Ireland must treble energy efficiency to avoid €130m fine

A new report has found we need to treble our energy efficiency efforts if we are to avoid fines of up €130m.

Ireland has committed to reducing energy demand by 20% by 2020, and we are around half-way towards meeting this target.

The study released today from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has found that upgrades and actions need to be accelerated.

Dr. Eimear Cotter is Head of Low Carbon Technologies with the SEAI: “We have made substantial progress in terms of meeting our energy efficiency and renewable targets.

“But now we face some challenges particularly in relation to heat and transport.

“So these are quite difficult sectors in which to achieve a renewable energy penetration and then a mission reduction, because of the unique circumstances that we have in Ireland where we have a dispersed population for example a largely rural based population.”