A Tipperary business and a Clonmel student have both won awards at this year’s SEAI Energy Awards.
SOLA Energy Solutions in Templemore was awarded in the Residential Energy Upgrades category.
The renewable energy provider and installer were applauded for showing what a small local employer can achieve with the right skills and team.
SOLA’s Managing Director, Paul O’Brien, told Tipp FM that they are now looking to the future of the business.
“Over the years we’ve been working with Tipperary Energy Agency. They really started it off in the beginning when there wasn’t many people or contractors. They gave us some good training om the ground and identified the core staff that we needed. We’re after building a good team together with the lads in the office and the lads on the ground we’ve a very good set-up, and, going forward, we’re trying to grow the business
“There’s a lot of homes out there at the moment, and people aren’t bothered with them because they’re a D rating or an F rating. We’re able to get those homes, revamp them, and bring them up to an A rating.
“People can buy them that little bit cheaper and maybe get a grant for the upgrade on them, and it’s adding a lot of value to the house.”
Paul says at SOLA, they saw a business opportunity and have built on it since their inception 14 years ago.
“SOLA was established in 2008. We seen that there was a gap in the market for renewable energy. From then on, the staff we are after growing has gone from strength to strength. It’s really since 2015 that we see the huge gap in the market for the full retro-fitting.
“We’re able to take on the full job from external insulation, windows, doors, heating systems. We have a workforce of 14 in total, but then we have sub-contractors as well. We’re subbing in a lot of people. At any one time, we have up to 25-30 people on site.”
15-year-old Loreto, Clonmel student, Heather Doyle, also won an award for Young Energy Champion of the Year, being hailed as one of the country’s youngest climate activists.
She was commended for her climate change action through her participation in Fridays for Future and An Taisce’s Climate Ambassador Programme.
Her involvement with the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union in Tipperary, as well as being the PRO for Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg was also applauded.
