SEI chief executive David Taylor said he plans to intensify engagement with large energy users and open up a new front with small businesses.

"We want to push a more structured approach with large energy users and align the Power of One campaign to SMEs, " he said.

Power of One is a government awareness campaign to highlight energy-saving techniques in the home such as using CFL lamps instead of traditional bulbs, or lowering household thermostats by 10C to decrease annual heating bills by 10%.

SEI celebrated its fifth anniversary last week. Taylor said the organisation has received 27.3m in total funding for renewable energy research, demonstration projects and 107 national and international initiatives since 2002. SEI is tasked with the policy goals of secure energy supplies, competitive energy services and environmental protection.

The latest drive to tackle energy efficiency in small businesses will be an educational project to show that, in totality, small businesses consume a large proportion of energy supplies and that SMEs account for a large proportion of Ireland's overall emissions.

"That's not to say we won't continue to concentrate on large industry, and we're developing an Irish standard in energy management based on the Danish model, " said Taylor.

He said over the past five years efficiencies created under the large industry energy network (LIEN) programme had saved 540,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to 57,000 homes.

Eamon Ryan, minister for communications, energy and natural resources, attended SEI anniversary celebrations last week and announced that funding for sustainable houses will now require builders to ensure all houses are 60% more efficient than under existing regulations. SEI currently allocates grants to developers if they build houses 40% more energy-efficient than building regulations.

Taylor said the programme for government contained "some hints" that Part L of the building regulations would be updated and that government would legislate on the House of Tomorrow efficiency standard.

The House of Tomorrow programme has allocated 3.4m to 5,300 homes in 124 developments. SEI said it has also upgraded 12,000 low-income houses with energy-efficient features.

Taylor predicted the new rules would present opportunities for building suppliers, manufacturers and installers.