EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016 - An Assessment

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Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016 180
What is Being Done
(Energy Policy)
In 2014, renewable energy accounted for
approximately 8% of all energy used, mainly from
bioenergy and wind power; our target for 2020 is 16%.
The Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC), which
is incorporated into the EU 2020 Climate and Energy
Package, requires Ireland to meet 16% of its energy needs
from renewable sources by 2020. There are also specific
national targets established under the National Renewable
Energy Action Plan targets for electricity, transport and
heating, for example that renewable energy should supply
12% of heating, 40% of electricity and 10% of transport
energy requirements by 2020.
In 2014, renewable energy made up approximately 8%
of energy used, mainly from bioenergy and wind power
(SEAI, 2015a), which is some way short of our 16%
target. Currently, 23% of electricity generation is from
renewable sources (half of 2020 target): this has reduced
annual energy imports by €255 million and avoided
2.6 Mt of CO2 emissions. Renewable energy also supplied
6.6% of heating requirements and 5.2% of transport
energy requirements.
A Bioenergy Strategy is, among other initiatives, expected
to introduce an Exchequer-funded renewable heat incentive
scheme in 2016, which will be aimed at larger commercial
and industrial installations. In addition, enabling policies will
address supply chain challenges through the establishment
of a biomass feedstock planning scheme to optimise the
supply chain in a sustainable manner.
There is a clear need for technological developments that
would allow for energy storage systems to assist in the
management of energy systems in Ireland. Significant
innovations are anticipated in the United States of America
(USA) and elsewhere, with local storage linked to local
generation emerging as a model at household and community
level. Such developments can have co-benefits for resilience
and flexibility, as severe weather can cause significant network
problems. Distributed and local storage, in combination with
modern grid and energy management technologies, can be
part of a robust and resilient energy system.
Energy efficiency enables achievement of the same or
improved performance using less energy. Energy use
in Ireland in all sectors is very inefficient, giving rise to
increased energy costs, cold and uncomfortable housing,
as well as emissions of carbon dioxide and other air
pollutants. Increasing energy efficiency, through the
insulation of buildings and use of efficient lighting and
appliances, has multiple benefits inducing reduced energy
costs and improved air quality.
The EU Energy Services Directive (2006/32/EC) provides
the framework for energy efficiency policy. The National
Energy Efficiency Action Plan sets out how Ireland will
meet its energy efficiency goals. Ireland has a national
target to deliver a 20% reduction in energy costs as a
result of improved energy efficiency by 2020. Government
bodies will lead in this process and have a higher efficiency
target of 33%. According to the SEAI’s Annual Report
2015 on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance (SEAI,
2015b), efficiency gains have been achieved through
better energy management, building and facility upgrades,
retrofit, and changes in transportation. By 2014, just over
50% of the required savings had been achieved.
Home Energy Storage Enters a New
Era
Recent developments in residential solar power in
the USA include a ” for the home
energy storage market, while another company has
unveiled a
that offers a longer lifespan and
does not require expensive cooling and ventilation
systems. The growing popularity of residential solar
panels is increasing interest in batteries that could store
electricity from those installations. In the future, such
storage systems could benefit homeowners by giving
them more control over how and when they obtain
the power they need, while helping utilities by shifting
demand to off-peak hours and smoothing out the load
on the system.
The Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP)
was published in 20145 and identifies the sustainable
economic opportunity for Ireland in the period to 2030.
The OREDP sets out key principles, policy actions and
enablers that provide a framework for the development
of the sector. The OREDP identifies opportunities for the
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