The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) helped to deliver more than €130 million in efficiency upgrades through advocacy and support schemes in 2016, according to its achievements statement for last year. More than 24,000 homes and almost 400 community buildings benefited from the works completed.  The national energy authority also provided almost €5 million funding to 41 research, development and demonstration projects across renewable and energy efficiency technologies and practices. SEAI also worked extensively with the public sector to help it achieve its national energy performance targets and fulfill its exemplar role.  80 public bodies, accounting for 80 per cent of the sector’s energy spend, are now committed to SEAI led structured energy management programmes.  Eight of those participated in SEAI’s accelerator programme and achieved the demanding international certification to ISO50001. SEAI supported more than €40 million investment in energy upgrades by sustainable energy communities.  And the rapidly growing sustainable energy community network now boasts more than 60 members who collectively influence more than €500 million in energy spend. “2016 was a record year of achievement across all programmes at SEAI.  I am particularly pleased at the significant progress we made building capacity in energy communities as these will be the engine of Ireland’s sustainable energy transition," said Jim Gannon, CEO of SEAI. “Looking to 2017, SEAI’s activities are set to expand considerably as a result on the increased budget allocation from Government.  This will allow SEAI pilot aspects of deep building retrofit which will be essential to transform our aging building stock, and an even greater focus on empowering the consumer and communities to define their own pathway to a more sustainable future.  We will also establish a team specifically focused on behavioural economics – which will design mechanisms to mobilise consumers towards greater energy efficiency,” Gannon concluded.