An Post has signed up to an energy partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to achieve the 33% energy savings target by 2020 across its 180 premises including main Post Offices, Delivery Service Units and Mails Centres nationwide.

With an annual spend of €8.5 million on energy, An Post is committed to delivering energy efficiency improvements with savings of almost 10% already achieved across its property portfolio through a range of initiatives.

Lighting and heating upgrades were carried out in large An Post premises last year, while a new building energy management system was piloted in the Blackrock Delivery Service Unit achieving gas and electricity savings of 26%.  This system is now being rolled out in the other 120 Delivery Service Units across the country.

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Commenting, Alex White T.D., Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources said: “This is an example of a public service organisation putting itself at the forefront of energy efficiency. Many public service organisations are reaping the rewards of energy cost savings, which improves the environment and enables funds to be re-directed to much-needed services. I hope others will follow this example.”

Speaking at the signing of the partnership SEAI’s Chief Executive Brian Motherway said: “The public sector is now embracing this leadership role in adopting high energy efficiency standards to help drive change in all sectors, saving costs and cutting CO2 emissions. We welcome An Post’s commitment to implementing ambitious energy saving initiatives and to demonstrating leadership through action on energy efficiency.”

Confirming their commitment to ambitious energy saving objectives, Donal Connell, Chief Executive, An Post, said: “An Post is leading the way among postal operators globally, having achieved ISO50001 Energy Management System. Managing our lighting and heating costs is already having a real impact given the scale of our property portfolio right across the country. We see the real benefit of measures adopted in our building stock, which can still deliver significant energy savings. We are using new technology to implement a range of energy efficiency initiatives and working with staff to improve environmental benefits for the country, while reducing our costs.”

SEAI works with public bodies offering them advice, support and training to make energy savings. To date 68 public organisations have signed partnership agreements with SEAI to achieve an energy efficiency improvement of 33% by 2020.  The first annual report on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance showed that the public sector achieved a 14% energy efficiency improvement in 2013, worth €74 million in savings to the Exchequer.

http://www.seai.ie