Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with all three Deputies. There is huge potential for us in the use of the smart metering system to improve both energy savings and the use of wind power and, in particular, solar power. I also agree that the application or the widespread deployment of solar will be a major part of the energy future, even in cloudy Ireland. I absolutely agree that all three of those initiatives are something we should advance at full speed and in every way we can.

Deputy Naughten referred to the SEAI, which has a role, but I also believe that the regulator has the key role. It has taken us time to get the scale of smart metering we now have but we are within sight to having universal access to smart metering. This then makes it much easier for us to be able to deploy them in a way that is much more effective and to increase the use of them for variable charging and other mechanisms that will see their real benefit coming through. I look forward to any recommendations from the committee in that regard. From my perspective that is exactly the direction we need to go. The characteristics of this new energy system is a balancing system where we really ramp up demand when the volume of renewable power is there and we manage it efficiently when it is not. I agree 100% with what the three Deputies said.

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