The huge potential benefits of a new electricity grid under the Irish Sea connecting power sources on Scottish, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland electricity networks have been highlighted in an exhaustive study. The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) study, funded by the EU’s INTERREG IVA Programme, has found that development of an interconnected … Read more
Investors in the Solar 21 fund anticipate growing the fund to €500m over the next 18 months. The chief executive of Solar 21 Renewable Energy Ireland, Michael Bradley, said that many of those investing regard Solar 21 as a recovery plan for their pensions and believe that it may make up for the poor equity … Read more
Ireland’s Electric Supply Board (ESB) has secured a €235 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to improve the performance of national energy networks. Signed on 17 November, the investment will help enable Irish power lines to better transmit coastal wind energy to populated areas, to introduce smart metering and develop charging infrastructure for … Read more
Renewable energy policy in Ireland has been driven by two issues in recent years: binding targets from Europe and the scale of resources in a limited size of market. Renewable energy has been driven by European policy. Ireland and other member states set 2010 electricity targets and these where later developed into all-energy targets which … Read more
Stephen Dineen sums up the sector’s current contribution and its potential to drive future economic growth. The phrase ‘green economy’ has become commonplace in our economic lexicon. The number of Irish environmental companies and the island’s renewable energy sector have grown significantly in recent years. They are now seen as a key driver of future … Read more
Marie Donnelly, Renewable Energy Director for the European Commission, discusses energy efficiency and innovation with Owen McQuade. Europe is on track to meet, and possibly exceed, two of its three 2020 energy targets. However, more work must be done in order to become more energy efficient. Member states must collectively reduce greenhouse gases by 20 … Read more
An overview of how Ireland, the UK, Northern Ireland and Scotland plan to meet European renewable targets and develop a sustainable energy future. The UK’s dependency on energy imports could rise from 27 per cent in 2009 to 58 per cent in 2020. Ireland currently imports 89 per cent of its energy and Northern Ireland … Read more
Solar21 has succeeded in building a fund of more than €100m from Irish investors. The fund, which invests in solar photovoltaic (PV) farms across Europe, expects to morph to €500m in the next 18 months, as investors are increasingly looking to solar energy as a viable investment route in the midst of volatile equity markets. … Read more
The huge potential benefits of a new electricity grid under the Irish Sea connecting power sources on Scottish, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland electricity networks have been highlighted in an exhaustive study published today. The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) study, funded by the EU’s INTERREG IVA Programme, has found that development of … Read more
PROFITS AT Kingspan could be up to 25 per higher in 2011, the insulation and building materials specialist said yesterday, but it warned that conditions in 2012 remained hard to predict. The Cavan-based company, which manufactures and sells insulation and energy-saving materials for buildings, said in a statement yesterday that sales for the nine months … Read more