Shared Island fund cuts Donegall Pass community centre electricity bill by £7,000 a year

Dublin-funded Shared Island grants paid for solar panels and battery storage at Donegall Pass Community Centre, saving about £7,000 in electricity costs last year and reducing emissions by roughly 13 tonnes CO2e annually.

Donegall Pass Community Centre in south Belfast has reduced its electricity bill after solar panels and battery storage were installed with funding from the Irish Government's Shared Island fund. Belfast City Council reported the installation saved about £7,000 in electricity costs in the past year. The Shared Island Initiative, launched in 2021 and expanded in 2025, supports North‑South projects in areas such as climate action and community-led initiatives. The installation followed a 2023 feasibility study carried out with Cork City Council and was part of a joint application to install solar PV on community buildings in both cities. Key facts: - €46,620 was secured from the Shared Island Fund to install solar PV at Donegall Pass, with an additional €4,500 obtained for battery storage. - Council officers report the panels will produce approximately double the amount of energy the centre currently uses and estimate a reduction of about 13 tonnes CO2e annually. - The installation is reported to have saved around £7,000 on the centre's electricity bill in the past year and is equated in the report to charging a smartphone about 120,000 times. - The project was developed after a 2023 feasibility study with Cork City Council and formed part of a joint application that included two community sites in Cork. - The Donegall Pass site will be used as a test location to explore how solar arrays and battery storage might work on other council sites, and council staff say they are engaging with centre users about the panels' benefits. Summary: The Shared Island-funded solar and battery installation has lowered running costs for Donegall Pass Community Centre and is estimated to cut local carbon emissions. The centre will serve as a test case to assess renewable energy generation and storage for other council buildings, and council officers report ongoing community engagement as the project is monitored.