Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019
498. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeframe for the publication of guidelines pertaining to the supply of energy to the national grid through solar energy and solar farms; and the details of the terms and conditions which prospective suppliers must adhere to. [43091/19]
View answer504. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a specific allocation of 50% of available capacity 3,000 GWh in the first auction to solar PV will be committed. [43354/19]
View answer505. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that solar PV can deliver 5,000 MWac by 2030. [43355/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 498, 504 and 505 together.
In order to deliver on the ambition set out in the Climate Action Plan, my Department is developing the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The RESS has been designed within a competitive auction-based, cost effective framework and the scheme will provide for a renewable electricity (RES-E) ambition of 70% by 2030.
Technology diversity, including solar PV and offshore wind, will occur naturally as the scheme matures and certain intervention levers may be used within each auction round to promote certain policy objectives such as community participation, community ownership and diversifying the renewable energy mix. Globally, the costs of renewable technologies are falling rapidly with Solar PV showing the most rapid falls in prices in recent years.
The Climate Action Plan targets the delivery of indicative volumes of up to 1.5 GW of grid scale solar by 2030. Utility scale Solar energy farms will be critical to diversifying the renewable technology mix and to deliver gains through connecting hybrid renewable technologies. The volume of connected solar in 2030 may well exceed this target if prices continue to fall and solar projects are successful in the RESS auctions.
The terms and conditions of the RESS-1 auction will set out the process by which all competing technologies including solar farms receive support for supplying energy to the national grid.
My Department held an industry briefing in September 2019 at which an overview of the RESS detailed design framework was provided, details of which are also available through my Department's website. It is expected that the RESS 1 terms and conditions will be published in December 2019, subject to state aid approval by the European Commission.
