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Professor Brian MacCraith, President of Dublin City University signs the Sustainable Energy Action Ireland Public Sector Energy Partnership Agreement L-R Professor Brian MacCraith, President, Dublin City University and Dr Brian Motherway, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

Dublin City University commits to increased energy efficiency

Dublin City University has underscored its commitment to responsible energy management by signing up to the SEAI Public Sector Energy Partnership Agreement. Through the Partnership, SEAI will assist DCU in further developing their energy management planning, which will build on DCU's target of a 33% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.

In 2011, DCU reduced its electricity energy consumption by 3% and its gas consumption by 16%, representing an overall reduction of 7% Total Primary Energy Requirement (TPER), the target being set at 3%. DCU has set a target of a 3% year on year reduction over the next 8 years to achieve the goals set out in the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP).

The savings at DCU are also helped through its participation in the award-winning e3 energy bureau, an energy management collaboration set up in 2004 with UCD, DIT and TCD. To date, e3 has achieved over € 6.9M in energy savings throughout the 4 colleges. In DCU alone, over 20 million kWh of secondary energy savings have been achieved in that time.

The consumption reductions in 2011, resulting in over € 200,000 savings for DCU, and with emissions reduced by over 1000 tonnes of CO2, were achieved through a range of measures, grant funded from SEAI, under their Better Energy Works Programme. They included:

• Enhanced Building Energy Management System Strategies
• Insulation and Lagging Projects
• Boiler Upgrades
• Efficient Lighting Refurbishments, and
• Improved Heating and Air-Conditioning Controls

Signing the agreement with SEAI, the President of DCU, Professor Brian MacCraith said,

"Sustainability is a key strategic issue for both Ireland and Dublin City University. The need to achieve savings in energy is not just simply about making business sense; it is a question of corporate social responsibility and leading by example. DCU is fully committed to Public Partnership and by working together, and showing leadership, we hope to play a strong and visible role in delivering all of our obligations set out in the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan. The greater the commitment, the greater the savings."

The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan sets a public sector goal of 33% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020 and requires public sector organisations to improve their energy practices, procurement and reporting.