2024 Marked a Record Year of Progress for Seai With €616 Million in Funding Invested Across Homes, Communities, Businesses, and the Public Sector

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) today published its end-of-year review to highlight the progress and investment made in 2024 towards delivering Ireland’s clean energy transition. 2024 marked a record year of progress for SEAI, with almost €616 million invested in projects across homes, communities, businesses, and public sector organisations. This reflects a 13% increase on 2023 activity.

Key SEAI highlights in 2024 include:

—  54,000 home energy upgrades with over €420 million in support, including more than 7,700 homes in energy poverty upgraded.

—  Over 3,500 businesses approved for more than €62 million in grant support.

—  Over €52 million grant aid for 12,000 electric vehicles and 15,400 residential EV chargers.

—  Energy Research supported with €22 million awarded to 42 new innovative projects.

—  Over €61 million capital funding provided to major public sector pathfinder building upgrade projects and 87 new public sector partnerships signed.

—  Launch of a new, rapid approval Business Energy Upgrade Scheme.

—  Publication of key energy statistics, projections and insights supporting national policymaking.

William Walsh, CEO of SEAI, said: “Due to strong Government support in 2024, SEAI delivered a significant increase in financial support and advisory services to householders, communities, businesses, and public bodies.

2024 was a record year for home energy upgrades, with more than 54,000 property upgrades completed, including free upgrades of more than 7,700 energy-poor homes. Of the total upgrades, almost 22,000 achieved a B2 rating or higher, and 3,609 included heat pumps. Access to finance significantly improved with the launch of the low-interest Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme and the extension of retrofit schemes under the Government’s Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. This scheme applies to homes damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks containing excessive amounts of mica or pyrite.”

William Walsh added: “SEAI has responded to the needs of businesses by enhancing and creating supports that specifically address the barriers that businesses, particularly SMEs, face when accessing advice and funding for sustainability projects. In 2024 SEAI approved over €62 million in grant support to over 3,500 businesses. These supports included energy audit vouchers, training programmes in Energy Efficient Design, the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, grants for non-domestic microgeneration, and the newly launched Business Energy Upgrade Scheme. Across the public sector, SEAI delivered over €61 million in capital funding to major Pathfinder projects, and 87 new public sector partnerships were signed with SEAI.

SEAI is at the heart of Ireland’s clean energy transition, and it is hugely encouraging to see strong engagement with Ireland’s decarbonisation journey by householders and businesses in communities and across the public sector. But collectively, we can and must do more. As it stands, Ireland’s emissions will exceed targets in the first carbon budget, meaning we still need to rapidly increase the rate of change to deliver on these legally binding targets. Solutions are in our grasp if we have the collective appetite.”

In addition to the delivery of a significant volume of grants and training programmes in 2024, SEAI also delivered several detailed policy insights – from breaking down Ireland’s fuel mix and energy use patterns to projecting Ireland’s future energy use and producing an associated risk analysis. These detailed datasets are used by policymakers to support evidence-based policy development, which will be critical in bridging the gap between our current emissions and our 2030 targets.

William Walsh concluded:

“Ireland has set a strong legal basis and significant momentum that we must now leverage. The incoming government comes at a time where we require a re-doubling of effort to realise the urgent change needed to move away from fossil fuels. The challenge may seem daunting, but we must focus on the combined environmental, economic, social and health benefits to propel us forward.

It will mean cleaner air, less energy poverty, enhanced energy security, and a safer, healthier Ireland for future generations. We have the technical solutions, now it is about winning hearts and minds, incentivising action and making tough choices on regulation and growth.

Courageous, consistent and committed leadership is required across all sectors from decision-makers and policymakers to empower individuals, households, motorists, businesses, and the public sector to move away from fossil fuels. In 2024, we saw how concerted effort can deliver results due to government support and the positive actions of thousands of citizens and businesses. We will now build on this momentum in 2025 to accelerate further progress.”