Energy management
Helping local authorities to meet and exceed public sector targets.
Overview
As public sector organisations, the four Dublin Local Authorities (DLAs) have energy and emissions targets that need to be met. A core part of our role at Codema is supporting the DLAs to meet and exceed these targets, and fulfil all of their statutory obligations in relation to energy and emissions. We strive to ensure that the Dublin Local Authorities are exemplars in the field of energy management. Our Energy Management Team also supports the Mid-East Energy Unit (Kildare, Wicklow and Meath) with their own energy management.
We provide a range of high quality services, including monitoring and analysing energy use, identifying Significant Energy Users (SEUs), reporting, providing recommendations for improving energy efficiency, and implementing energy management systems.
Public sector targets
Codema works with the Dublin Local Authorities (DLAs) to help them monitor and achieve their public sector targets. As set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan, public sector organisations must achieve:
- A 50% improvement in energy efficiency by 2030
- A 51% reduction in CO2 by 2030
In addition, as part of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)’s new 2030 Monitoring and Reporting (M&R) system, the following statutory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target must now also be met:
- A 51% reduction in direct GHG emissions from transport and thermal fuels by 2030
These new targets will demand continued and increased focus on the energy performance of the local authorities’ buildings and operations over the coming decade. Codema will continue to work with the relevant DLA Energy Performance Officers (EPOs) and Energy Teams to help them to identify and implement the best energy-saving opportunities in their organisations and develop a pathway towards achieving their new 2030 targets.
Monitoring and reporting
Every year, the DLAs are required to report their energy performance through a National Energy Monitoring and Reporting (M&R) System operated by the SEAI on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC).
Our Energy Management team at Codema plays an important role in supporting the DLAs to meet this requirement. Our work includes gathering data on the local authority’s energy consumption over the previous year, generally made up of MPRN (electricity meter) data for all electricity accounts and GPRN (gas meter) data for all natural gas accounts, along with the annual consumption data for non-metered public lighting, heating oil, business travel and transport fuels. We support the local authorities in uploading this data to the M&R system, and use the SEAI’s Gap-to-Target tool to identify where improvements can be made to reach 2030 energy efficiency targets.
Display Energy Certificates
Every publicly-accessible local authority building with a floor area greater than 250m2 is required to prepare a Display Energy Certificate (DEC). DECs allow for a comparison of a particular building’s energy performance against a standard benchmark, and are updated annually with the actual energy consumption over the previous 12 month period. This then allows for the building’s energy performance to be tracked from one year to the next.
Our team uses Codema’s energy database and energy surveys to prepare DECs for local authority buildings in Dublin. In 2023, we assisted the four DLAs with the certification of 88 public buildings in total. In addition to issuing the certificates, we also provide information on how much energy would need to be saved in the following year to improve the energy rating.
Download our guide to Display Energy Certificates
ISO 50001
ISO 50001 is a system for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an organisation’s energy management. Achieving ISO 50001 certification means meeting specific requirements in how the energy management system is run, including how energy use is measured, how it is documented and reported, how equipment is procured and the systems in place that impact on energy performance.
Codema works closely with the DLAs in the implementation and management of their energy management systems, coordinating all actions towards reaching and maintaining certification to ISO 50001 standard and meeting energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets.
Codema has supported both Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to secure ISO 50001 certification, and we are currently working with Dublin City Council and South Dublin county Council to progress their energy management system to a stage where they can apply for certification.
