Energy Management

The cost of energy is at its highest in history. The global climate crisis along with the rise in energy costs seen in 2022 has highlighted the need for organisations to become more energy efficient.

In Meath County Council, we use three main forms of energy: Electricity, thermal to heat our buildings and transport in our fleet. National targets set by government for 2030 mean we must decrease our carbon dioxide emissions by 51% from the baseline of 2016-2018 levels. We must also increase our energy efficiency by 50% based on a 2009 baseline.

ISO 50001

The ISO 50001 standard provides a framework for an Energy Management System (EnMS) and is a systematic approach to conserve energy and improve an organisation's energy performance sustainably. In 2023, Meath County Council implemented an EnMS aligning to ISO 50001 which enables us to establish and implement a standardised, process-based energy management structure. Having an EnMS helps better manage energy use, reduce energy wastage, and reduce costs. It will also help Meath County Council reduce greenhouse gases emissions, and the subsequent adverse effects on the environment.

Energy Management

Meath County Council manage energy use through the analysis of our consumption. In 2023, Meath County Council conducted a full Energy Review as part of our new energy management system. The energy review details MCC’s current position concerning the Public Sector energy efficiency and GHG emissions targets. It clearly outlines the quantities of energy used in the various sections of the council, with the Significant Energy Users (SEUs) identified within the organisation. Additionally, it conducts an in-depth analysis of the factors driving total energy consumption. Energy consumption is reviewed on a monthly basis to identify trends in consumption among our top energy users.

Energy Policy

As part of the energy management system in place in Meath County Council, we have a policy on energy, which is the central to the system. The policy is the commitment of senior management to the system, to continually improve our energy performance, implementation of our energy targets and objectives and making MCC more energy efficient. Each member of the Management Team has signed our Energy Policy to demonstrate leadership and commitment to the Energy Management System. A copy of this can be found in the lobby of our Buvinda House HQ and below.

Meath County Council Energy Policy (PDF, 91.59 kb)

Energy M&R certification

Public sector bodies must report their energy performance annually to the SEAI. These submittals tally all energy used in the council’s operations including but not limited to electricity, natural gas, LPG, kerosene, road diesel, marked diesel, etc. This data is then used to calculate the total energy used in its operations and the carbon emissions attributable to the public body. These figures are available to the public to view for all public bodies at psmr.seai.ie/public.

Energy Team

As part of the ISO 50001 Energy Management System implemented in Meath County Council, the organisation has created an Energy Team comprising of section representatives and meet on a quarterly basis. The Energy Team is a cross-functional team within the organisation and its members represent the organisation’s Significant Energy Users (SEUs) which accounts for approximately 80% of the organisation’s energy consumption. The Energy Team is led by the Energy Performance Officer at Director level, and the Energy Officer.