Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the progress of the better energy national upgrade programme in improving the energy efficiency of housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43804/12]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans for a retrofit programme to be targeted at public buildings here which would not only reduce energy costs and increase efficiency but would also provide employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43805/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 159 together.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Programme, which includes Better Energy Homes, Warmer Homes and Workplaces.

Exchequer funding of €76.146 million has been allocated to the Better Energy Programme in 2012, which is projected to deliver 567GWh in energy savings this year, equivalent to energy spend of €34 million.

Better Energy Homes provides financial assistance to householders who wish to improve the energy performance of their homes. Fixed grants are provided towards the cost of a range of measures including attic insulation, wall insulation, heating systems upgrades, solar thermal panels and accompanying BER. Since the scheme commenced in March 2009 the SEAI has disbursed almost €143m in grants and supported the installation of over 333,000 such measures in 131,850 homes.

Better Energy Warmer Homes delivers a range of energy efficiency measures to households that are vulnerable to energy poverty. The scheme is managed by the SEAI and delivered through a range of Community Based Organisations (CBOs), augmented by a panel of private contractors in order to ensure national coverage. Since the commencement of the Programme in 2000 energy efficiency upgrades have been delivered to 86,302 homes amounting to €87 million in Exchequer funding.

Better Energy Workplaces evaluates new approaches for implementing sustainable energy upgrades to existing facilities in the public, commercial, industrial and community sectors. By accelerating the scale and depth of retrofit across these sectors the programme aims to create energy efficiency exemplar projects. The scheme disbursed €11 million in grants in 2011, co-financed 85 projects and supported 250 jobs. This year the Better Energy Workplaces Fund has offered support to 145 projects – 44 of which are in the public sector. This scheme has developed public sector and market competence and capacity for pay-as-you-save type models.

My Department and the SEAI have also established a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system whereby all energy usage in the Public Sector will be accounted for and progress will be systematically recorded. Last month I wrote to the head of each of the public bodies, reminding them of their obligation to report annually their energy usage to SEAI. Enclosed with each letter was the SEAI report: ‘Energy Use in the Public Sector’, which outlines savings achieved to date across the public sector to end-2010 amount to 650 GWh.

The public sector is estimated to spend more than €500 million per annum on energy. Achieving our 33% savings target for the public sector would save €150 million each year in expenditure. This Government remains firmly committed to meeting this target. This year SEAI has targeted the top 135 public bodies, which account for over 95% of public sector energy consumption. These organisations will submit detailed energy and activity data to SEAI. From this data detailed progress scorecards will be produced for each organisation. From 2013 on, an SEAI online energy data system will facilitate all public bodies and schools to report detailed energy data and allow SEAI to prepare detailed scorecards for all public bodies.

Finally, the recently adopted Energy Efficiency Directive will translate elements of the European Efficiency Plan into binding measures on Member States, including an annual rate of renovation for central Government buildings of 3%; an inventory of central Government buildings with a total useful floor area over certain thresholds; and an obligation on public bodies to procure products, services and buildings with high energy efficient performance. The 3% renovation target for central Government buildings represents a challenge for the Office of Public Works (OPW), however the energy savings will greatly outweigh the costs of renovation. We will work closely with the OPW over the coming months to prepare a plan for the realisation of this target.