Exciting News: Welcoming Morgan James as a Sustainability Consultant at Evia Sustainable Real Estate!

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Morgan James to our team as a Sustainability Consultant. With a wealth of knowledge and experience across energy markets, urbanism, law, and environmental science, Morgan brings a holistic and strategic perspective to sustainable real estate.

With an M.Sc. in Smart and Sustainable Cities from Trinity College Dublin and a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Mary Washington, Morgan’s diverse academic background is complemented by her extensive hands-on experience in project management. Her expertise spans data analytics, energy policy, sustainability, and regulatory compliance—skills that are critical in today’s rapidly evolving real estate market.

Morgan excels at integrating data-driven strategies into sustainability initiatives, ensuring alignment with our clients’ environmental objectives. Her ability to collect and analyse environmental data, combined with strategic thinking and project management expertise, aligns perfectly with our core services. Morgan’s approach enhances our commitment to delivering tailored sustainability solutions that are both measurable and impactful. Her skills will be invaluable as we continue to help our clients meet their ESG goals.

Welcome to the team, Morgan James!

Adam Merriman, Neil Bannon

Wishing all our clients and colleagues a Happy World Green Building Week 2024! 🌍🌱

As we mark this important week, let’s focus on the World Green Building Council’s essential steps for building a sustainable future:

1. Reduce the environmental impact of buildings by lowering energy and material use.
2. Electrify buildings with clean, renewable energy sources.
3. Adapt to climate challenges with resilient, future-ready infrastructure.

Together, we can shape a greener, more sustainable world!

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) promotes the implementation of guidelines and policies associated with sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical principles within a business. It encourages all sectors within the real estate industry, from developers to asset managers, to adopt sustainable practices.

The concept of ESG reporting has evolved since the late 20^th century and is now a critical component of business planning. BREEAM, for example, one of the largest providers of green building certifications, was established in 1990. In recent years, investors, asset managers, and financial regulators have shown increased interest in ESG factors to mitigate risks, enhance long-term performance, and promote sustainable economic development. Real estate investments are long-term commitments, making ESG reporting crucial for ensuring the sustainability of assets.

ESG promotes transparency and accountability in the investment process. There continues to be significant demand from investors and asset managers to incorporate ESG reporting in their future endeavours. Many large pension funds and international investors aim to make their portfolios ‘greener,’ which improves investment viability and constructs an appealing asset management model, attracting future funding and support.

At Evia, we specialise in developing customised strategic ESG pathway reports to help our clients achieve their sustainability goals. Our skilled consultants oversee all aspects, from managing resources and mitigating risks to delivering projects on time and on budget. We take a holistic approach to our review, ensuring our solutions align with the realities of property ownership by considering factors such as lease profiles, building values, lender requirements, and occupier preferences.

Our process begins with comprehensive data collection and analysis to benchmark performance and identify improvement opportunities. We then collaborate with our clients to set measurable objectives and develop a targeted sustainability strategy, ensuring stakeholder engagement and the integration of cutting-edge technologies.

During the implementation of the strategy, we ensure efficient execution, continuously monitor performance, and provide regular updates. We are committed to long-term relationships, conducting regular assessments to compare sustainability outcomes to original strategy targets, ensuring continuous improvement and success. Additionally, we will investigate any available SEAI grant funding for your projects to maximise financial support and sustainability outcomes.

If you have any questions or need support with your sustainability initiatives, please reach out to us.

We are here to assist you every step of the way.

Ireland’s Path to Renewable Energy Funding: Evia Insights from CRU’s Proposed PSO Levy for 2024/25

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has outlined its proposal for the 2024/25 Public Services Obligation (PSO) Levy, emphasising Ireland’s commitment to a sustainable future. This charge, applied to all electricity customers, plays a critical role in supporting renewable energy projects through the Government’s Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) and Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The Key highlights of the proposal include:

• Support for Renewables:
  The 2024/25 levy is dedicated solely to renewable energy generation and will be key in enabling Ireland to meet our national targets. The PSO levy currently supports 4,438.1 MW of renewable generation capacity.
  
  
• Renewable Energy Mix:
  As of April 2024, on average, wind generation and large-scale solar generation contributed 33% and 2% to Ireland’s total electricity generation mix respectively. Solar power contributed significantly to Ireland’s generation mix during specific days in April 2024, most notably, over 430 MW of large-scale solar generation was recorded on the 21st April 2024.
  
  
• Financial Implications:
  The levy has increased 100% on the 2023/24 levy which was set to zero. The total 2024/25 levy will be €225 million.
  
  
• Impact on Consumers:
  Monthly charges are set to increase for all customer categories compared to the zero levy of the previous year, reflecting adjustments in market dynamics and funding needs. Each consumer will see their electricity costs rise marginally from October onwards as a result of the increase in levy.

The PSO’s levy is a key tool that helps Ireland meet its carbon reduction targets. This proactive investment ensures that Ireland remains on track to bolster renewable energy, underpinning economic resilience and environmental sustainability.

It is important to note that the proposed PSO levy is subject to change based on market price forecasts and generation estimates, with the final decision due by the 1st August 2024.

[Source: www.cru.ie ]