The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.
The National Development Plan and National Retrofit Plan have ring-fenced €8 billion in capital funding to the end of the decade to support the achievement of these objectives.
My Department is working with SEAI to deliver what is one of the most ambitious retrofit programmes worldwide and a core element of the Government's plan to reduce emissions from the residential sector.
For the period 2019 – 2022, almost 85,000 home upgrades were supported of which over 18,500 were to a B2 level (8,481 in 2022 alone). SEAI advise that in the same period under the residential and community energy efficiency schemes there was a carbon emissions saving of 129.9 ktCO2. It is important to note that both deep retrofits and shallower retrofits will contribute to the achievement of our emissions reduction targets.
A record €356 million in funding has been allocated to SEAI for residential and community schemes for 2023 to support the delivery of 37,000 energy upgrades this year.
This annual ramping up of home completions is central to building the required capacity to deliver, on average, approximately 75,000 B2-equivalent home upgrades per year from 2026 to 2030 to achieve the overall target of 500,000 by 2030.
To promote and incentivise the achievement of these targets, in February 2022, Government launched a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades. Following the introduction of the new measures, demand across the SEAI grant supported schemes was exceptionally high in 2022 with:
• Over 50,000 applications processed (up 140% year on year)
• Capital expenditure of €188 million (up 90% year on year)
• 27,199 home energy upgrades (up 78% year on year)
• 8,481 BER B2 upgrades completed (up 95% year on year)
• 4,438 fully funded energy upgrades for low-income households (up 85% year on year)
• A further 437 Approved Housing Body homes were supported under the One-Stop-Shop Scheme and an additional 95 low-income houses were supported under the Community Energy Grants Scheme.
• 16,827 attic and cavity wall measures supported (up 107% year on year)
• 12 one-Stop-Shops registered with SEAI
• 40.27kt CO2 emissions savings (up 80% year on year)
A more detailed overview of the SEAI 2022 performance against annual targets on the residential and community energy efficiency schemes can be found in their recently published report, which can be found on the SEAI website at: www.seai.ie/news-and-media/home-energy-upgrades-2022/.
