Written answers

Wednesday, 16 November 2005

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Alternative Energy Projects

9:00 pm

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if aid will be granted for the provision of equipment for households that are equipped with solar panels to provide energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30408/05]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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There is no grant or financial assistance available to single residences for the installation of solar panels. I am reviewing all options for innovative approaches to propagating best practice in cost effective energy provision and use but am not in a position to make any commitments today.

Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, which was established as a statutory agency in May 2002, implements a wide variety of programmes on energy efficiency and renewable energy on behalf of my Department. Any increase in funding required for these programmes would have budgetary implications and could only be considered in the light of the overall budgetary requirements of SEI and the level of funding available to my Department.

Under SEI's house of tomorrow research, development and demonstration programme, financial support is directed at encouraging developers of housing, both new build and refurbishment, to incorporate design and technology features which deliver significantly superior energy and CO2 performance. By targeting developers of schemes of houses, from the private or social housing sectors, the aim has been to establish, over a number of years, a nationwide network of accessible examples of more sustainable energy design and technology practices. With the accompaniment of other promotional measures by SEI, this is intended to encourage a sufficient degree of market replication, without subsidy, to elevate energy performance standards across the wider housing stock. This targeted approach is also designed to be an administratively efficient method for deployment of public moneys.

To date the programme has committed just under €12 million funding to 55 projects comprising a total 2,650 housing units, all featuring an integrated approach to energy supply and use that achieves performance of at least 20% better than current building regulations and, in fact, in the majority of projects, 40% better. The range of sustainable energy technologies employed within these demonstration projects includes the following: condensing boilers — 1,708 homes; solar water heating — 531 homes; heat recovery ventilation — 381 homes; geothermal heating systems — 176 homes; wood pellet boilers — 308 homes.

At the moment, individual consumers can also seek expert advice from SEI's renewable energy information office, REIO. The REIO provides consumers with advice on the optimum renewable energy systems to suit individual requirements and also provides information on low or no cost energy efficient measures.

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