Update on our Energy Performance

Update from Michael Curran, Head of Building Services, Energy and Utilities

Update on our Energy Performance for 2020 following the release of the SEAI Annual Energy Report 2021 for the Public Sector.

NUI Galway has reduced its primary energy Scope 1 and 2 based on its baseline to 54.2% exceeding the revised 45% target we set in 2020. SEAI highlighted in the report a 7% increase in savings due to COVID, so in real terms NUI Galway figure is 47.2%.

Congratulations to the campus community for their help and participation in achieving the results, I would especially like to applaud the Energy team and colleagues in Buildings & Estates who performed diligently by carefully managing the systems and energy use on campus ensuring we keep achieving the goals set.

COVID -19 brought many challenges in 2020/2021, with the return to campus and increase in activity the energy usage has begun to increase, we must therefore keep working on the Register of Opportunities to maintain the levels achieved. Our focus is clearly the Decarbonisation of the campus and the development of further renewable energy Solar PV systems as the primary source of reduction.

SEAI have now changed the focus to Carbon rather Primary Energy and therefore we must submit more detailed reports as part of our annual Monitoring and Reporting to SEAI. The SEAI for the first time has requested Public Sector bodies to detail Staff Travel on a yearly basis (car, trains, planes etc), this will allow us to develop further the Carbon Footprint of the University and offer more sustainable forms of transport guidance to staff/students.

Extract taken from 2021 Report.