships, and technical support.
The company has also installed a training centre to provide training on the installation and servicing of domestic solar PV systems to support the introduction of this clean energy technology to the market.
Heat Merchants Group Managing Director, Alan Hogan, said, “Heat Merchants Group is a key promoter of sustainable energy solutions for both domestic and commercial projects and custom designs PV solutions for both domestic and commercial applications.
The recent announcement of a SEAI grant of up to €3,800 for the retrofit of solar PV into homes built before 2011 has generated huge interest in the market and demonstrates policy makers commitment to promoting solar PV as a clean energy solution for Ireland’s homes and businesses.”
The Low Carbon Pledge is the first dedicated pledge generated by Irish business to set industry standards on sustainability and reduce carbon usage. It is designed to supporting Ireland’s business sector in the transition to a low carbon economy. The pledge is a commitment for Irish business to invest time and resources into creating a more sustainable operation – by being more energy efficient and reducing carbon usage. All signatory companies commit to reducing their Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emission intensity by 50% by 2030.
T: 00353 (0)90 6424000
W: www.heatmerchants.ie
