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One-third of all rooftops in Ireland, including sheds and farm buildings, are suitable for solar panel installation which could provide up to 60% of all household electricity, according to PJ McCarthy, chair of Renewable Gas Forum.
The Climate Action Committee met on Wednesday 4 December, where David Maguire, director at BNRG renewables said that the proposal to deploy over 12 gigawatts (GW) of power through solar energy is a challenge, given that the target for 2020 was missed. He added that there is 1.3GW of capacity already available in Ireland and there is 1GW awaiting investments from renewable energy support (RES) auctions.
The challenge is connecting to the grid
Maguire also said that Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) could provide finance to back community schemes that would allow smaller communities to give back to the grid and keep their overall energy costs down.
He suggested that there would need to be legislative change to wire energy to private businesses at a standard rate.
“The challenge is connecting to the grid, as that will fall to the ESB network to provide,” said Maguire.
Recoup costs
McCarthy said that using solar energy on farms and in homes can alleviate fuel poverty and help farms in recouping costs.
“If we could do away with permissions and focus on changing planning submissions, we [Ireland] could lead the way in renewables,” he said.
He suggested that various sources, including the Department of Agriculture, Eirgrid, local authorities and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities should work together and support farmers and rural communities. However, it is critical that there should only be one representative body to lead the project.
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