How Much Of Ireland’s Energy Is Renewable?
Ireland’s commitment to transitioning towards a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly energy future has been a significant focus of both policy and the media in recent years. In fact, in 2021, Ireland legally agreed to halve its net emissions by the end of 2030 and renewable energy has a huge role to play in achieving this. It is therefore vital that we understand how much of Ireland’s energy is renewable, why this matters, and what we can do to increase renewable energy usage to meet fast-approaching green energy targets.
What Are Ireland’s Renewable Energy Targets?
Ireland’s wider aim to reduce emissions and use more renewable energy largely matches that of the European Commission. As reported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the European Commission is looking towards the future and embarking on its own roadmap to move to a low-carbon economy.
The standout part of the roadmap is the aim to have renewable energy accounting for 27% of all energy penetration across the EU by 2030. The commission has to determine exactly how these efforts will be shared across all EU member states and therefore the exact target for Ireland. However, Ireland failed to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets and therefore work is to be done to get on track.
The Current Renewable Energy Statistics
Two key measures demonstrate how much of Ireland’s energy is renewable: production and consumption. These statistics are useful indicators when assessing whether progress is being made towards Ireland’s wider renewable energy targets.
According to the latest Environmental Indicators Report, renewable energy accounts for 50% of all primary energy production in Ireland. This figure was just 5% in 1990, indicating a hugely positive shift towards green production methods such as wind, solar and hydro over the past decade.
However, energy consumption statistics paint a very different picture. Renewable energy accounted for just 4% of total energy consumption in 2020, an alarming figure that was the lowest out of the EU member states. Energy consumption is all about what we use, so although some activities will naturally consume more energy than others, we could all be doing much more to use energy more efficiently and seek out more renewable energy sources for our own consumption.
Can I Get Renewable Energy In My Home?
When it comes to creating a greener Ireland, the impact that we can make as individuals is often overlooked. There are many ways that you can make a positive contribution towards cutting emissions and utilising renewable energy sources, including getting renewable energy in the home.
Air to water heat pumps are innovative and renewable home heating systems that allow homeowners to reject inefficient oil and gas boilers in favour of genuinely renewable home energy. Though not suitable for all homes, heat pumps reduce your carbon footprint as they heat the home with warm air from the outside rather than by burning fossil fuels. While some initial investment is required, the SEAI offers a range of fantastic grants for heat pumps to encourage Irish households to get renewable energy for their home.
If you are interested in transforming your home energy usage with renewable energy, Pipelife Eco can help. Whether you’d like to learn more about your options or find out if a heat pump is right for your home, simply get in touch with our expert team today.