The Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA) has today claimed the deployment of solar power in Ireland will see the creation of more than 7,300 high-value jobs throughout the country and will help save Ireland from EU fines in excess of €300 million a year from 2020.
They are calling on Government to introduce a support mechanism for solar – which is currently the only renewable energy technology that does not qualify for any form of a subsidy in Ireland.
The ISEA claim Ireland is currently on track to fall significantly short on its EU 2020 renewable energy targets where it has committed to generating 40% of our electricity from renewable sources. In 2014, Ireland achieved just over half of this target (23%) from a combination of wind, hydro and biomass sources. In 2014 more than 85% of the energy used in Ireland was imported and last year alone our usage of coal for the production of electricity actually rose by almost 20%.
Solar is the only renewable energy technology that does not qualify for any form of government support in Ireland. Renewables, mainly wind energy, are earmarked to receive subsidies of €334 million next year, while Ireland will subsidise peat to the order of approximately €138 million.
The introduction of a subsidy for solar energy is expected to add 1% to household energy costs, or €19 a year, significantly less than any other supports.
The ISEA say if supported, the sector would create and sustain 7,300 jobs in development, construction and operations. They claim the use of agricultural land and buildings for solar projects will also benefit the rural economy and the farming sector, while the land can still be used for grazing sheep.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is backing calls for the development of the solar sector to be supported.
ISEA, which has more than 100 member companies and organisations nationwide, has delivered a report to Government underlining the efficiency of solar power in Ireland and its potential for helping secure the country’s energy future.
In the UK, solar power generation outstripped coal-fired power stations for the month of May while in Germany, at a comparable latitude to Ireland, the sector provides in the region of 7% of national energy requirements from a combination of ground mount solar ‘farms’ and rooftop systems on industrial buildings and domestic homes.
ISEA Chairman, David Maguire said, "Essentially, we are saying that for every €1 that is invested in the sector, we will return €3 to the economy. There is no reason for Ireland to be lagging behind our European counterparts."
He added, "The only difference is those countries received significant Government support. What we now need is modest support from the Irish state to be able to generate real returns and savings as well as helping secure Ireland’s own energy future."
Source: www.businessworld.ie