COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Monday, May 16, 2016

MOTION NO. 15

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

Motion Cllrs P Gogarty, L O'Toole, G O'Connell

Insert E2 Objective 7 to read:

To actively promote, where feasibly practical and viable, the provision of PV solar panels in new housing and apartment builds, for electricity generation/storage and/or water heating, so as to reduce the long term energy/heating costs of residents living in such dwellings, to minimise carbon emissions and to reduce Ireland's dependency on imported energy derived from fossil fuels.

REPORT:

The energy efficiency and renewable energy requirements for the construction of new residential buildings are currently addressed in the Building Regulations Part L (2011) and relevant national policy and guidelines. In consideration of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the Planning and Development Amendment Act 2010, it is considered that the function of County Development Plan policies and objectives in this regard, is to support incremental changes to the Building Regulations Part L, national guidelines and other guidance, that may occur over the lifetime of the Development Plan, without duplicating or introducing specific requirements on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that may conflict with or impede the implementation of the Building Regulations on any specific site for development. It is recommended that the Draft Plan 2016-2022 policies and objectives continue to support any future changes to the Building Regulations and national guidance, such as for example, Towards Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in Ireland: Planning for 2020 and Beyond, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, (2012).

Solar Energy is also specifically addressed in Energy (E) Policy 7 of the Draft Development Plan, which states,

‘It is the policy of the Council to promote the development of solar energy infrastructure in the County, in particular for on-site energy use, including solar PV, solar thermal and seasonal storage technologies. Such projects will be considered subject to environmental safeguards and the protection of natural or built heritage features, biodiversity and views and prospects’.

Development Management standards for solar energy proposals are also contained in Section 11.7.5 of Chapter 11 – Implementation.

In consideration of the motion to actively promote the provision of PV solar panels in new housing and apartment builds, this could lead to potential conflict with the implementation of the Building Regulations on any individual site for residential development, where the energy requirements will be specific to each site and closely related to the location, layout, design and orientation of each residential dwelling. As such the variety of energy needs for the broad range of residential developments proposed in South Dublin County and other site specific proposals on site, would negate the specific necessity for solar panels on each new housing and apartment builds to be constructed in the County.

As such, it is considered that the energy performance of new buildings, which includes residential dwellings, is sufficiently addressed in Energy (E) Policy 4 and Chapter 11 Implementation, of the Draft Plan. Under Energy (E) Policy 4, the Council aims to ensure that all new development is designed to take account of the impacts of climate change, and that energy efficiency and renewable energy measures are considered in accordance with national building regulations, policy and guidelines.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is adopted with amendment:

Additional Objective, E2 Objective 7, to be inserted and to read as follows:

‘To support, where feasibly practical and viable, the provision of PV solar panels in new housing and apartment builds, for electricity generation/storage and/or water heating, so as to reduce the long term energy/heating costs of residents living in such dwellings, to minimise carbon emissions and to reduce Ireland's dependency on imported energy derived from fossil fuels’.