Client Laois County Council
Location County Laois, Ireland
A flagship sustainability initiative designed to decarbonise three public buildings
About the project
The Laois County Council Energy Pathfinder Programme is a flagship sustainability initiative designed to decarbonise three public buildings: Portlaoise Leisure Centre, Portarlington Leisure Centre, and Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise (County Hall) in County Laois, setting a precedent for energy-efficient retrofits within Ireland’s local authority network.
Delivered in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), this multi-site project forms part of the SEAI Local Authority Energy Pathfinder Framework 2024–2025, which aims to demonstrate how deep retrofit strategies can meet Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2030 objectives.
Together, these facilities represent a significant portion of the council’s energy footprint. The project’s primary goal is to achieve a minimum 51% reduction in carbon emissions and energy consumption compared to 2020 baselines, through a combination of building fabric upgrades, low-carbon heating, renewable integration, and digital energy management.
IN2 was appointed as Lead Consultant and was tasked with delivering full MEP, Environmental, and Sustainability design services. Working closely with SEAI and Laois County Council’s Energy Management Team, IN2 developed a holistic energy-performance improvement strategy that balances decarbonisation targets with operational practicality and user comfort. This involved the following:
Data-driven energy analysis: IN2 conducted detailed energy audits and Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM) to identify performance gaps and quantify carbon savings.
Electrification and renewable integration: IN2 replaced legacy gas and oil boilers with air-source heat pumps and heat recovery chillers capable of servicing the demanding heating loads of leisure facilities.
Building Management System (BMS) upgrade: Connects all three sites, enabling real-time monitoring, adaptive control, and remote diagnostics.
Lighting and electrical renewal: Replacing existing lighting infrastructure with LED luminaires with DALI controls, occupancy sensors, and daylight-responsive dimming.
Fabric and comfort improvements: IN2 advised on building envelope upgrades to improve airtightness, insulation, and glazing performance.
Upon completion, these buildings will see a 51% reduction in primary energy consumption, save approximately 360 tonnes of CO2 annually, and eliminate the use of fossil fuels across all sites.
