Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to promote and encourage the use of solar energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20373/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, which was established as a statutory agency in May 2002, implements initiatives on renewable energy and energy efficiency, including research, on behalf of my Department.

SEI is involved in a number of projects aimed at promoting solar energy in Ireland. Through its information office in Cork, SEI offers advice to the public on solar energy systems and suppliers.

SEI is currently supporting the establishment of an installer academy in order to ensure there is a sufficient number of trained solar energy equipment installers available to consumers. This project will be run jointly with Energy Action in Northern Ireland building skills both north and south of the Border and is funded through the EU INTERREG III programme.

Under SEI's house of tomorrow research, development and demonstration programme, solar panels are among a number of energy technologies eligible for support in the context of an integrated set of measures comprising a whole house energy efficiency solution.

Under the public sector programme, a number of large scale demonstrations of solar energy systems has been supported in public sector buildings, through its model solutions scheme, in order to encourage best design practice in the marketplace.

SEI also commissioned a study by the Danish Energy Authority to learn from international experience in the field and to determine the cost and market potential for solar thermal energy in Ireland.