Mary Flaherty
Question:49 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Energy if he will consider the reintroduction of a free energy audit service to be supplied by Eolas or by private enterprise.
Written Answers. - Energy Audit Service.
In 1990 and 1991, Eolas carried out a sectoral audit programme, which was funded by my Department, by Eolas and by the EC under the Valoren Programme, which has now ended. This involved examining energy use in various sectors of the economy, by carrying out free energy audits of a representative sample of firms in a particular sector, and publicising the results of these studies through seminars, conferences, papers, etc. for all firms in that sector. Sectors examined included the bakeries, electronics, textiles and liquid milk sectors.
The sectoral audit programme has now ended. However, this year Eolas, on behalf of my Department, will be promoting other activities which build on the experience gained from that programme. These activities include the promotion of self auditing and energy accounting in a number of private sector firms and the evaluation of the energy efficiency of rotating machinery used in industry such as air and refrigeration compressors, fans and pumps, etc.
The ESB also has a programme of free electricity audit surveys in the industrial and commercial sectors.