Sustainable Success: Kilkenny Hotel’s €500k Energy Investment Cuts Carbon by 107 Tonnes Annually
The South East Energy Agency (SEEA) has partnered with the boutique hotel Pembroke Kilkenny to complete a five-year €524,422 energy upgrade. This sustainable project has successfully cut carbon emissions by 107 tonnes annually, moving the hotel closer to its goal of becoming carbon-neutral.
The partnership has saved 477,316 kWh of energy annually, which is enough to power 130 average Irish homes for a year. The emissions reduction is equivalent to planting 1,610 trees, enough to cover Nowlan Park twice over. The improvements have resulted in an annual cost savings of €36,090. The hotel received grants of €157,326, managed by the South East Energy Agency.
The state-of-the-art energy upgrades began in 2019, introducing an air handling unit and redeveloping the kitchen. The hotel further enhanced efficiency with new windows, smart controls, a building management system, water pump upgrades, solar panels, and innovative electric air curtains for heat retention.
“We’ve got very low-cost heating because of the efficiency created here,” said Pembroke proprietor John Ryan. “We switched from gas to induction hobs to put in more efficient appliances. The cleanliness of the kitchen and the environment is very pleasant. If you were to ask any of the chefs now, they would much prefer induction.”
The sustainable energy upgrade was part of a broader €3 million investment that also saw the addition of a new fourth floor at the award-winning city centre hotel. “We recently completed a new floor and took the opportunity to install 45 solar panels on the roof. The extra bump from the PV will help us manage our MIC demand and keep below our agreed capacity with ESB networks,” Mr. Ryan concluded.
The South East Energy Agency is Ireland’s lead agency for a new Interreg North West Europe (NWE) project in Ireland called ECOBoost for Micro and Small Enterprises. The project will provide small businesses with a range of support, from tailored energy audits, a toolkit for energy-saving solutions, technical assistance, training programmes, and business models, all from one centralised platform.
The South East Energy Agency is a not-for-profit organisation working with Irish SMEs, homeowners and communities to deliver energy upgrade projects, from audits and grant applications to project management and delivery.
