We have submitted our thoughts on the Green paper on Energy In Ireland to Government. You can download our submission by clicking here. The key points of the submission are:
- Policy emphasis needs to shift from the supply side to reducing demand for energy
- The built environment plays the key role in a more energy efficient Ireland as it affects energy used in buildings, energy used for transport and the efficiency of the grid.
- The need for much greater link up between the different departments to deliver co-benefits of efficiency, jobs and health.
- The need to shift from shallow to deeper retrofit and some examples of countries who are doing this.
- Shift the emphasis in communication to the public to reflect their concerns – health and value may be a better message than energy efficiency.
- Consider innovation in energy pricing to encourage retrofit.
- The economic benefits of renovation, including the potential to create a new industry around renovation creating a steady and sustainable source of jobs into the future.
- The role of a better planned built environment to reduce transport energy but also improve health, by tackling disperse settlement.
