Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1481. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what capital funding is available to HEIs for renewable energy investments on campuses; if his Department supports the creation of micro-grids in these institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36931/23]
View answer1482. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if an assessment of retrofitting HEI buildings to a B2 BER standard has been carried out; the projected cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36932/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1481 and 1482 together.
I can advise the Deputy that energy efficiency and decarbonisation initiatives in the Higher Education Sector are underway since 2020, through the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonsation Pathfinder Programme(EEPDPP) initiatives which are jointly funded by my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Micro grids are not an area that my department has specifically taken a view on as yet. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have a number of avenues available to them to avail of funding for renewable energy investment. Devolved Grant funding of €40m in 2023 could be used by universities, subject to defined expenditure limits, to directly invest in micro grid solutions. Additionally, many HEIs also have access to own resources which they may use for investment in renewable energy.
A survey of all higher education buildings was undertaken by the HEA through the 'space survey' in 2020. The main target for decarbonisation of HEIs (in order to meet the 2030 targets set by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021)? is replacing fossil fuel heating systems. This can be achieved in a number of ways but is often accompanied by a requirement for retrofitting the fabric of buildings.
An Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (EEDPP) in Higher Education 2020 was co-funded with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in order to test and demonstrate energy retrofit approaches, build scale, and inform key stakeholders. A Programme fund of up to €5.9 million (co-funded by the SEAI) was approved in this initial phase. Approved projects are being progressed through various stages of design, planning and construction. Seven were nearing completion or at completion stage at year end 2022.
A second phase of the EEDPP (Higher Education) was agreed in 2021. The EEDPP 2021 (HE) aimed to consolidate the learnings from EEDPP 2020 and build on the solutions identified in the ‘Higher Education Decarbonisation Pathways’ Report. The programme made funding available for six pathways identified in the report with the aim of assisting key stakeholders to better understand how these pathways might be undertaken. Under the EEDPP 2021, HEIs were invited to submit proposals for retrofit works to existing buildings which were in line with the pathways identified in the HEA Decarbonisation Report. Eight projects were successful under EEDPP 2021 and are currently at design stage.
A new round of the EEDPP is now being progressed in Higher Education in 2023. The HEA submitted an evaluation report to the Department and the SEAI and it is currently under the final stages of consideration. It should be noted that all projects under each round of the EEDPP (HE) to date have targeted achievement of a BER-B and this criteria remains in place for further calls. The HEA are in the process of collating the learning and information available from the ongoing EEDPP projects, in addition to assessing the individual institute-level decarbonisation roadmaps.
