COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPC
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
HEADED ITEM NO. 5
Update on Energy Plan for South Dublin County
REPLY:
Towards a County Energy Policy 2010
With climate change a reality, there is an accepted need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that arise as a result of human activity, because these are regarded as the main cause of harmful global warming.
Most harmful greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal, for energy use. This process releases excessive concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the earth’s atmosphere, trapping heat that would otherwise escape and causing the planet to heat up.
In addition to environmental concerns, there are clear economic and societal consequences to energy use, particularly in relation to competitiveness and security of supply.
The latest figures produced by the National Energy Agency, Sustainable Energy Ireland SEI) indicate that 96% of all energy used in Ireland comes from fossil fuels, 94% of which are imported.
Overall, Ireland is one of the most energy-dependent Countries in the world, with 89% of all energy used in the Country coming from imports. All energy required in Ireland is for one of the following three purposes:-
- Electricity Generation – 31%
- Heating and Cooling – 34%
- Transport – 35%
The alternatives to fossil fuels as a source of energy are renewable energy sources or ‘RES’. Unlike fossil fuels, which cannot be replaced once used, renewable energy sources have the capacity to naturally regenerate. This is because energy is created from natural occurrences such as water, wood growth, wind or sunshine, which may also be sourced locally, thereby reducing reliance on external sources
To address harmful global warming and climate change, it is necessary to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector. It is accepted that to do this, there are two key actions required. These are:-
1) Improve energy efficiency
i.e. reduce the overall amount of energy required for all purposes
2) Increase renewable energy use
i.e. replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources for all purposes
These measures have been recognised at Global, European and National levels. The EU adopted the Renewable Energy Directive in December 2008. Known as ’20-20-20’, the Directive set the following targets for 2020:-
- 20% reduction in harmful carbon emissions compared with 1990 levels;
- 20% cut in energy consumption through improved energy efficiency;
- 20% share of renewable sources as a proportion of all energy use.
The Directive results in a mandatory target of a 16% share of renewable sources as a proportion of all energy use in Ireland by 2020. The Irish Government White Paper Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future targets a 16% share of renewables as a proportion of total energy use by 2020. The current share in Ireland is approximately 4.5%.
For transport use in particular, there is a minimum mandatory requirement that all EU member states increase the share of renewable energy sources to 10% by 2020, including Ireland. This is also reflected in the Government White Paper. The current share in Ireland is 1.2%.
This is because harmful carbon emissions arising from transport have grown more rapidly than emissions from electricity generation or heating. Unlike the electricity and heating sectors, where Carbon emissions have stabilised due to greater efficiency since the early 2000’s, transport related emissions have continued to rise in the EU and Ireland.
South Dublin County Council is considering a range of options as to how these targets may be achieved in South Dublin. In conjunction with SEI we have developed an Energy Planning Model for the Tallaght area. This model identifies and maps energy demand for the area and tests a number of alternative means of improving efficiency and introducing renewable sources of energy into the energy mix. It is intended to develop this process further and roll it out throughout the County.