A programme designed to help small businesses reduce their carbon footprint and create more sustainable practices within their business is now available in Donegal. Green for Micro is a free programme available from Local Enterprise Office Donegal that helps small businesses take the first step towards becoming more sustainable. The programme gives eligible businesses access to a green consultant who will demonstrate the small changes that can have a big impact on a business - and the planet

Áine Moyne-Grieve, director of Comet Textile Printers, availed of the Green for Micro programme from Local Enterprise Office Donegal.

One Donegal business that availed of the Green for Micro programme is Comet Textile Printers, based in Burnfoot. Discussing how the programme benefitted her business, Áine Moyne-Grieve, Director of Comet Textile Printers, said: “Before I engaged in the Green for Micro Programme, I knew quite a bit about sustainability because from the very beginning, we’ve been committed to being as environmentally friendly as we can in our business. We’re located in the middle of a farm, so it’s important that we look after the environment that surrounds us.

Áine Moyne-Grieve working in her business, Comet Textile Printers.

“One of the main things that we looked at was our electricity usage because everything in our business is powered by electricity. To reduce our dependence on electricity, the best option for us was to install solar panels. We had a six-kilowatt system installed which means we are now solar powered when the sun shines. The installation of the solar panels will save us €20,000 on our electricity costs over the next 20 years, which is a lot of money for a small company like ours. It really helped us move forward and I would absolutely encourage any small business to get involved with the Local Enterprise Office Donegal and the Green for Micro programme. There are so many small businesses, and if we all make small changes in how we use our resources, our collective efforts would have a massive impact.” 

Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise Donegal

Adding to this, Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise Donegal said: “The aim of the Green for Micro programme is to help Donegal businesses identify cost savings and improve the green credentials of their business. This is achieved by looking at the business from an environmental perspective. Improving environmental performance through greater resource efficiency, just as Áine Moyne-Grieve from Comet Textiles has done, can help your business achieve competitive advantage. The programme will help businesses make more informed decisions to reduce business costs, lower carbon footprint, and improve the environmental profile of the business in the marketplace.”

Energy Efficiency Grant – Support of up to €5000 of eligible costs

Alongside the Green for Micro Programme, Local Enterprise Office Donegal is inviting eligible businesses to apply for the Energy Efficiency Grant. This grant supports the investment in technologies and equipment identified in a Green for Micro Report, GreenStart Report, or a SEAI Energy Audit with 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of €5,000. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the impact of enterprises on the environment thereby increasing the agility and resilience of these businesses.

With this grant, eligible businesses can replace existing equipment with energy-efficient solutions. The Energy Efficiency Grant can support costs such as the purchase of meters and smart energy controls. It will also support the upgrade of lighting to LED (as part of a pack of eligible cost measures), and the replacement or upgrade of equipment with a more energy efficient system such as heat pumps for manufacturing processes.

Heat recovery, small wind or hydro energy and system component upgrades such as fans, condensers and cold room doors are also eligible through the support. In addition, if current equipment such as refrigeration units, electric ovens, steam boilers, industrial dishwasher or engineering equipment is greater than 10 years old and due an upgrade, the Energy Efficiency Grant can cover up to €5,000 or 50% of eligible purchase, installation, and commissioning costs.

Watch the video to find out more about Áine’s experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev0dW_IU06I.

To find out how the Green for Micro programme and Energy Efficiency Grant can help your business grow sustainably, visit: https://www.localenterprise.ie/Donegal