Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Solar panels are part of the mix. In fact, I visited a school in Leixlip where the kids were showing me the solar panel. They actually had battery storage in the school. The big problem with schools is that they are closed a lot of the time whether at weekends or out of term. As such, one is not getting the same bang for one's buck when investing in a solar panel there. However, this is a whole issue we are looking at in the context of microgeneration. We had a workshop in October 2017 on this. It is something not only colleagues here, including me, are anxious to see pursued, but under the new directives on microgeneration and community participation from Europe we will have to do it anyway. What we are looking at now is a number of options. Self-consumption seems to be the easiest area in which to get over some of the technical challenges. That was the example I saw first-hand in Leixlip. It is our intention to run an initial phase on solar panels for domestic purposes this summer. We will look at the uptake there. The SEAI is working on the scheme now.

Right across the public sector, there are huge opportunities. The Deputy is right about that. In effect, the grant aid available is roughly at about 30% and we are working with the OPW, local authorities and other bodies. There is a number of avenues. We have the public sector energy efficiency targets for which funding is available. Whatever energy savings are made by the public sector can also be retained by the relevant division or Department and does not have to go back to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It can be reinvested in other services within the relevant body or agency. There are other funding avenues across the public sector for initiatives. We are quite open to any initiative. We have done a pilot project with the Department of Education and Skills and hope to see it expanded and developed.

Deputy Stanley asked about a drop off in relation to the 2014-2016 figures. I am not sure what he is asking me about. Is it in relation to renewable energy or grants for retrofitting homes?