Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 October 2023
135. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department intends to issue guidance to local authorities on the installation of solar or PV panels on council-owned properties; if funding could be made available to local authorities for the installation of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42876/23]
View answerIn 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the programme, designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent (BER) standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes, with grant funding provided by my Department for those local authority housing retrofits.
The 2023 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support from €85 million allocated in 2022 to €87 million in 2023 which will allow approximately 2,400 local authority owned social homes to be upgraded to a B2 or cost optimal equivalent (BER). With regard to the local authority properties which are selected to be retrofitted through funding available from the EERP, the selection of properties is a matter for each individual local authority.
Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. The funded measures achieve the B2 or cost optimal equivalent (BER) as identified by the 2018 Cost Optimal calculations carried out under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. In certain circumstances, my Department supports the installation of 1kWp solar PV for small social homes with a floor area less than 55 m2, with a maximum HLI of 2.6 on a pilot basis. In such cases local authorities are required to cooperate with SEAI as part of research monitoring the performance of heat pumps in these dwellings.
The cost optimal level is currently being reviewed with a view to being published later in 2023. It is intended that the Building Regulations will be further updated to adopt the 2023 cost optimal calculations no later than Q1 2025. In addition, a proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is currently under negotiation. It includes ambitious requirements for solar energy installations which are supported by my Department.
Furthermore, under the Microgeneration Support Scheme led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Solar PV is available for all domestic premises.
