Citizens are at the forefront of Ireland’s transition to clean energy, but the shift away from fossil fuels will not happen unless their energy bills drop and homes are warmer, Minister for Energy and Climate Darragh O’Brien has said.
Speaking at the Sustainability Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) energy show, he said the State had to show greater ambition in meeting challenging 2030 climate targets and to enhance supports for consumers, particularly in helping to retrofit houses.
Mr O’Brien said he had met the SEAI recently to look at how retrofit grants and loan schemes worked. This was not just about providing more money, “but maybe break them down a little bit and see if we can make them more accessible to people”, he said.
The Minister launched an SEAI report detailing opportunities in Irish renewable energy supply chains up to 2030.
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The economic opportunity “is absolutely vast here”, he said – estimated about €19 billion a year; 42 per cent of which could go to Irish-based companies. “This will be good for jobs, good for climate and good for our economy.”
Mr O’Brien said 2030 targets were necessary and he had met his officials and state agencies to see where there could be greater ambition. “We’re doing well, but we need to accelerate that,” he said.
The Government must “ensure our grid is resilient and unleash the potential that is in our offshore renewables”, he said. “We have six [wind farm] projects in planning on the offshore side, so that we can continue to transition away from fossil fuels. By the middle this year, we will no longer use any coal in our generation. Peat is gone as well. Solar is expanding.”
The energy show at Dublin’s RDS, in its 30th year, had a wide range of smart technologies on show, most of which optimised use of solar, heat pumps, batteries and electric vehicles. The basic technologies are the same, but their combined use is breaking down barriers.
This was typified by the concept of Co Kildare-based company EVHACS, which combines an EV charger inside a heat pump, “two of the largest energy consumers in the home”. This ensures more flexibility in determining where power goes – and when – and is capable of linking in with solar panels, its chief marketing officer Dylan Byrne said.
This not only ensures more energy efficiency, but also is, in effect, a “one stop shop”, co-ordinating EV charging, heat and giving power back to the grid, he said.
Meanwhile the age of the EV truck is about to dawn, said Melanie Garcia of Fuso Ireland based in Dublin. Its versatile and compact eCanter is already in use with An Post and is perfect for “county wide” business, she said. “It’s a lot more energy efficient and you’re not using diesel. Everybody is sceptical but very curious about EV trucks. It’s going to be the next big thing, replacing standard trucks.”
Equally, batteries with a power punch are now widely available, said Tristan Dorman of Livoltek, a Chinese renewables company. “Batteries are forcing their way on to the agenda, especially with grids struggling,” he said.
He said he had spent the morning talking to businesses looking for solutions to ensure power supply could be maintained regardless, including at community level.
A standard battery delivering 25 kilowatts of power “is more than enough for most homes, provided you don’t have a swimming pool [needing heating] and a sauna”, he said. That would provide two to three hours electricity, “covering off the evening quite nicely”.
Retailing at about €3,000, he said it could deployed with solar panels and EV charging in the home for about €10,000; another indication that combining technologies is the way to go.
Pat Smith, managing director of Local Power Limited highlighted the critical role of Government renewable energy supports, particularly in solar PV for homes and businesses and farms. “It is very proactive and there’s great interest. It is helping all stakeholders to adopt the technology. So that’s very positive,” he said.
The main challenges were offshore wind, he said. “They need to accelerate and try and get through the planning process, and get some of that built.”
“Where the Government really needs to up its game is in heat and transport. There’s a real gap there. The Government has a biomethane strategy, including biogas, to help decarbonise our heat and transport. There’s a real urgency now to get the renewable heat obligation (RHO) launched, and that has to support indigenous biomethane, otherwise we will have no biomethane industry.”
On geopolitical uncertainty and US president Donald Trump’s championing of fossil fuels, he said this was going to have a stalling effect in decarbonising the world with consequences for Ireland. “Already you’re seeing American multinationals toning down environmental [commitments] ... Decarbonisation costs a lot of money, and if a corporate leader can see a way of slowing things down and has the support of somebody like Trump, that has impact- and that’s unfortunate.”
Mr O’Brien confirmed he had asked his officials to complete work on the RHO with a view to it being brought to the Government for approval and funding soon, while he was also examining issues around the impact of illegal imported biofuels on the Irish biogas market, notably palm oil mill effluent (POME).
