Energy Communities

Energy communities in Ireland are at the heart of the country’s move towards a clean energy future. These groups empower local people to take collective action, ensuring the energy transition is community-led and benefits everyone. By organising collaborative energy projects, they deliver a wide range of benefits—environmental, economic, and social—to their wider regions. Simultaneously, they directly help individuals by boosting energy efficiency, lowering electricity costs, and providing greater resilience against future energy challenges such as rising prices and supply disruptions.

A leading example of this is EcoVision, a cooperative bringing together 15 energy communities across Tipperary, Limerick, and Clare. EcoVision has built a reputation as a trusted local partner for home, business, and community-based energy projects. As a community-led One-Stop Shop, they offer reliable service for energy upgrades and renewable energy generation. Because of their not-for-profit status, they can reduce the overall cost of renovations for participants, making these upgrades more accessible, particularly to households that might otherwise struggle to afford them.

Their approach is centred on fostering a participatory, collective effort for the energy transition. EcoVision simplifies the process for its members by handling the often-complex paperwork required by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and managing projects from start to finish. This support takes the hassle out of a process that can feel overwhelming, allowing communities to focus on the positive impact of their actions while knowing they are receiving expert guidance and oversight every step of the way.

This model shows that when people work together, they have the power to create a more sustainable and equitable energy system, proving that Energy Communities can work in Ireland. It also demonstrates that grassroots initiatives, when supported with the right structures, can complement national policy goals and deliver real change on the ground.

Power to the people!