Disappointing Renewable Energy Strategy 2012-2020

OssianSmyth

Published today was the Renewable energy Strategy 2012-2020

I can't see any measurable targets. For example there is no indication of how much of each type of renewable energy we are aiming for. There is no mention of solar water heating - the only domestic renewable still subsidised. Will there be a REFIT for offshore wind?

I was disappointed because without detail of how to progress, the strategy looks like vague aspirations.

DCENR wrote:

Strategic Goal 1
Progressively more renewable electricity from onshore and offshore
wind power for the domestic and export markets.
Strategic Goal 2
A sustainable bioenergy sector supporting renewable heat, transport
and power generation.
Strategic Goal 3
Green growth through research and development of renewable
technologies including the preparation for market of ocean
technologies.
Strategic Goal 4
Increase sustainable energy use in the Transport sector through
biofuels and electrification.
Strategic Goal 5
An intelligent, robust and cost efficient energy networks system.

hi5

But then the same minister did say recently that there was no plan.

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources set aside his speech and/or speaking notes at a specially arranged luncheon at the headquarters of Ernst & Young in Dublin on April 11 last, which was attended by around 25 business people.

According to one of those present, Mr Rabbitte said: "The Government don't have a plan. We don't know what we're doing. This is an unprecedented time. Things are moving so fast."

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/pat-rabbitte-denies-saying-government-has-no-plan-3112769.html

Funk It

Its very disheartening to say the least. When you see the level of the ROCs and FIT in the UK, it would be hard to justify the passing on of the cost of supporting renewables to Irish energy bills in the current economic climate.

Just comparing the current price/kWh for AD plants in Ireland and the UK (or look at Germany), it is crazy, and the sad thing is that it could be a highly viable option for many in Ireland if the support was there.

With regards to offshore, it is no secret that Ireland has great potential, but the support (or experience) just isn't there. Former promising Irish marine technologies are being left behind in the race to become a front runner in their field, which will be key to obtaining funding going forward.

I think that its brilliant that they are already looking at the "export market" in Goal 1, it looks to me as if they are trying to run before they can walk, I am fully behind it as a goal, but it is a long way off. With all the talk of new inter connectors, this could work in Ireland's favor in the future for export.

I read recently about Ireland's onshore wind targets, although onshore wind is currently cheap in comparison to other renewables its important to realize that although its part of the solution, its not the sole answer.

quentingargan

Couldn't agree more Funk It. Renewables subsidies are justifiable if either;

1) You are helping to build a market which, given scale, can get to grid parity or
2) You are helping build an export industry
3) The price of power from the renewable may become cheaper than other sources of electricity when / if oil and gas become more expensive.

The last is speculative, but my guess would be that energy inflation will be a lot higher than baseline inflation.

In the UK I though it was daft paying 45p for electricity produced from solar PV. They are getting that price down in the direction of 15p now, which is quite close to grid parity. I never thought that could happen.

A substantial number of small Irish wind turbines are being exported to the UK and elsewhere, but without any local subsidies to help build a market for them here.

My own work in small wind turbines is almost entirely overseas, and hopefully will build an export business, but it is without any help from the current regime... Considering we have the best winds in Europe, it is absurd that nobody can justify the cost of putting up Irish made wind turbines in Ireland...

As for solar PV? That will be used as a low cost way of achieving part L when and if we start building new houses, but retrofitting, and paying ESB €350 for an export meter so you can sell your surplus for 9c is an embarassment.:o

Funk It

quentingargan wrote: »

Couldn't agree more Funk It. Renewables subsidies are justifiable if either;

1) You are helping to build a market which, given scale, can get to grid parity or
2) You are helping build an export industry
3) The price of power from the renewable may become cheaper than other sources of electricity when / if oil and gas become more expensive.

The last is speculative, but my guess would be that energy inflation will be a lot higher than baseline inflation.

In the UK I though it was daft paying 45p for electricity produced from solar PV. They are getting that price down in the direction of 15p now, which is quite close to grid parity. I never thought that could happen.

A substantial number of small Irish wind turbines are being exported to the UK and elsewhere, but without any local subsidies to help build a market for them here.

My own work in small wind turbines is almost entirely overseas, and hopefully will build an export business, but it is without any help from the current regime... Considering we have the best winds in Europe, it is absurd that nobody can justify the cost of putting up Irish made wind turbines in Ireland...

As for solar PV? That will be used as a low cost way of achieving part L when and if we start building new houses, but retrofitting, and paying ESB €350 for an export meter so you can sell your surplus for 9c is an embarassment.:o

Just to add to your 3 points above, personally I believe the main factor in developing renewables in Ireland is energy security (price means nothing if you can't guarantee supply). Don't think that I need to add to the importance of that any further here.

A certain Galway based wind turbine manufacturer (I won't mention their name) are taking full advantage of the FIT in the UK, and rightly so, this is great for an Irish company to be exporting their products like this, and I wish you all the best with your developments.

Solar PV FITs are still dropping, but the previous tariff levels were a flawed system, which was proved in Germany and Spain/Italy (one of them anyways) where it went from a boom to bust scenario, and the UK followed this and the inevitable happened and DECC and Ofgem are reeling after it now. Prices for manufacturing Solar PV panels dropped enormously (and are still doing so from what I am hearing from Germany), and the FIT didnt reflect this drop, thats where the opportunists gained (problems with the DNOs aside).

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has shown to be a mess in the UK for non-domestic applications, and it won't be rolled out into the domestic market until next summer (apparently). Ireland are best to wait until they see how this unravels before considering rolling out a similar structure, I know that Northern Ireland are waiting to see what happens in the UK first.

Does anyone know what the Irish equivalent of Ofgem is at all for regulation and administration of renewable subsidies? Excuse my ignorance, but I have yet to deal with Irish renewables. As much as I give out about Ofgem, they do have a good structure in place (albeit requiring evolution through learning), and I am just not too sure of any Irish organisations up to this comparison of dealing with subsidies.

hi5

Within the last 6 months, I've been told directly by a employee of enterprise Ireland that they had lost interest in sustainable energies particularly wind turbines, that they had put thousands into projects over the years and are getting nothing back.
One (dumb) comment made, was that solar panels were a fad bought by people who wanted to show off.
Your on your own folks:mad:

quentingargan

hi5 wrote: »

Within the last 6 months, I've been told directly by a employee of enterprise Ireland that they had lost interest in sustainable energies particularly wind turbines, that they had put thousands into projects over the years and are getting nothing back.

There have been a lot of "failed startups" in this sector in both the UK and Ireland. But I would have thought that the exports from the company in Galway and associated job creation (mentioned earlier in this thread) more than made up for all of that. Some of the failed startups failed for the very reason that they had no market on their doorstep because of the poor feed in tariff. This industry required two things - support from EI was part of it (and I think in fairness they have played their part) and support from the energy regulator to create a market for the products.

The CER has consistently given two fingers to renewable energy of all sorts. Remember that only a few years ago, the CER imposed a moratorium in connecting new wind energy to the grid, at a time when turbines were being rolled out all over Europe. So clearly that particular part of the civil service has form in this area:mad:

BryanF

I wonder was that ignorant sod unaware of grid connection delays..