Energy Focus

Upskill your employees with free online training supports from SEAI

To help SMEs get started on their energy saving journey, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has developed free online training supports. The SEAI Energy Academy can help SMEs reduce their energy costs by 10% or more by educating employees on changing their energy use behaviours and effective energy management. Businesses throughout Ireland are increasingly becoming aware of the impact that their activities have on the environment. Creating a culture of sustainability and changing how your business works to adopt more sustainable practices requires both management buy-in and support from your employees. But where do you start?

It’s important that everyone in your organisation understands the basics of energy and what it is. Over the coming years, Ireland must use less energy, move to clean energy, and innovate to create new solutions to meet our energy needs. There is significant potential for businesses and for those who own or manage a business, to reduce their energy costs and influence Ireland’s sustainable energy future. The SEAI Energy Academy provides e-learning modules, and courses to businesses and their employees on energy related topics. With free access and over 3,300 learners, it’s proven to be a popular choice amongst businesses with 24/7 access and on-demand content. Through interactive and animated modules, learners increase their confidence in energy efficiency and motivation to implement change in the workplace. Modules help learners find the answer to common questions like; how is my energy use connected to climate change? What is a carbon footprint? And what does decarbonisation mean for my business? The modules also provide guidance on topics such as lighting, heating, solar PV, and electric vehicles. If you have employees working remotely from home, our Home Energy Challenge module will help them reduce their energy spend. If your business is ambitious and wants to show its commitment to sustainable change, you and your employees can also complete one of the free Energy Academy courses and receive a Certificate of Completion. Once everyone in your business is upskilled in the basics, it’s time to consider what actions your business will focus on over the coming year. SEAI’s Introduction to Energy Management Training is a free, interactive and live, workshop-based training hosted by one of Ireland’s leading energy experts. This training takes you through the six steps to create an energy action plan. It provides you with the skills to write an energy management statement, assign an energy coordinator, create the business case for energy management, and track your energy consumption through your bills. We recommend one employee per business attend this training, usually the person who has access to the energy bill and can implement change. Green Teams can also benefit from attending this training, where they are reporting to Senior Management and assisting with the development of the sustainability strategy for their business. Learn more about the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and how we can support your business on its energy efficiency journey by visiting www.seai.ie. To register for the SEAI Energy Academy click here or to read about our education or training supports visit here.