Renewable heat 'can boost jobs by 23,000 and save €1bn a year by 2030'

A ground source heat pump fuelled by an array of pipes buried in the earth. This system, with a sip of electricity, delivers consistent, comfortable warmth to the emitters (UFH and radiators) and domestic hot water year round indoors.

Producing 40% of our heat through renewable sources by 2030 will create an estimated 23,000 jobs and save €1bn annually on importing fuel, a new report has found.

Renewable Energy Ireland (REI) published a roadmap that outlines pathways through which the State can decarbonise the heat system.

The analysis, conducted by sustainable energy engineers XD Consulting, found 40% of Ireland’s heat can be provided through bioenergy, heat pumps, renewable gas and district heating networks by the end of the decade.

Heat pumps in 600,000 homes will play a “very important role” in achieving this goal, the report found, by producing 20-23% of national heat demand, while district heating will provide 10%.

There is “no silver bullet” to decarbonising thermal energy, but it can be achieved using “a combination of several different heating technologies”, the report added.

Heat pumps in 600,000 homes will play a 'very important role' in achieving this goal, the report found, by producing 20-23% of national heat demand.

However, the report also highlights a number of policy actions that need to be taken in order to reach that target.

It calls for building regulations to be updated, and the BER assessment methodology to “accurately reflect” the decarbonisation benefits of renewable heat. 

Financial incentives

It should be made easier for consumers and businesses to apply for financial incentives for renewable heat technologies, the report added.

The report also calls for green procurement targets for the public sector, and widening the supports for renewable heat in the home energy grants and in the support schemes for renewable heat to incentivise large heat users to adopt renewable heat solutions.

Xavier Dubuisson, author of the report, said the analysis provides decision-makers with a roadmap on how best to use Ireland’s vast renewable energy resources.

“The analysis we've conducted demonstrates that we can meet 40% of heat demand with renewable energy cost-effectively, making a direct contribution to Ireland's 7% annual target in greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and creating 23,000 new permanent, full-time jobs over this decade,” he added.

Retrofitting homes

The jobs will be created in relation to the construction and maintaining of infrastructure, and retrofitting homes.

Currently, heat is responsible for 14m tonnes of CO2 a year, a fifth of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the country depending on fossil fuel imports for about 65% of its thermal energy use.

In 2018, €3bn was spent on heating by domestic, business, public, and industrial customers.

Mr Dubuisson also found that Ireland is endowed with “sufficient renewable energy resources” to meet 100% of its total heating requirements by 2050.

Dr Tanya Harrington, chairwoman of REI, said urgent action was needed in implementing these measures to meet the target.

"If we don't make steps in the next two to three years, we cannot achieve the end of the decade result," she said.

"Because a lot of this decarbonisation agenda is infrastructure driven, whether that's in electricity or transport or heat, actually infrastructure takes time. In the heat side, it is just as urgent as everything else."