Community energy generation in Ireland is currently at a nascent stage, but developments in 2019 could see it become a major player in energy generation. Most community energy funding is spent on energy efficiency rather than energy generation. Our research indicates that there is as little as 6MW of community-owned generation capacity in operation. Under the new Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS), however, large amounts of subsidy are set aside for the community energy sector: enough to support fifteen times the current level of generation in 2020 auctions alone. This could create a vibrant new sector in Irish energy generation.
Related thinking
Low carbon generation
Our Renewables Pipeline Tracker: In with the new – scoping projects and progression through planning stages
Our latest Renewables Pipeline Tracker was published on 11 June, and this blog provides a summary of some of the recent developments in our coverage of the pipeline for new build and repowering renewables assets in GB. What’s new? Seabed leasing rounds, scoping projects and CfD announcements Since our previous...
Commercial and market outlook
Data centres predicted to become prosumers of electricity
In combination with Cornwall Insight and Bit Power, Host in Ireland published its Biannual report of Ireland’s Data Hosting Industry. The report highlights the importance of sustainability in Ireland’s digital transformation. The report confirmed the number of operational data centres in Ireland increased by 25 per cent over the past...
Commercial and market outlook
April Fools’ Day 2021: In today’s other energy developments
Our energy April Fools' day headlines... Netflix’s The Regulator set to return with Ofwat crossover Fans of Netflix’s Ofgem-set smash hit The Regulator will be thrilled to learn that season two starts filming today (Thursday 1 April). Although secrecy is as high as ever on set, producers have confirmed that...
Commercial and market outlook
In the midst of the Australian Energy Transformation Process
Australia is in the midst of an energy supply and distribution transformation. This transition is twofold and includes not just bridging the gap from conventional fossil fuels to renewable technologies (due to their reduced carbon footprint, lower levelized cost of energy and improved reliability levels by comparation), but also requires...
Low carbon generation
Nuclear energy and its potential importance for net zero
This article was originally written as a longer piece in Energy Spectrum on 21 March 2021. To find out more about a subscription to Energy Spectrum, please contact Nick on n.palmer@cornwall-insight.com. Nuclear energy has been an integral part of the UK’s electricity system for many decades. Currently, nuclear provides around...
Announcement
Alert: Budget 2021
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his Budget on 3 March, a year on from the start of the COVID-19 crisis and his second in the job. Headline announcements included, among others, a sovereign green bond, the UK Infrastructure Bank, a freeze in Carbon Price Support and £20mn for floating offshore wind....
Net zero corporates and ESG
The Emperor’s new clothes?
Institutional and governance reform forms a major plank of the energy white paper, with the inevitable result that industry commentators are proposing various and new institutional constructs to address the immense challenge of transitioning the energy sector to net zero. We have seen many ideas in this space over the...
Net zero corporates and ESG
Sleeving Pools could enable local authorities to procure local energy
This blog post is adapted from an article in March’s issue of Energy net zero, published on 31 March. To find out more about a subscription to Energy net zero, please contact Veronica at v.truman@cornwall-insight.com. For many local authorities and corporates, development of small-scale renewables and consideration of generation production...
