Designing pathway projects for the future of decarbonisation in Healthcare

About the project

IN2 Engineering has been appointed by Monaghan County Council (MCC) to lead the mechanical, electrical and sustainability design for three major public buildings (Monaghan Leisure Centre, Clones Library, and Carrickmacross Civic Offices) under the SEAI Local Authority Energy Pathfinder Programme. The Pathfinder initiative supports selected councils in delivering deep retrofits that demonstrate best-practice approaches to energy efficiency, renewable integration and carbon reduction within the public sector. Monaghan County Council’s participation in the SEAI Local Authority Energy Pathfinder Programme represents a major step forward in public sector decarbonisation in Ireland

Led by IN2 Engineering, the multidisciplinary design team is delivering detailed energy analysis, retrofit design and performance modelling that will serve as a benchmark for future SEAI-supported projects nationwide. Each site is being carefully modelled and assessed to deliver at least a 51% reduction in fossil fuel carbon emissions and a 50% reduction in primary energy use, while achieving a minimum BER of B and long-term operational resilience.

IN2 Engineering is providing full mechanical and electrical design leadership and sustainability consultancy for the Pathfinder Programme, proposing several different options to the council and SEAI that complied with various budgets and fossil fuel and operational cost data. The team undertook Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM) for all three buildings, calibrated using 2024 energy data, to validate performance baselines and quantify achievable carbon reductions. The approach differs for each building:

Monaghan Leisure Centre: IN2’s strategy focuses on replacing aging LPG boilers with high-efficiency air source heat pumps supported by thermal storage, alongside AHU and pump upgrades to optimise efficiency. A large PV canopy system (up to 153 kWp) is proposed to further offset grid energy demand.
Clones Library: this site already uses air source heat pumps for heating and hot water and IN2’s model confirms the building’s ability to meet its 77% carbon reduction target through enhanced PV generation, glazing upgrades, and improved control systems.
Carrickmacross Civic Offices: IN2 assessed the reinstatement of a biomass boiler versus conversion to a high-temperature ASHP solution, recommending a hybrid approach integrating renewable generation and LED lighting upgrades.

In all cases, IN2 facilitated Energy Efficient Design (EED) workshops with SEAI and Monaghan County Council to evaluate performance options, model energy impacts, and align retrofit decisions with SEAI’s Zero Emission Building (ZEB) framework. The team’s work integrates BIM coordination, cost modelling, and lifecycle analysis to ensure all interventions are technically, environmentally, and financially robust.