Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to encourage use of renewable energy by businesses by making a requirement for inclusion of some renewable energy source in industrial and large commercial planning applications. [22173/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department is aware that a number of planning authorities have incorporated Renewable Energy Strategies into their Development Plans, and a further number are in the process of so doing. The Sustainable Energy Association of Ireland (SEAI), as part of its brief to promote and assist the development of sustainable energy, hosted a number of regional wind energy workshops in 2010, targeted at local authority planners and other officials and stakeholders involved in the delivery of wind energy. At the workshops a number of stakeholders stated that they would welcome assistance in the preparation of more comprehensive Renewable Energy Strategies for their areas. Following this SEAI decided to prepare a methodology or template to act as a guide to assist local authorities in the preparation of renewable energy strategies. This will act as a guideline for local authorities when developing a Renewable Energy Strategy, including the matters to be taken into consideration and the information, resources and bodies that may be of assistance.

SEAI appointed consultants to assist in the preparation of the methodology, which is underway and it also set up a Project Steering Committee to input into its development. The committee includes representation from my Department, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Irish Planning Institute, the City and County Managers Association, the Regional Authorities, EirGrid, ESB Networks, the Commission for Energy Regulation and the Dublin Institute of Technology.

My Department has also encouraged the provision of certain renewable technologies through the exempted development Regulations. The Planning and Development Regulations 2007, which came into effect from 28 February 2007, provide exemptions from planning permission requirements in respect of certain classes of micro-renewable technologies for use in the home i.e. solar panels and other micro-renewable technologies such as wind turbines, heat pumps and biomass, subject to certain conditions in each case. The Planning and Development Regulations 2008, which came into effect from 2 July 2008, provide exemptions from planning permission requirements in respect of certain classes of renewable technologies for use in industrial buildings, business premises and agricultural holdings, including combined heat and power, wind turbines, solar panels, heat pumps and biomass, subject to certain conditions in each case.

In relation to the Building Regulations, Part L - Conservation of Fuel and Energy for Buildings other than Dwellings is scheduled for review in the second half of 2012 and the first half of 2013. The review process will involve an industry stakeholder group review and a public consultation. The review process will also take account of the Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requirements to achieve nearly zero energy buildings where "the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby;" for new public buildings by 2018 and for all new buildings by 2020.

Part L of the Regulations - Dwellings – requires renewable energy sources to provide a reasonable proportion of the energy consumption to meet the energy performance for new dwellings since 1 July 2008 (subject to a transition period). This will also be a factor to be taken into consideration in the review of Part L Buildings other than Dwellings. While I do not consider that it would be appropriate to require the inclusion of some renewable energy source in industrial and large commercial planning permissions by means of planning conditions, my Department will continue to pursue all appropriate measures to contribute to the achievement of national renewable energy targets.