Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
824. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education if the policy of her Department in relation to funding where oil boilers in schools get worn out or at end of life is that funding will only be given to schools for gas boilers in all areas even though tanks and all ancillaries will have to be installed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42293/22]
View answer827. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education if her Department has done an analysis on extra costs countywide to replace existing boilers with gas boilers; the estimated cost to replace these; the estimated extra running cost to schools in total nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42296/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 824 and 827 together.
My 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.
Schools that are 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 performance than required by the current Building Regulations, along with 10% of primary energy provided via photovoltaics and infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging.
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., a joint partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
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 are introduced to the educational environment on an evidence based approach.
This Pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national schools’ programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 as included in the National Development Plan. 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 longer-term outcome of the pathfinder will be to create an accurate and scalable model for energy efficient retrofits of schools across Ireland. The deep energy retrofit programme for schools built prior to 2008 is due to be rolled out as included in the National Development Plan.
The Department’s current approach to the provision of replacement heating systems provides for direct modulating high efficiency gas boiler systems.
This approach takes into account future proofing to ensure school buildings are renewable compatible and are able to take advantage of developing technologies as they become viable, thus enabling a Just Transition for school management, teachers, pupils and parents.
The environmental and cost benefit of converting a school from oil to gas is significant. With LPG and Natural Gas there is approximately between 30 to 40% reduction in carbon emissions in addition to reductions in NOx and particulates and typically there can be up to 30% reduction in running costs depending on the condition and age of the system being replaced..
The new high efficiency gas boilers provide improved comfort levels for teaching and learning, greater system reliability, modern energy saving controls and higher efficiency pumps etc. and also eliminates the potential risk of oil theft.
The Climate Action Plan 2021 Annex of Actions published earlier this year actions the Department to confirm its decarbonisation pathway trajectory to meet 2030 and 2050 targets for the schools sector by end of 2022.
Work is ongoing on decarbonisation options for schools with a focus on the standard of required design criteria and specification to achieve a net zero energy school building and establishing the trajectory for the integration of suitable solutions on a phased basis in a risk controlled manner providing a credible cost effective transition to zero carbon school buildings while ensuring no delays to school accommodation delivery.
