The mission of the Sustainable Energy Ireland (formerly the Irish Energy Centre) is to promote and assist the development of sustainable energy in Ireland. This includes implementing significant aspects of the Energy White Paper: “Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland" and the National Climate Change Strategy (2007-2012) as provided for in the National Development Plan (2007-2013) such as:

• improving energy efficiency;
• advancing the development and competitive deployment of renewable sources of energy and combined heat and power;
• reducing the environmental impact of energy production and use, particularly in respect of greenhouse gas emissions.

SEI is also responsible for:

• advising Government on policies and measures on sustainable energy;
• implementing programmes agreed by Government;
• stimulating sustainable energy policies and actions by public bodies, the business sector, local communities and individual consumers.
The Republic of Ireland Finance Act, 2008, outlined a number of measures to assist in tackling climate change, with the specific aim to reduce carbon emissions in line with meeting EU targets by 2020. One of these measures was the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA).

The ACA enables businesses to write off the entire cost of a limited set of energy efficient motors, lighting and building energy management systems in the first year of purchase. The Finance Act (pp70 – 72) sets out a number of limitations on products that will qualify, and specifies that Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will hold the list of qualifying equipment.