Case Studies 1

The Irish Wheelchair Association:

The Irish Wheelchair Association provides housing, respite and range of daycare facilities.  The Clontarf campus consists of 13 domestic dwellings, respite accommodation, a sports-hall and gym, as well as an administration and finance building.

The IWA identified a number of key issues they hoped to address concerning their heating system for their residents, employees and service-users.  The previous system consisted of a variety of oil and gas boilers.  The gas supply was insufficient to provide adequate heating and a new gas-line would have cost €60-70,000 to install. 

SE Systems identified an innovative and efficient  renewable energy technology system using AIR-Source Heat Pumps. This created significant long-term savings for the IWA, allowing them to reinvest in their services.

Pre-Works:

• A variety of oil and gas boilers provided insufficient heating
• There was no singular responsibility for the heating
• No independent, remote controls existed to monitor or support use
• The heating system was inefficient and was not cost-effective

Post-Works:

• Air-Source Heat Pump technology was installed alongside the current gas supply
• The IWA identified two Energy Champions to instill a process for management and responsibility
• The Energy Champions were trained on Energy Efficiency Awareness Courses
• A remote access system was installed and controls were managed on one site
• The remote access system also established a continuous relationship with the installers
• The heating system was divided into zones, monitored and adjusted by the Energy Champions
• Other projects were identified by the IWA for energy efficiency upgrades, creating annual savings of up to €40,000 on energy bills