- •Foreword
- •Table of contents
- •1. Executive summary
- •Transition to a low-carbon energy future
- •Planning consent and engagement with local communities
- •Decarbonisation of heat
- •Interconnections
- •Energy security
- •Key recommendations
- •2. General energy policy
- •Country overview
- •Supply and demand
- •Energy production and self-sufficiency
- •Energy consumption
- •Institutions
- •Policy framework
- •The 2015 White Paper
- •Project Ireland 2040
- •Energy transition
- •Electricity sector
- •Security of supply
- •Electricity
- •Assessment
- •Recommendations
- •Overview
- •Supply and demand
- •Production, import and export
- •Oil and gas exploration and production
- •Oil consumption
- •Biofuels
- •Oil heating
- •Market structure
- •Prices and taxes
- •Fiscal incentives for oil and gas exploration and production
- •Infrastructure
- •Refining
- •Ports and road network
- •Storage
- •Emergency response policy
- •Oil emergency reserves
- •Assessment
- •Recommendations
- •4. Natural gas
- •Overview
- •Supply and demand
- •Production and import
- •Consumption
- •Outlook
- •Biogas
- •Upstream development
- •Institutions
- •Market structure
- •Prices and tariffs
- •Irish balancing point
- •Price regulation for the gas network
- •Gas entry/exit tariff reform
- •Infrastructure
- •Gas networks
- •LNG terminal
- •Storage facilities
- •Infrastructure developments
- •Emergency response
- •Policy and organisation
- •Network resilience
- •Emergency response measures
- •Assessment
- •Recommendations
- •5. Electricity and renewables
- •Overview
- •Supply and demand
- •Generation and trade
- •Renewable electricity
- •Carbon intensity of electricity supply
- •Installed capacity
- •Demand
- •Retail prices and taxes
- •Retail market and prices
- •Institutions
- •Market structure
- •Generation and generation adequacy
- •Wholesale market
- •Retail market
- •Smart metering
- •Market design
- •From the SEM….
- •Networks
- •Transmission
- •Focus area: Interconnectors
- •Existing interconnectors
- •Developing interconnectors in Ireland
- •Renewable electricity
- •Enduring Connection Policy
- •Renewable Electricity Support Scheme
- •Ocean energy prospects
- •Assessment
- •Wholesale market
- •Retail market
- •Smart meters and grids
- •Focus area: Interconnectors
- •Renewable electricity
- •Recommendations
- •6. Energy and climate
- •Overview
- •Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions
- •Emissions by sector and fuel
- •CO2 drivers and carbon intensity
- •Institutions
- •Climate policy framework and targets
- •Progress towards the climate targets
- •Domestic policy frameworks and targets
- •Taxation policy
- •Transport sector emissions
- •Energy consumption and emissions
- •Expanding the use of alternative fuels and technologies
- •Public transport and modal shifting
- •Improving the fuel economy of the vehicle fleet
- •Power sector emissions
- •Assessment
- •Recommendations
- •7. Energy efficiency and residential heating
- •Overview
- •Energy consumption and intensity
- •Energy intensity per capita and GDP
- •Energy consumption by sector
- •Industry
- •Residential and commercial
- •Institutions
- •Energy efficiency targets
- •Energy efficiency funding and advisory services
- •Public sector targets and strategies
- •Industry and commercial sector policies
- •Focus area: Decarbonisation of heat
- •Energy efficiency in buildings
- •Residential buildings stock and energy savings potential
- •Building regulations
- •Building energy rating
- •Energy efficiency programmes for buildings
- •Commercial buildings stock and energy savings potential
- •Renewable heat supply options and support
- •Renewable heat in the non-residential sector
- •District heating
- •Assessment
- •Decarbonisation of heating in buildings
- •Recommendations
- •8. Energy technology research, development and demonstration
- •Overview
- •Public energy RD&D spending
- •Energy RD&D programmes
- •Institutional framework
- •Policies and programmes
- •Ocean energy
- •Sustainable bioenergy
- •Hydrogen
- •Monitoring and evaluation
- •International collaboration
- •Assessment
- •Recommendations
- •ANNEX A: Organisations visited
- •Review criteria
- •Review team and preparation of the report
- •IEA member countries
- •International Energy Agency
- •Organisations visited
- •ANNEX B: Energy balances and key statistical data
- •Footnotes to energy balances and key statistical data
- •ANNEX C: International Energy Agency “Shared Goals”
- •ANNEX D: Glossary and list of abbreviations
ENERGY
POLICIES
OF IEA
COUNTRIES
Ireland
2019 Review
Secure
Sustainable
Together
ENERGY
POLICIES
OF IEA
COUNTRIES
Ireland
2019 Review
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY
AGENCY
The IEA examines the |
IEA member |
IEA association |
full spectrum of energy |
countries: |
countries: |
issues including oil, gas |
Australia |
Brazil |
and coal supply and |
