06/04/2016

Urgent Action Needed To Reach Energy Targets By 2020 - SEAI

Urgent action is needed if Ireland is to meet its energy targets by 2020, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has announced.

New data reveals the number of homes and businesses being upgraded for improved energy efficiency must be trebled if the country is to reach its targets.

Around 75,000 homes and businesses need to be upgraded between now and 2020 according to SEAI's 'Ireland's Energy Targets - Progress, Ambition and Impacts' report. In addition, between 200MW and 250MW of additional wind capacity must be installed.

Dr Eimear Cotter, Head of Low Carbon Technologies with SEAI, said: "Meeting our energy targets represent a huge economic and societal opportunity for the country - an opportunity too good to let pass.

"The report highlights that while 40,000 homes and 550 businesses are already using some form of renewable heat technologies, this level needs to increase sevenfold. The scale of the challenge is equally evident in the transport sector.

"The use of biofuels added to traditional transport fuels needs to treble. And new electric vehicle registrations need to grow from less than 1% of new car sales to 20% within the next five years."

(LM/JP)

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