Member Article

Winners announced at 2015 Action Renewables Awards

Ten local businesses and organisations have received commendations by Action Renewables for their work in furthering the renewables industry and outstanding renewables practice in Northern Ireland at this year’s Action Renewables Association Awards sponsored by Tughans Solicitors and electricity supplier Vayu. Now in their seventh year, these prestigious industry awards received their highest entry rate to date this year, further supporting the belief that renewable energy is growing in popularity and practice across Northern Ireland.

Speaking on behalf of Action Renewables, Director Michael Doran said, “Judging by the increasingly diverse range of entries received for this year’s Action Renewables Awards, it is safe to say that renewables are widely embraced by businesses and organisations across Northern Ireland who are not only looking to reduce their environmental impact but are also encouraged by the significant cost savings which are associated with ‘going green.’”

This year’s event welcomed highly-esteemed sponsors including Tughans Solicitors, who have sponsored the Action Renewables Awards for the last 5 years, as well as a new addition, Dublin-based renewable electricity supplier, Vayu. “Tughans has been a strong supporter of the Action Renewables Awards for a number of years,” said Maria O’Loan, Partner, Tughans. “We are so pleased to witness the growing strength of the awards each year, and are staunch advocates for the important work that Action Renewables is doing to increase awareness and uptake with renewable energy in Northern Ireland.”

Reflecting on their company’s first year of sponsorship of the Action Renewables Awards, Colm Kennedy, CEO, Vayu said, “As newcomers to the Northern Ireland market, Vayu were keen to get involved in showing our support of renewable energy through our sponsorship of this year’s Action Renewables Awards. The overwhelming response to this year’s awards has assured us of the popularity of renewables in Northern Ireland among local businesses and organisations and the overall strength of the renewables sector locally.”

Winners were chosen by an independent judging panel made up of industry experts and leaders in the field of renewables from across Northern Ireland including: Andy McCrea, Managing Director, Renewables Connect; Carol Forster, Operations Manager, Northern Ireland Environment Link; Geraint Ellis, Chair of Environmental Planning at Queen’s University; Jim Kitchen, Director, Sustainable NI; and Terry Waugh, Deputy Director, Action Renewables. Awards were presented during a gala luncheon at the Belfast Harbour Commissioner’s Office on Friday 27th March.

The full list of winners at this year’s Action Renewables Awards includes:

Best Community Renewable Energy Project

• Camphill Community Group, Glencraig

Best Energy Saving SME

• Tory Bush Cottages, Newcastle

Best Planning for Renewable Energy Project

• Ross Planning, Cookstown

Best Promotion of Sustainable Transport

• Business Services Organisation, Belfast

Best Renewables Installation within the Education, Healthcare and Public Sector

• South West College – Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST), Enniskillen

Most Environmentally Sustainable Construction Project

• NI Water, Stoneyford
• Paul McAllister Architects, Portadown

Most Successful Renewable Electricity Installation

• Kingspan, Portadown

Most Successful Renewable Heat Installation

• I & T Forgrave, Ballymoney

Outstanding Award for Work in the Renewable Energy Sector in NI

• David Surplus – B9 Energy, Larne

For more information on the work Action Renewables does year-round to promote renewables in Northern Ireland visit www.actionrenewables.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Impact Communications .