Shared Island Initiative helps Donegall Pass Community Centre cut £7,000 a year in electricity bills

Funding from the Republic of Ireland's Shared Island Initiative paid for solar panels and battery storage at Donegall Pass Community Centre in Belfast, saving about £7,000 in annual electricity costs and reducing roughly 13 tonnes of CO2e each year.

Donegall Pass Community Centre in South Belfast has installed solar panels and battery storage after receiving funding from the Republic of Ireland's Shared Island Initiative. Council officers told Belfast City Council's Climate and City Resilience Committee that the work at 25 Apsley St has cut the centre's electricity costs by about £7,000 in the past year. The Shared Island fund was launched in 2021 and expanded in 2025 to support North-South projects with a community focus. The centre was part of a joint application with Cork City Council following a 2023 feasibility study. Funding and outcomes: - €46,620 from the Shared Island Fund was secured to install solar PV at Donegall Pass Community Centre. - An additional €4,500 was obtained to allow for battery storage at the site. - Council officers reported the panels will produce approximately double the amount of energy the centre currently uses and that electricity savings are around £7,000 per year. - The installation is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 13 tonnes CO2e annually. - Belfast City Council partnered with Cork City Council after a 2023 feasibility study and jointly applied to install solar PV on three community centres (one in Belfast and two in Cork). - The Donegall Pass site will be used as a test location to explore renewable generation and storage potential for other council sites. Summary: The Shared Island-funded project has cut the community centre's energy costs and lowered its estimated carbon output. Additional funding for battery storage is intended to test how stored electricity can be used during periods of low generation and inform similar projects across council properties. Council staff are engaging with centre users to build awareness about the panels and the project's reported benefits.