Four of the State's largest third-level institutions hope to cut their energy consumption by 10 per cent over three years with the help of a new project supported by the national energy authority.
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) yesterday announced the establishment of the University Energy Management Bureau, e3.
The bureau will service the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University and University College Dublin.
It will carry out energy audits at each campus in 30 buildings to analyse how energy is currently consumed, and to identify energy-saving measures.
Between them the buildings account for an annual energy spend of €3 million. The e3 project aims to make annual savings of €315,000, equivalent to 3,230 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions.
A networked management system will give the colleges online access to live energy usage in their buildings to help them tackle potential areas of wastage. SEI is providing 50 per cent of the funding for the initiative under its public sector programme.
The Minister for Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources welcomed the establishment of the bureau.
"When considered as a single entity, the public sector is the biggest user of energy in the country, with annual expenditure of around €180 million," said Mr Dermot Ahern.
"It is essential that the public sector, including universities and other colleges, leads by example in energy conservation and energy efficiency in Ireland."