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demand, renewable |
Austria |
China |
energy technologies, |
Belgium |
India |
electricity markets, |
Canada |
Indonesia |
energy efficiency, access |
Czech Republic |
Morocco |
to energy, demand side |
Denmark |
Singapore |
management and much |
Estonia |
South Africa |
more. Through its work, |
Finland |
Thailand |
the IEA advocates policies |
France |
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that will enhance the |
Germany |
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reliability, affordability and |
Greece |
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sustainability of energy in |
Hungary |
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its 30 member countries, |
Ireland |
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8 association countries |
Italy |
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and beyond. |
Japan |
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Korea |
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Luxembourg |
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Mexico |
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Netherlands |
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New Zealand |
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Norway |
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Poland |
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Portugal |
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Slovak Republic |
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Spain |
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Sweden |
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Switzerland |
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Turkey |
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United Kingdom |
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United States |
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The European |
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Commission also |
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participates in the |
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work of the IEA |
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Please note that this publication is subject to specific restrictions that limit its use and distribution. The terms and conditions are available online at www.iea.org/t&c/
Source: IEA. All rights reserved.
International Energy Agency
Website: www.iea.org
Foreword
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has conducted in-depth peer reviews of its member countries’ energy policies since 1976. This process not only supports energy policy development but also encourages the exchange of and learning from international best practices and experiences. In short, by seeing what has worked – or not – in the “real world”, these reviews help to identify policies that achieve objectives and bring concrete results. Recently, the IEA has moved to modernise the reviews by focusing on some of the key energy challenges in today’s rapidly changing energy markets.
Ireland is successfully advancing the low-carbon transformation of its energy sector, and the power sector is leading the way for decarbonisation. In 2017, Ireland had the third-highest share of wind in electricity generation of all IEA member countries. I am pleased to see that, thanks to the country’s substantial innovation capacity, the Irish electricity system is ready to accommodate an even larger share of wind generation. Despite the progress made, Ireland faces challenges in its shortand medium-term climate and energy targets. In this review, we recommend that the government set trajectories towards those targets and the means of achieving them. This could include building on the success of many new energy efficiency policies, which is something that will be explored in the fourth annual IEA Global Conference on Energy Efficiency to be hosted by Ireland in June 2019.
One of Ireland’s main challenges towards a low-carbon energy future is the decarbonisation of heat in the housing sector. The IEA applauds that revised regulations require all new buildings from January 2019 onwards to install renewable energy systems. A similar push is needed in the rental market for existing houses, and we recommend that the government considers the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards in the rental sector to give a push to renovation.
The aim of this report is to support Ireland in its quest for a secure, affordable, and environmentally sustainable transformation of its energy sector. It is my hope that it will guide Ireland in its energy transition and support its contribution to a cleaner, more sustainable, and secure global energy system.
Dr Fatih Birol
Executive Director
International Energy Agency
3
FOREWORD
IEA. All rights reserved.
IEA. All rights reserved.