Launched under the National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP) and led by the Environmental Protection Agency, a new waste prevention service called Green Business is offering free advice to businesses operating across all sectors in Ireland.

The initiative represents an innovative approach to waste prevention and resource efficiency. Its website, www.green business.ie, incorporates user friendly water, waste and energy audit tools, plus a telephone and e-mail helpdesk and free follow-up site assessments.

Other elements include a Top Tips section on water, waste and energy reduction, links to other relevant websites and the latest news and events. The website and tools have been designed by Enviros Consulting, based in the IFSC, Dublin. Enviros has a strong track record in providing resource efficiency advice, particularly in Britain and the North.

The audit tools

With the online audit tools, a business will be able to produce a report that will:

& identify the amount of waste or water produced and the associated costs

& identify the amount of energy used and the associated costs

& create an individual account to store and access this information

& anonymously benchmark performance with other businesses, and monitor and improve performance over time

& save money by reducing waste, water and energy consumption.

‘‘All information and data generated are treated in strictest confidence and users can only access their own business information,” said Kara Flannery, project manager. ‘‘The data is collated on a database to facilitate sectoral, yet anonymous, benchmarking statistics.”

To access the tools, a user must first register details such as name, company address and sector. The audit tools are ‘prepopulated’ with dropdown boxes so the user can select the most appropriate details. The tools do not have to be completed in one sitting; a user can log in any time to change and complete their details.

About site assessments

Advice and help are provided through the helpline and site assessments by ‘specialist advisers’, who will help users interpret the findings of their waste, water and energy audit and to refine their resource efficiency plans.

The website provides a helpline number and contact email to request a site visit. Site visits will be provided free of charge to users.

‘‘We want businesses to start using the tools before we visit their site to carry out a site assessment, as this shows commitment to becoming more resource efficient,” Flannery said. ‘‘We would also encourage each business to nominate an ‘appropriate champion’ to act as a central point of contact for the Green Business adviser.”

‘‘The purpose of the site visit is to look at waste, water and energy minimisation opportunities, including cleaner technology solutions if appropriate and any specific regulatory and pollution prevention issues facing the business.

‘‘On completion of the site assessment, a report will be prepared - to include an action plan highlighting low-cost and no-cost investments, short, medium and long-term actions and an estimation of potential environmental benefits and cost savings.”

To avail of this free service, visit: www.greenbusiness.ie. Service advisers can be contacted at tel: 1850-473361/ 1850-green1

See-through solutions for saving energy

Over the last four decades, Carey Glass has become an international leader in the development and manufacture of glazing from its headquarters in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. The company has also firmly established itself as one of Ireland’s leading providers of innovative, energy-saving solutions.

The key to its continued success is its ability to innovate and cater for trends as they unfold. Carey Glass is recognised as the market leader in glass processing and double-glazed unit manufacturing in Ireland, but it is also an acknowledged specialist in solar thermal systems, grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems and other energy-saving innovations for home and business.

‘‘For over 44 years, Carey Glass’s performance and growth have been built on a foundation of excellent customer service, solid investment in the best people, facilities and research and development,” said Evelyn Carey. ‘‘Our reputation depends on these factors.”

Carey Glass is involved in the design and installation of solar thermal systems and has grown to become a market leader in its field.

‘‘Carey Glass has already accumulated 20 years of international experience in designing and operating solar systems,” Carey said. ‘‘This background and expertise means we are at the forefront of the energy provision revolution.

‘‘Already, a huge number of homes and businesses in Ireland are using Carey Glass solar systems, and they are saving considerable amounts of money in doing so, as well as fully appreciating the cleanliness of our leading-edge technologies.”

Carey Glass also designs and installs photovoltaic (PV) systems for domestic and commercial properties. ‘‘With the introduction and incorporation of an ESB Smart Meter, a PV system can generate 100 per cent of a household’s electricity requirements,” Carey said.

‘‘A household can optimise the use of electricity generated by the PV array. Any excess energy produced will be exported to the grid, to be offset by energy imported from the grid during hours of reduced daylight. Intelligent PV tracking systems constantly adapt the angle of PV modules and ensure full exposure to the sunlight, thereby resulting in an increased yield of 35 to 45 per cent.”

Heat pumps are another energy cost-saving innovation that many homes and businesses are turning to. The Carey Glass heat pump works by extracting heat energy from a low-temperature source and upgrading it to a higher temperature so that it can be used for space and water heating. Heat pumps turn homes into low-maintenance, cost-saving, ecologicallybeneficial domestic units.

‘‘Overall energy reduction is guaranteed by extracting heat from natural sources: there is less consumption of fossil fuel-fired energy and electricity,” Carey said. ‘‘Lower heating bills are achieved, and your home will have substantially less greenhouse gas emissions. We understood the importance of bringing glass into the 21st century, by making it contribute substantially to the energy saving value of a property.

‘‘One of our leading glass products is solar control glass. This glass can be an attractive feature of a building, while at the same time minimising, or even eliminating, the need for an air-conditioning system. This reduces the running costs of the building and saves energy. Solar control glass can be used to minimise solar heat gain, and it helps to control glare.”

For more information on CareyGlass, see www.careyglass.com