Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions are only going to go one way, according to the CEO of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) William Walsh.

Ireland’s renewable energy target of 16% by the end of 2020 may have seemed ambitious when it was first set, but this only a stepping stone to a fully decarbonised, net-zero economy.

Walsh, who was among the first speakers at the Renewable Energy Summit in Dublin, explained that the ambition of Ireland and the EU means that the momentum around renewable energy generation is only going to increase.

Challenges

However, this will not be without it challenges. Ireland is likely to miss its 2020 targets. Currently 90% of Ireland’s energy comes from fossil fuels.

The transport and heat sectors in particular are failing to make sufficient progress in generating renewable energy. For example, Ireland rates 26 out of 27 in the EU in terms of renewable heat generation.

However, policy is moving in the right direction. Walsh explained that the key enablers to encourage the development of renewable energy adoption such as the Climate Action Plan the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, carbon Tax and the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme will see big developments in renewable projects over the next decade.