*PICTURED: Declan Horan, owner of Natural Green Energy in the Market in Ennis. Photo by Natasha Barton
AS THE old Irish proverb goes, ‘Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin’ – there’s no hearth like your own.
And a new business has opened its doors in Market Street, Ennis which will create warm, comfortable hearths for the people of Clare for many years to come.
Natural Green Energy opened its state-of-the-art showroom this summer in Ennis, a company with more than two decades of experience and expertise in installation of renewable energies including woodpellet stoves & boilers, wood burning stoves, air to water heatpumps and more.
Originally established in Craughwell, County Galway, by the trio of Declan Horan, Gerry Moloney and Aidan Spellman, Natural Green Energy was one of the first businesses to import pellet stoves into the country.
They now employ 12 people since expanding into Ennis where the local outlet is managed by Seán Flannery.
Natural Green Energy began life as a provider of fireplaces, gas fires and plumbing services in 2003, however they quickly diversified to meet the growing demand in energy efficient homes and today they stand as one of the country’s leaders in wood pellet stoves, heat pumps, thermodynamic solar, and solar PV.
Amongst the most popular products at Natural Green Energy is a fully automated Wood Pellet Stove, which can be controlled from your phone.
They have six crews on the road at any time which means everything from purchase, installation to servicing is all looked after under the one roof.
Co-owner Declan Horan told The Clare Echo that Ennis is the company’s first foray outside Galway, and marks an exciting chapter for the company that already counts numerous loyal customers in County Clare.
The showroom in Ennis marks a strategic addition to the existing set-up in Galway. “All of the products in here are completely different to all of the products we have on display in the other two showrooms in Craughwell, in order to cover as much product as possible.
“If somebody comes in here and they pick a stove or a fireplace out of the brochure, if it’s not here, we may have it up in Craughwell which is only 40 minutes up the road. When you’re making a decision like that – because usually it’s a big investment for a stove – it’s worth heading up the road and having a look to see what you’re going to get.”
Having opened in August, Declan says they have been blown away by the local response. “We’re about six weeks open. The response has been excellent. People were delighted that we were coming into the unit; sales have been really good, and a lot of our customer base that we already have in Ennis spotted we’re open and called in to wish us luck, so that’s been very positive.”
The heart of Natural Green Energy is renewable energies, however Declan notes there will always be a place for their solid fuel customer bases, while noting, “Electric is also becoming really popular; the likes of the media wall with the television above the long electric fire underneath is very popular in A-rated new-builds.
“It’s really taken off since the heat pump arrived because you don’t need a chimney but still, the fire is built into our psyche, it’s something we need.”
Natural Green Energy recommend the use of high-quality wood pellets, and Declan notes that Moloney Fuels in Ennis supply Laois Sawmills wood pellets, adding, “The Irish pellets are the very best quality you can buy.”
When visiting Natural Green Energy, Declan recommends bringing a photo of your room or your dream project. “We’re in the business a long time so the chances are we’ll recognise the product from a photo so we’ll be able to source it for them or advise them.
“The fitting side is really important, if they have an existing fireplace and they want to put a stove or electric fire into that space, once we can see it, it’s much easier for us to give a full and accurate price, and we always do a house call before making any commitment just to make sure that everything will work out as planned. Fitting is really important and it’s critical that it’s done properly and professionally.”
Declan notes that customer service is what sets Natural Green Energy apart, this being reflected by their impressive Google review customer rating of 4.7/5.
Declan adds, “We understand everything about the product and everything about the install and that guarantees a good service and that’s what we really strive to offer people when they come to us.”
Call Natural Green Energy on 091 876 816 or email info@naturalenergy.ie.
