Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 11 October 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

Ms Margie McCarthy:

There are industrial sites. I should have mentioned earlier in response to a question on district heating areas that Cloughjordan is a good example. That is to go back to the Deputy's comment on a good advisory to the particular situation in Carlinn Hall.

In terms of geothermal feeding into district, we are not aware of it currently but we can certainly check that. We have a team who are experts in terms of the geothermal side. The national heat study pointed to the fact that we did not have sufficient geothermal data yet to be able to fully realise its potential in the study and playing into district heating. The Geological Survey of Ireland has been doing additional work and would see significant potential for geothermal, and it could be very cost-effective, in particular in a larger district heating area in a very urbanised area.