Sir, – Chris Horn's excellent article "Renewable energy is all very well, but how far will wind carry us?" (September 23rd), highlights the political, technical and possible economic naivety of welcoming so many energy guzzling data centres to Ireland, while simultaneously closing several reliable power stations.
It is becoming blatantly obvious that if this unwise policy continues and it is a calm Christmas Day, many political careers will be cooked, unlike our Christmas turkeys!
– Yours, etc,
LIAM BOLGER,
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Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
Sir, – Regrettably Chris Horn (September 23rd) appears to have missed the point, when writing about solar energy in Ireland.
First solar is not intermittent. Alongside death and taxes, daylight is one of the few certainties of life. Solar is a predictable energy source; it runs during the day when electricity demand is at its highest.
Furthermore, the sun tends to shine when the wind tends not to blow. Solar at scale, combined with wind, would provide dependable green power for more hours in the day. There has been significant investment in solar energy since 2013. Today there is the very potential that Ireland could deliver 6GW of solar per annum by 2030, enough energy to power 1.95 million homes day and night.
However, achieving this will require a clear vision and leadership from Government. While not a panacea, speedier action on solar would decrease the scale of the current electricity supply challenges.
– Yours, etc,
CONALL BOLGER CEO,
Irish Solar Energy Association
Dublin.