Galway City: A net zero pilot city

Galway City is participating in the EU NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme and is testing innovative ways to reduce the city’s carbon emissions. Galway City’s project focuses on energy efficiency in buildings and aims to address the barriers associated with retrofitting homes.

The project involves:

• The establishment of a community one-stop-shop (Warm Home Hub) to provide information and guide households through their retrofitting journey;
• Research on retrofitting skills and training courses for contractors and the development of measures to address any gaps in provision and uptake;
• A multi-agency steering group tasked with addressing the challenges faced by households in relation to retrofitting at local, regional and national levels; and
• The sharing of knowledge and experience with other European cities, through twinning and learning arrangements.

The NetZeroCities pilot project is based in Galway City’s Decarbonisation Zone, covering a population of c. 7,000 in the Westside and Shantalla areas of Galway City. Led by Galway City Council, the aim of the project is to increase retrofitting rates in this area by working directly with the community and trialling different approaches of engagement and delivery.

Galway is one of 104 cities across Europe selected for the NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme. The Programme aims to test innovative solutions to rapid decarbonisation over a two-year period.

For more information, check out www.netzerocities.eu/pilot-cities-programme.

The Warm Home Hub

Warm Home Hub, Westside Resource Centre, Seamus Quirke Road,
Galway (091) 398125 / (085) 1986975 info@warmhomehub.ie www.warmhomehub.ie

The Warm Home Hub serves as a one-stop-shop for residents in Galway’s Decarbonisation Zone seeking to retrofit their homes. Located in the Westside Resource Centre, it offers support to householders, consultation with contractors, and educational sessions on the benefits and process of home energy upgrades. The hub makes retrofitting more accessible to residents by guiding them through every step of the process.

Key features of the Warm Home Hub include:

• Community engagement and education;
• Accessible and available expert support;
• A step-by-step retrofit pathway;
• Free home energy assessments;
• Data analysis for informed decision-making and targeted campaigns.

The Warm Home Hub team offer one-on-one consultations to households and can provide bespoke guidance, based on individual properties. The team also host workshops, drop-in clinics, family events and more to increase awareness on energy efficiency and retrofit options. Working closely with existing schemes, such as SEAI Sustainable Energy Communities and the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme, the Warm Home Hub serves as an honest broker for all actors in the retrofit chain.

The Warm Home Hub is an independent and community-based service offering free support and guidance on energy efficiency and home energy upgrades.
Other elements of the Galway NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme are:

The Galway City NetZeroCities pilot cities programme runs from June 2023 to May 2025. The project consortium are Galway City Council, Atlantic Technological University, Galway Energy Co-operative, Northern and Western Regional Assembly, and the University of Galway.

This project has received funding from the H2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the grant agreement n°101036519.

For more information, visit:
E: climate@galwaycity.ie
W: www.netzerocities.eu