Irish renewable energy creation jumps 10pc in 2014

18 May 2015

New statistics from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have shown that there has been a significant increase in the amount of renewable energy generated in Ireland, with it having seen a growth of 10pc in 2014.

The findings were made following the publication of provisional energy data for 2014 by the organisation.

According to the organisation, as the economy grew in 2014, primary energy use fell, indicating that Ireland’s economy has become increasingly productive with the energy it uses.

One of the report’s key findings showed that wind energy continues to be our most dominant source of renewable energy and at 18pc of the country’s total generated electricity, puts its second behind natural gas at 45.8pc.

On top of this, Ireland’s total renewable electricity share now contributes nearly as much as coal and peat combined, which has had the effect of lowering the carbon intensity of electricity generation, measured in grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electrical output, to a record low of 457gCO2/kWh.

Import dependency also showed signs of gradual decline, having fallen by 3.5pc from 89pc in 2013, to 85.5pc in 2014.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s CO2 emissions also dropped fractionally by 0.8pc, or if the airline industry’s emission was excluded, by 1pc.

Irish wind farm image via Shutterstock

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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