In 2012 the building became part of the OPW’s ‘Optimising Power @ Work’ campaign which seeks to reduce the consumption of energy in state-occupied buildings. The current target for the Public Service is a 33.3% reduction by 2020.
With the help of the OPW’s energy consultants, a range of measures brought about by the building’s Green Team has managed to bring down the cost and usage of both gas and electricity in the building by a considerable amount – 23.5% since 2012. This means that, despite the rising cost of energy over the last two years, the cost to the taxpayer for energy consumed in the building has actually gone down.
In recognition of this performance, the building was nominated for an award in the Air Conditioned Buildings category. The National Award was presented to representatives of the building’s Green Team at an event in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, on Tuesday 4 November.