What Are The Main Sources Of Renewable Energy In Ireland?
Following a commitment to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) published in 2009 by the European Union, Ireland set an ambitious target of 16% of its total energy consumption to be produced by renewable sources by 2020, with a subsequent 40% green electricity target. Whilst figures in 2021 showed that the nation had reached only 13%, this still betrays a drastic shift – a shift towards a greener future and a key indicator of the drive towards producing green electricity and renewable energy in Ireland.
Whilst this provides a broad outlook of what percentage of Ireland’s energy is renewable, it doesn’t give the full picture of how this is distributed across different sources and how the individual can contribute towards Ireland reaching its target.
Renewable Energy Sources in Ireland
Wind energy is by far and away the most significant renewable energy source in Ireland, making up 86% of the total production from renewable origins. More strikingly, wind energy equated to 36% of Ireland’s total electricity production in 2020 – almost single-handedly ticking the box of 2009’s 40% target, and showing positive signs of moving towards green electricity production.
Next on Ireland’s power list is Hydro-Electricity – however, the gap between the elements of water and air is significant. Compared to wind, hydro accounts for 2.5% of Ireland’s total electricity production. This is a significant contribution, but a telling sign of the nation’s reliance on wind as a renewable energy source, rather than hydro. From this, bio-energy, renewable waste and solar PV contribute towards Ireland’s total output, with a wide ranging array of renewable energy companies in Ireland providing the infrastructure and wider management of Ireland’s energy production.
How Can Homeowners Contribute To A Greener Ireland?
Whilst at an administrative level, there are huge efforts towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and utilising sustainable and renewable energy in Ireland, how can we all foster green sources in our homes and reduce our own personal carbon footprint?
One such solution is a heat pump system – a renewable energy installation which Pipelife Eco champion as the future of home-energy production. Simply utilising the air outside, the ground or even a water source, heat pumps extract heat from a renewable energy source and use it to distribute heat around your home. By reducing your own consumption of mains power, such systems have the two-fold benefit of reducing your carbon footprint, whilst also reducing your utility bills. What’s more, air to water heat pumps do not require underground piping, thus deeming them suitable for retrofit projects as well as new builds.
As a further incentive, the SEAI Home Energy Grants programme offers grants to help homeowners install a heat pump system into their home and realise these benefits. The SEAI also provides funding towards a Technical Assessment of your home by an independent SEAI registered Technical Advisor, who will help you make an informed decision and ensure your home and the heat pump system are a good match.
With a wider commitment to continue and ramp up the utilisation of renewable energy in Ireland and produce green electricity, it’s vital that homeowners also take stock of their own consumption and the means through which they receive the power that comes into their home. Harnessing the renewable sources that lie around us, beneath us and above us, we can all become less dependent on fossil fuels and foster a healthy, sustainable and forward-thinking power production culture. Working together to drive renewable energy in Ireland, we can ensure we keep our emerald isle glowing in green!