IIEA Report Greenprint becomes Labour Party official policy

The Irish Labour Party today launched their new policy paper on Energy policy, entitled "The Energy Revolution" as covered in the Irish Times.

A significant portion of this report was based on the IIEA's latest publication, Greenprint: A National Energy Retrofit Programme. The full report is available for download here.

For further details of this report, please contact Joseph Curtin at joseph.curtin@iiea.com

The report states as follows:

4. National Energy Efficiency Programme

Retrofitting

Energy efficiency tackles many problems at once. It addresses the significant problem of fuel poverty, competitiveness, security of supply and our carbon emissions. It is also an area that could see much of our unemployed construction workforce put back to work.

The Department of the Environment’s Construction Industry Review and Outlook (Sept.,09) estimated that direct employment in the construction industry fell to 167,000 by the end of August, implying that 107,000 jobs were lost since 2007.

“Ireland has the potential to be a world leader in green enterprise and technology, generating jobs and laying the foundations of economic resilience and prosperity for the 21st century. Our businesses and many others are already moving in this direction and are keen to make the leap to a low-carbon future.”

In Ireland, the retrofitting of existing building stock has been identified as one of the most promising opportunities for future investment. According to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in its recently published ‘Greenprint for a National Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme’ there are 1.2 million dwellings in Ireland in need of an energy efficiency retrofit, creating at least 30,000 direct construction sector jobs with additional indirect and induced jobs.

- A major National Insulation/Retrofit Scheme to leverage investment to reduce our national carbon emissions, reduce our national bill for imported fuel, and save householders money on their heating bills, while also creating employment and business opportunities for builders, architects, engineers, energy services companies, plumbers, electricians, the renewable energy sector, and the supply of green construction materials.

- A “one-stop-shop” for energy service providers to facilitate homeowners to undertake comprehensive retrofits is required.

Pay as you Save scheme
The introduction of an Energy Efficiency Obligation for energy suppliers can reduce overall carbon demand by the residential sector. Energy suppliers would be required to reduce energy demand through the provision of ‘whole house’ energy efficiency packages, either directly through certified contractors, or by contracting out the work to Energy Services Companies.

The minimum retrofit package offered would be to bring a property to a BER (Building Energy Rating) of C1. Financing for the package would be offered through the energy supplier/Energy Services Company via the Climate Change Dividend Fund, and would be repaid by the energy consumer through a ‘pay as you save’ mechanism on their energy bill.

- Create regulatory certainty for businesses and service providers in the energy efficiency sector by establishing a mandatory minimum BER of C1 for all houses at the point of sale or rent, and permitting long-term contract arrangements between energy service/supply companies and customers, effective five years from the date of announcement.

- Require all dwellings occupied by those in receipt of rental allowance to meet a minimum BER standard within 18 months.