The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) today announced the winners of the 2020 SEAI Energy Awards during an online awards ceremony which saw pharmaceutical company, Astellas Ireland take home the top prize for Energy Team of the Year.
Astellas manufactures pharmaceutical products for the global market from its Killorglin facility in County Kerry. The Energy Management Team at the Kerry plant work in conjunction with senior management and all employees to continuously improve energy performance on site. Over the last three years the team has achieved an energy reduction of 15% and delivered almost 20 projects each year.
A total of ten awards were presented to individuals, businesses, communities, and public sector organisations in recognition of their commitment and dedication to sustainable energy and climate action. The online awards ceremony was hosted by broadcast journalist, Andrea Gilligan, who was joined by Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan T.D. for a special interview.
Commenting on the leadership shown by all the finalists and winners, Minister Ryan said:
“The SEAI Energy Awards celebrate success, leadership and ambition in sustainable energy. I believe Ireland’s energy transition is going to be good for us as a country and our people are going to be good at it. We have real skills and capabilities and it starts with everyone in their own way making change, demanding change and delivering it. I congratulate those participating in the SEAI Energy Awards who are committed to the change that’s needed and are already helping to create a cleaner energy future.”
SEAI received 124 entries to the 2020 SEAI Energy Awards with projects delivering combined energy savings of €42million. Commenting, William Walsh, CEO of SEAI, said:
“Despite the significant challenges this year, the volume and quality of entries reflects an unwavering commitment of individuals, and organisations to sustainable energy and climate action. The next decade will demand accelerated and significant change in every part of our society to reduce our carbon emissions. SEAI will support those who want to take such action. The commitment shown by each of our finalists is hugely inspiring and now we want others to see how they too can benefit from sustainable energy.”
Seamus Hoyne was also honoured during the online ceremony with the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Energy Award. Mr Hoyne has been involved in research and development in the energy sector since the nineties and has participated in over 25 EU funded research projects. From 1998 to 2012 he was the Managing Director of Tipperary Energy Agency. He currently leads the Development Unit at Limerick Institute of Technology and is the Principle Investigator for the Centre for Energy Efficiency and Deep Decarbonisation which is focused on supporting communities, enterprises, and industry to develop and engage in sustainable practices and processes.
Commenting on his win Mr Hoyne said:
“I am incredibly honoured to win this Award from SEAI. I am accepting it on behalf of the great teams of people I have worked with on the energy transition in Tipperary, Ireland and across Europe. It’s been exciting to see the changes over the last number of years, where energy policy is being aligned with investment and funding into the sustainable energy sector and now society is also responding.”
Fifth year student at Loreto Abbey Dalkey in Dublin, Jessica Kelly, received the Emerging Sustainable Energy Champion Award following a public call for nominations from SEAI. Ms Kelly was nominated by Dalkey Tidy Towns. She is a Green Schools member and has a keen interest in the environment and sustainable energy. She attended the RTÉ Youth Assembly in 2019 and attended the Youth Saving Our Seas Conference in Malta for her work cleaning local beaches.
Upon receiving her award, Ms Kelly said:
“I am absolutely thrilled to have won the Emerging Sustainable Energy Champion Award. It is genuinely such a surprise, but I am absolutely over the moon, I’m honoured, and I hope that I can do it justice by continuing to be an advocate for the environment within my community. I would like to see people re-evaluate and reassess how we travel. We have a golden opportunity to think about how we can cut the environmental costs of our journeys, even if that just means walking, cycling, sharing lifts or even just doubling up some of our journeys to make the most of our resources.”
Other 2020 SEAI Energy Award winners include; Danone Wexford (Large Business – Exemplary Energy Management); Terra Spirits & Liqueurs, Cavan (SME – Exemplary Energy Management); Dublin City Council (Public Sector – Energy Leadership); Dunleer Sustainable Energy Community (Inspirational Energy Community); NUI Galway (Excellence in Energy Research and Innovation); SSE Airtricity Energy Services (Energy in Buildings); and Green Generation, Kildare (Innovative Deployment of Renewable Energy).
For full details on all winning projects, visit www.seai.ie.