Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 September 2021
399. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the reason her Department has not fast forwarded funding for energy retrofitting of schools already committed to under the EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive given the urgent need for the ventilation-for-health component to keep schools safe and open in the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43281/21]
View answerMy Department is at the forefront of design 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.
My Department’s Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on energy efficiency and they are based on solid energy research projects.
All new technologies and approaches are tested to ensure compatibility with school design and operational requirements. Successful and repeatable results are then incorporated into all new school designs and refurbishments. The Departments policy is supported by a strong research programme with fifty three research projects at various stages including the energy website www.energyineducation.ie. which is a joint partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Schools that are designed and built in accordance with the Department’s schools technical guidance documents have been achieving A3 Building Energy Ratings (BER) since 2009 with current school designs built in accordance with the Department’s Guidance having:
- A3 BER
- Modelled ventilation and overheating analysis
- CO2 monitors in classrooms
- 20% higher performance than required by the current Building Regulations
- 10% of primary energy provided via photovoltaics
- Infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging
My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications established a jointly funded pathfinder programme with the SEAI, testing and demonstrating energy efficiency and decarbonisation retrofit approaches. This pathfinder is a great example of collaboration ensuring the deployment of new design approaches and technologies, that are introduced to the educational environment on an evidence based approach.
The longer-term outcome of the pathfinder will be to create an accurate and scalable model for energy efficient retrofits of schools across Ireland. It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, which will have been tried and tested prior to the roll out of a deep energy retrofit programme for schools built prior to 2008 as included for in the NDP. This programme will incorporate the outcomes from the Government’s Climate Action Plan which will outline how energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions targets are to be achieved. This is due to be published later this year.
