Written answers

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Energy Usage

Photo of Neasa HouriganNeasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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287. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the special measures his Department is taking to reduce energy usage in the scenario in which members of the public are being asked to do the same. [20294/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department , as do all other Government Departments participates in the Monitoring and Reporting (M&R) System, which was established by the SEAI to enable public bodies to track their energy efficiency performance and facilitates them in their energy management.In 2009 the Government set an ambitious target for the Public Sector to improve energy efficiency by 33% by the end of 2020. The most recently published data covers the period to end 2020 and shows that my Department had by then achieved a cumulative 49.3% energy improvement since the 2006-2008 baseline period.  In 2017, the Department launched the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy (PSEES) which was approved by Government to support the additional effort needed to meet the 2020 target to reduce energy consumption.  The group headed by the Department comprises 16 bodies and is one of the strongest performing groups, having achieved 45% energy efficiency to end 2020. My Department and the wider group is now focused on the new target to deliver an energy efficiency improvement of 50% by 2030.

Special measures being taken by my Department at this time include the following:

- Daily monitoring of the building heating systems to take account of staff attendance

- A reduction in the time schedules/thermostat temperature on the building heating controls.

- Encouraging staff where possible to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the Department’s offices and in conducting official business.

As well as the above the following measures are ongoing in the Department.

- Participation in the OPW Optimising Power @ Work (OP@W) initiative with ongoing engagement by staff with the OPW appointed energy consultant to monitor gas and electricity use.

- Continued participation in the SEAI Monitoring and Reporting programme for the period 2021-2030. The 2021 energy returns for the Department are currently being compiled for submission to the SEAI database.

- The Department is currently preparing its 2022 Resource Efficiency Action Plan (REAP) which will report on energy, water and waste usage in the Department for 2021 and identify actions that can be taken to reduce usage for the following years.

-An established Green Team to drive energy efficiency and staff awareness in our buildings including the hosting of energy awareness days and the displaying of  efficiency notices throughout the buildings.

-The Department has established a New HQ Consultative Group to facilitate staff input to the new building and to ensure ideas on energy and resource efficiency are considered by the OPW architects and build team.

-Work on the deep retrofit refurbishment of the Departments new HQ is currently underway which when completed will see the building with a BER of A2 which given the age of the building is very impressive.

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