Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 February 2023
167. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education her plans to ensure energy use in schools is addressed, with particular reference to installation of solar panels and retrofitting. [5249/23]
View answerAs part of my Budget 2023 announcement, and as part of the Cost of Living measures to be enacted this year, €90m is being provided in one-off additional funding to support increased running costs for primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme in dealing with challenges they face in light of rising energy costs. This will be paid at a rate of 40% of schools’ basic and enhanced rates of capitation.
Schools account for a very small proportion of overall energy usage across the public sector – circa 5% of reported energy consumption. It is also worth noting that the school day is finished during the national peak energy usage period of 5pm to 7pm.
My Department has also ensured that centrally negotiated rates are available to schools for electricity and bulk heating fuels. These rates are available through existing frameworks sourced by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). OGP has run competitions specifically for Schools at a national level and the Schools Procurement Unit and the Department has communicated with schools and school management bodies informing them of the options available to them through these national arrangements. Information on how to avail of these arrangements is available via the Schools Procurement Unit website, www.spu.ie.
The Energy in Education website portal and advice programme (Joint programme between SEAI and Dept. of Education) also assists schools reduce their energy consumption and empowers participating schools and pupils to learn the benefits of sustainability. www.energyineducation.ie. Typically savings of between 5 to 10% are identified through low and no cost measures, while some schools participating have identified potential savings of up to 15 % or more.
My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification.
The National Development Plan 2021-2030 published on 4th Oct 2021, provides capital funding of over €4.4bn for investment in school infrastructure during the period 2021 to 2025. There continues to be a strong Climate Action dimension to this additional and modernisation programme.
Schools designed and built in accordance with the Department’s schools technical guidance documents have been achieving A3 Building Energy Ratings since 2009 with current schools typically achieving up to 20% higher energy performance and 25% better carbon performance than required by the current Building Regulations, along with 10% of primary energy provided via photovoltaics and infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging.
As the Deputy is aware Budget 2023 provided for the provision of funding from the Climate Action Fund in relation to the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output.
This is really positive news for our schools and will assist with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings.
My Department's Officials are working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications colleagues in relation to the arrangements for this scheme and details will be announced in due course.
It is intended the provision of the solar panels will be fully funded for schools.
I will also be announcing in due course a Climate Action Summer Works Programme to progress climate action specific initiatives which will assist with rollout of smaller scale energy retrofit works in schools.
The Summer Works Programme has for many years featured categories that assist in improving energy reduction in schools such as the heating system upgrades, roof insulation upgrades, high performance window upgrades and electrical upgrades.
My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications established a jointly funded pathfinder programme, which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Planning and Building Unit in the Department of Education with delivery support from Limerick Clare ETB. It is being used to evaluate and demonstrate the approach to energy retrofit and carbon reduction in the schools’ sector.
This government-funded energy retrofit pathfinder programme will target energy use and CO2 emission reduction by 51%, testing deep retrofit and low carbon heating solutions.
The pathfinder programme has retrofitted 47 schools across Ireland to date with work on an additional 15 schools currently at various stages of progress in partnership with SEAI.
This pathfinder is a great example of collaboration ensuring the deployment of new design approaches and technologies are introduced to the educational environment on an evidence based approach.p
It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, which will have been tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the schools’ sector.
The pathfinder is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger schools national programme for decarbonisation and retrofit and will play a key part of meeting delivery of the Climate Action Plan.
