Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1564: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the energy efficiency savings made by the public sector since the adoption of the 33% target in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33123/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) sets out 90 actions that Government is either already taking or will take in the period to 2020 to achieve the national energy efficiency targets of 20% across the economy and 33% in the public sector. The savings identified in the Action Plan represent approximately €1.6 billion in avoided energy costs for the economy in 2020. There is a requirement in the Energy Services Directive that all Member States must submit their second NEEAP's in 2011 and progress on all savings made will be reported in that context.

In the public sector, the most significant cost-cutting and energy saving potential lies in improving the energy performance of new buildings and facilities, improvement of existing buildings and facilities, encouraging more public bodies to actively address their energy use and to use the most energy efficient plant, machinery and equipment. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) Public Sector Programme is the main delivery mechanism for energy efficiency actions by public sector bodies.

In 2009, the SEAI delivered a €5 million programme that provided grant assistance to the business and public sectors. The programme supported energy efficiency measures for businesses and institutions across the country. Over 74 projects were funded under the programme. As a result of the work carried out, annual energy savings worth €2.6 million and 12kt CO

Building on this success, in June 2010 the SEAI launched the €9 million Energy Efficiency Fund. The scheme was quickly oversubscribed and to date over43projects have been approved. The fund supports exemplar projects which achieve significant and verifiable energy savings and provide key learnings for other businesses and public sector bodies. The projects, 20 of which are public sector, and 23 private and voluntary sectors, will be completed by the end of 2010, and the energy efficiency actions taken will create lifetime savings of over €70 million. Some 50,000 tonnes of CO

Through the SEAI's Public Sector Partnership scheme, the Authority is assisting public sector bodies in the development of 2020 energy efficiency strategies, in best practice working groups and advanced assessments and training. To date, three working groups have been formed in water services, public lighting and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Members of the working groups have made savings in 2010 of up to 20% in participating facilities and identified further savings in some cases as high as 40-50%. An energy efficiency design process initiated to incorporate energy efficiency principles into the design of new or retrofitted public sector facilities was also developed. The Energy Efficiency Design process has been employed in over eight major capital projects, including local authority facilities, schools, Metro North and the new National Paediatric Hospital, highlighting 5 — 30% possible savings in life cycle costs.

Regulations introduced in December 2009 require all public bodies to include, in their annual reports published after January 1st 2011, a statement describing the actions they are taking to improve energy efficiency in their respective organisation, together with an assessment of the energy savings arising from those actions. The SEAI and my Department are working together on the methodologies for reporting annual energy consumption and savings. This reporting system will form the basis for monitoring the Public Sector's progress towards the 33% target.

Current regulations give effect to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive which includes new energy efficient public procurement rules. These new rules will require public bodies to purchase or lease only plant and equipment across a diverse range of technologies that are listed on the SEAI's database of highly energy efficient products. This database has already been developed as part of the Accelerated Capital Allowances (ACA) Scheme for energy efficient technologies.

The SEAI is also required, under the regulations, to produce general guidelines on energy efficient procurement and this is being progressed in conjunction with the National Procurement Service and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG). The SEAI is liaising with the DEHLG on the national Green Procurement Plan.

In compliance with the 2006 and 2008 Building Regulations, it is the policy of the Office of Public Works (OPW) to conduct feasibility studies on the utilisation of renewable energy technologies in all new buildings of over 1,000m2 as part of the design process. The OPW has already installed a number of biomass boiler systems and Solar Panel systems in both new and existing buildings where it has been shown to be both technically and economically feasible. The OPW's Optimising Power at Work programme has seen savings of between 10-15% on average in participating buildings. In one instance, one particular building has recorded savings of 43%.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has recently prioritised work through the statutory Building Regulations Advisory Board to establish achievable targets for reductions in primary energy and CO

The National Retrofit Programme will build on the success of existing domestic and non-domestic energy efficiency programmes. The new programme aims to deliver energy efficiency upgrades to one million residential, public and commercial buildings in Ireland, and will involve energy supply companies, energy services providers, construction workers, energy auditors and policymakers, working together to deliver energy savings, cost reductions and ultimately smaller carbon footprints for energy customers throughout the country. It will create significant employment in the energy and construction sectors in support of economic renewal and will also significantly contribute to our goal of meeting national efficiency targets.