Sligo’s community and the town’s largest businesses and employers are working together to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across Sligo and Leitrim. This group, called Sligo Sustainable Energy Community (SEC), was set up in 2016 by local organisations and community members. They are helping people and businesses to save energy, cut costs, and switch to cleaner energy sources.
Where?
Sligo Town
Who started this action?
Local organisations like Atlantic Technological University (ATU), the HSE, Sligo County Council, and companies like Abbott and AbbVie
Some quick facts about the project
- The work is supported by grants from the EU, Gas Networks Ireland, SEAI, and work with local councils, universities, and energy agencies.
- A team of volunteers and energy experts from the university and the participating companies and the LA help run projects full-time.
- The SEC has held 40 public events with over 4,000 attendees learning about community sustainability, leading to 200 home retrofits.
What makes this stand out?
- The SEC shows how a sustainable energy community can blend different organization types into one project. These are from the volunteer citizens, to the local authority, to highly technical experts living and working in the community.
Highlights
- Home Upgrades: Helped retrofit 35 homes under the Warmer Homes Scheme, cutting energy bills and improving comfort.
- Green Gas Project: Started a €10 million project to produce renewable gas from waste, reducing CO₂ emissions.
- Building Upgrades: Used €700,000 in grants to improve 30 buildings (homes, schools, churches, and even a dog shelter), with a total investment of €1.5 million.
- Community Events: Held 40 events with over 4,000 attendees, leading to 200 home retrofits.
- Jobs & Economy: Created local jobs, brought in €1.6 million in spending, and explored district heating (a system that could supply 30% of heating needs)
Why this matters
They show the importance of education & support. They run workshops and community events to teach people about saving energy and making homes warmer and cheaper to heat.
These efforts help people save money, stay warm, cut pollution, and create jobs—making Sligo greener and more sustainable for everyone.
SDG Alignment & Keywords
- SDG 12: Sustainable consumption and production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Keywords: Community-Driven, Municipal, Waste.
Find Out More about the project
The SEC has set up the Sligo Leitrim Energy Agency to help grow the work they did in Sligo town. See their website at this link.
Resources from Climate Connected that you can use to do follow this example in your area
Sligo SEC brought people and organisations from all level of the community together this project. This was done through finding out who wanted to take part, who could help, and how. You do this by something called stakeholder engagementAdd a Tooltip Text. We have lots of useful tips on how to do this:
REScoop Guide for Stakeholder Management
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