An all-Ireland fund and environmental project is saving a community centre in a south Belfast loyalist neighbourhood £7,000 per year.
Belfast City Council officials recently explained to elected representatives how Dublin money from the Shared Island Initiative has saved Donegall Pass Community Centre £7,000 in electricity charges in the past year, as part of a solar panel project on the building at Apsley Street.
The Irish Government’s Shared Island initiative aims to “harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the island and engage with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future”.
Originally launched in 2021 with €500 million, the fund was expanded in 2025 to a €2 billion commitment extending to 2035.
It supports strategic investments in infrastructure, climate action, research, and community-led initiatives that have a “clear North-South dimension”.
Belfast councillors were given an update on the project at the Donegall Pass site at the February meeting of the council’s Climate and City Resilience Committee
Members heard that €46,620 was secured from the Shared Island Fund to install solar PV on Donegal Pass Community Centre, with an additional €4,500 secured allowing for the installation of battery storage.
The community centre will be used as a test site to explore renewable energy generation potential for other council sites .
In 2023 Belfast City Council partnered with Cork City Council on a Shared Island funded feasibility study looking at solar PV potential on council sites in both Cork and Belfast. The results of the study were then used to complete a joint application with Cork City Council last summer to install solar PV on three community centres, one in Belfast – Donegall Pass Community Centre – and two in Cork, Fairhill Fairfield Community Association and St. Vincent’s Hurling and Football Club.
One of the conditions of the funding was that it had to have a community focus. These community buildings were selected due to their high potential solar PV generation matched to high energy consumption levels.
A report by council officers states: “The panels will produce approximately double the amount of energy currently used. This would reduce carbon emissions in the city by approximately 13 tonnes CO2e/kWh annually.
“That is equivalent to charging a smart phone 120,000 times, and saving around £7000 per year on the electricity bill.”
It states: “A further application was submitted to request additional funding to purchase batteries to store excess electricity generated during times of high generation and low usage. The aim is to use the Donegal Pass Community Centre to test the workings of solar array and battery storage and explore its potential on other council sites across the estate.”
The report adds: “The Climate team is currently working with the Energy Manager, outreach staff and community centre staff to engage with the centre’s users to build awareness about the benefits of the solar panels, how they reduce carbon emissions from the centre and save money allowing for funds to be redirected to other activities.”
Sinn Féin councillor and committee chair Micheal Donnelly said: “It is good to see the all-island working between Donegall Pass Community Centre, Fairhill Fairfield Community Association and St Vincent’s Hurling and Football Club. What a great story, Belfast linked with Cork around an energy saving initiative.”
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
@2026 The Irish News Ltd

source