​The finalists of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy Awards 2020 have been announced.

The annual awards recognise and reward excellence in sustainable energy in business, communities, research, buildings, renewables and the public sector. A total of 24 applicants across eight categories have been shortlisted, with the winners to be selected by a VIP judging panel in the coming weeks. Winners will be named at the awards ceremony in mid-October.

The successful finalists were chosen for their innovative sustainable energy solutions and inspiring energy action among colleagues and peers.

Congratulating all the entrants, Fergus Sharkey, Head of Business and Public Sector with SEAI said: "This year, despite the obvious challenges that each of you faced, you continued in your commitment and passion for sustainable energy and climate action. Each year we are blown away by the quality of entries to the SEAI Energy Awards and this year has proved no different. We received 125 entries from businesses, communities, and organisations across the country who are leading the charge, reshaping our communities and businesses, and inspiring each and every one of us through their action."

-- Advertisement --

This year's categories are Large Business – Exemplary Energy Management, Small and Medium Business – Exemplary Energy Performance, Public Sector – Energy Leadership, Inspirational Energy Community, Energy in Buildings, Innovative Deployment of Renewable Energy, Energy Manager or Team of the Year, and Excellence in Energy Research and Innovation. The latter winner will receive a €10,000 bursary.

The Small and Medium Business finalists are:

• Terra Spirits & Liqueurs in Co. Cavan who have reduced their site’s environmental impact through a 20% energy reduction, delivering cost savings, quality improvement and overall customer satisfaction.

• Finian O'Harte Poultry in Clones, Co. Monaghan who cut CO2 emissions by 150 tonnes per annum by insulating poultry buildings, installing a biomass boiler and using a clever heating system for poultry units.

• SOLA Energy Solutions in Templemore, Co. Tipperary, for showcasing how small businesses can transform an old inefficient building to an A-rating through a combination of energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies.

The Renewable Energy category finalists are:

• Aurivo Consumer Foods for their renewable project which stemmed from an energy efficient design review of its milk production process at its Donegal site. They subsequently installed a heat pump to recover heat from various streams and then reused it for pasteurisation and cleaning.

• Green Generation Ltd. for their working example of the circular economy- unsold food from Tesco is fed to an anaerobic digester and the biogas generated is sold back to Tesco for use in their stores. Plastic packaging from the food is processed to manufacture durable plastic products and the digestate from the process is used as fertiliser to grow food.

• Energia's Smart Battery and Solar Photovoltaic renewable electricity system demonstrates how smart home batteries, rooftop solar and smart electric vehicle charging can deliver valuable services to help balance the grid with renewable technologies.