The problem we solved
Carey Glass operates in a highly energy-intensive manufacturing environment, where energy decisions have a direct impact on cost, competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
When energy markets became increasingly volatile from 2022 onwards, the business needed absolute clarity and confidence across three fronts:
- Managing procurement risk during extreme market conditions
- Reducing carbon emissions in a credible, measurable way
- Making commercially sound energy and sustainability decisions without distraction from core operations
They were looking for a long-term energy partner, not a transactional broker.
A trusted advisor
Exemplar worked with Carey Glass as a trusted advisor across procurement, trading, engineering and sustainability, supporting both immediate decisions and long-term strategy.
At the height of the 2022 energy crisis, Exemplar guided Carey Glass through the selection and management of a flexible electricity procurement strategy. This was supported by ongoing trading and hedging advice, active market monitoring and monthly bill verification.
The objective was simple: protect the business from downside risk while retaining flexibility as markets evolved.
Three years of structured delivery
Building on previous energy audits, Exemplar developed a clear carbon roadmap to 2030. This quantified the impact of existing projects and identified the additional measures required to meet national emissions targets.
- Existing initiatives were projected to deliver a up to ~12% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030
- Further practical measures identified through Exemplar’s programmes increased the potential reduction up to ~17%, based on current grid emissivity assumptions
This gave Carey Glass a realistic, evidence-based view of what could be achieved and where to focus investment.
Exemplar supported Carey Glass in identifying and evaluating a series of site-specific efficiency opportunities, always assessed on commercial merit rather than technical theory.
One example was the recovery of waste heat from a new compressed air system to support process heating. By integrating heat recovery with destratification fans, Carey Glass avoided installing electric heating blowers.
- This project had an estimated payback period: just over two years
Other projects were equally important for decision clarity, even where savings were not realised. In the case of a new warehouse heating requirement, Exemplar’s analysis demonstrated that relocating temperature-sensitive product was more cost-effective than heating the full space, avoiding unnecessary long-term operating costs.
Through GreenStart and GreenPlus programmes, Exemplar focused on embedding sustainable energy practices within the Carey Glass organisation.
This included:
- ISO 50001 Energy Management System training
- Ongoing energy performance review and reporting
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) training and support
An LCA was completed for a high-volume product representing 13% of total production, enabling the creation of an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), now published via the Irish Green Building Council.
This strengthened Carey Glass’s position in competitive tender processes and created a repeatable internal capability for future assessments.
Using Exemplar’s market relationships and trading expertise, Carey Glass entered into a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement in 2024, securing approximately 40% of its electricity supply from a local wind farm located approximately 17 kilometres from the Nenagh facility.
This provided:
- Long-term price certainty on a significant portion of demand
- Reduced exposure to wholesale market volatility
- A tangible link between energy procurement and sustainability goals
At the time, this represented one of the first shorter-term CPPAs executed in the Irish medium-voltage market.
The impact
For Carey Glass, this was not about a single project or contract. It was about having a trusted advisor who could combine market insight, engineering expertise and practical delivery, and stand by those decisions when it mattered.
That is the difference between buying energy and managing it properly.
Our experts
Energy Procurement & Market Insight
Buying energy is not just about securing a price. It is about timing, structure, and risk.
For the last 16 years, we have helped businesses across sectors such as manufacturing, pharma, agri-food, retail, and hospitality make procurement decisions they can stand over, especially when markets are moving fast.
Energy Engineering & Performance
What you buy is only part of the picture. How you use energy matters just as much.
At Exemplar, we have our own engineers and technical specialists who work directly on client sites, from factories and cold storage facilities to hotels, care homes, and commercial buildings. We help improve performance, reduce consumption, and identify practical efficiency opportunities that work in the real world.
