Energy upgrades can offer valuable benefits for your business, customers, brand, and the environment. By improving energy efficiency of your building, you can reduce operating costs, enhance your reputation, boost property value, improve occupiers’ comfort and well-being and lower your environmental impact. At the same time, there is growing pressure—from customers, lenders, investors and regulations—for businesses to take action on sustainability and energy performance.
This guide is designed to help SME owners and occupiers of commercial building—offices, retails, bar/restaurants, hotels, leisure complexes and warehouses—navigate energy upgrades more easily.
What You Will Learn:
- Why energy efficiency matters for your business: Understand the benefits of energy upgrades.
- Why your actions matter: Discover the bigger impact of your efforts in climate action.
- How to take action on energy efficiency: Follow SEAI’s steps with some key tips at each step.
- What key sustainability jargon means: Understand terms you may need to know.
- What legislation may affect your business: Know the legislation that matter now and what’s coming.
Developed under the SEAI-funded ENACT research project, this guide supports SMEs in accelerating building energy upgrade. It complements the “Financing Business Energy Upgrades – A Guide for SMEs and their Financial Advisers” and “A Case Study Technical & Financial Analysis”, providing actionable steps to start your energy upgrade journey.
Note: This guide offers general guidance only and is not tailored to specific businesses. For legal, financial, or technical advice related to your circumstances, consult a professional.
This project has been funded by Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland under the SEAI National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Funding Programme 2021 reference number RDD/00615.
