EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016 - An Assessment

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183 Chapter 11: Environment and Energy
purpose of the upgrade is to allow the infrastructure to
meet Ireland’s future energy requirements, and aims to
reinforce the transmission system. It also proposes an
alternative for Grid West, which would include significantly
less new overhead cable.
A “smart grid” is an electrical network in which power
generators, electonic devices and distribution networks
are interconnected via communication and smart
processing technologies. Such a system could enable
more distributed power generators such as combined
heat and power (CHP), wind turbines, and micro-
renewables (domestic wind turbines and photovoltaic
systems), which could reduce electrical distribution
losses and improve overall energy efficiency. A smart
grid could also respond rapidly to emergencies (such
as a power station failure) by reducing non-essential
electrical loads in sequence to prevent the entire
network from collapsing.
Carbon Lock-in, Outlook and
Future Challenges
Transition to a carbon-free energy society and
economy creates opportunities at a range of scales
and will involve public and private investment.
With a 90% dependency on fossil energy Ireland is
highly locked into carbon-intensive systems in electricity
generation, transport and heating. This reflects
infrastructure lock-in, as well as societal and cultural
lock-ins. Investment, innovation, information, education
and behavioural change are needed to overcome this
damaging cycle and enable our society to embrace
renewable alternatives. Renewable systems need to be
backed up by information and education, as well as proper
support structures so that individuals, communities and
organisations can work together to take ownership of this
complex challenge.
Transition to a carbon-free energy society and economy
creates a new opportunity for many actors at a range of
scales and will involve public and private investment in
energy infrastructures, energy efficiency and innovative
management systems. Approaches to and technologies
used in transport and heating will also have to change,
with electrification becoming a key option for both
of these sectors. However, syngas (produced by the
gasification of a carbon containing fuel) and other
alternatives such as hydrogen power are also likely to have
significant future roles. Investments need to be coupled to
progressive policies and information provision in particular
to enable engagement and ownership by citizens and
other energy users.
Case Study of Aurivo Dairy
Biomass Project
Aurivo Dairy Ingredients achieved a 70% reduction
in oil consumption and a 50% reduction in carbon
emissions when it installed a €5.25 million state-of-
the-art biomass facility at its Dairy Ingredients plant
in Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon. Aurivo was
using 5.5 million litres of heavy fuel oil per year. This
has now been replaced with 27,500 tonnes of wood
biomass at 55% moisture content, and this fuel
switch alone represents an annual saving of 17,160
tonnes of carbon.
Fossil Fuel Subsidies
There are calls at a global level to phase out subsidies
for fossil fuels.
The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate’s
report, The New Climate Economy: Better Growth, Better
Climate, calls for a phase-out of subsidies for fossil fuels as
part of its 10-point Global Action Plan.10 These subsidies
are diverse and include those provided for exploration,
production, distribution and purchase of fossil fuels
including coal, peat, oil and gas. The International Energy
Agency (IEA) latest estimates indicate that fossil fuel
subsidies for consumers, in 2014, were US$493 billion.
Those subsidies were over four times the value of subsidies
to renewable energy.11
In Ireland, fossil fuel subsidies are estimated to be
€386 million annually. This is made up of the share
of the public service obligation (PSO) levy allocated
to subsidising peat and securing gas supply, totalling
€169.2 million in 2014, combined with elements of the
fuel allowance payments to low-income households of
about €217 million annually.
Energy Statements
Making information available to consumers promotes
energy saving.
Key information on energy use is not readily available to
households and businesses. It is recommended that multi-
annual and detailed information on energy use is provided
to users. The provision of such energy statements should
become the norm for all centralised suppliers and enable
users to assess where they are on the energy use spectrum
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