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| Frequently Asked Questions.... |
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| Why should I Save Energy? |
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- Most of our energy is derived from fossil fuels such as oil, gas, coal and peat. These fuels were formed millions of years ago and cannot be replenished by humans. This means that we will eventually run out of fossil fuels in the not too distant future. By reducing our use of fossil fuels we can extend the length of time that they are available to us and give ourselves more time to develop alternatives.
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- Also, by removing fossil fuels from the ground and combusting them in our cars, boilers and power stations we are releasing huge quantities for carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main greenhouse gas responsible for Global Warming. Therefore, decreasing our fossil fuel use also decreases the amount of harmful emissions we release into the atmosphere and will help to slow down Global Warming.
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| What type of Domestic Renewable Energy Grants are available? |
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Heating System |
Typical Lower price |
Typical higher price |
Grant Available |
| Solar thermal |
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€1,300 / m2 |
€300 / m2 (max. 12m2) |
| Horizontal heat pump |
€13,000 |
€15,000 |
€4,300 |
Vertical heat pump |
€18,000 |
€21,000 |
€6,500 |
Heat pump - water to water |
€12,000 |
€14,000 |
€4,300 |
Heat pump - Air source |
€12,000 |
€13,000 |
€4,000 |
Wood chip / pellet stove |
€2,000 |
€5,000 |
€1,100 |
Wood chip / pellet with integral boiler |
€4,000 |
€8,000 |
€1,800 |
Wood chip / pellet boiler |
€9,000 |
€16,000 |
€4,200 |
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| What are the emissions factros for different types of fuel? |
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Fuel Type |
Emission Factor (gCO2 / kWh) |
| Liquid Fuels |
Gas / Diesel |
263.9 |
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Keroscence |
257 |
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Oil |
273.4 |
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Petroluem |
362.9 |
| Solid Fuels |
Coal |
340.6 |
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Peat Briquettes |
355.9 |
| Gas |
Natural Gas |
197.8 |
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Electricity |
651 |
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| How can I improve the Energy Performance of an Older House? |
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| INSULATION...
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- The primary method of reducing energy use in an existing house is to properly insulate the dwelling. An uninsulated house loses around 30% of its heat through the roof.
- Therefore, attic areas should be insulated with mineral wool (the least expensive material).
- The current building regulations for a new house specify the use of 250mm of mineral wool laid between the joists and perpendicularly over the joists. Dormers should be insulated between the rafters and it is also possible to use insulation backed plasterboard for the ceilings.
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- Walls will lose about 25% of home heat. Masonry cavity walls can be insulated with injection fill mineral wool or polystyrene beads. This must be done by a trained professional.
- Non-cavity type construction can be insulated internally or externally depending upon the situation. Insulation backed dry-lining can be very effective in reducing damp problems and keeping the building warmer.
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- Windows are essential for adequate natural lighting in the home. Unfortunately windows also lose a significant amount of heat from the building, up to 15% which is a lot considering their small area.
- Modern double glazing will greatly outperform old single glazed windows and low-e glass argon filled units should be specified in replacements. If replacement windows are not an option secondary glazing can be fitted to the inside of the windows without alteration to the external appearance.
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- Properly installed insulation and glazing could save around €500 per year on your heating bills while making your home more comfortable to live in. Talk to your local insulation supplier or contact the Agency here
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| How can I improve the Energy Performance of a New Build? |
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- The ideal time to reduce household energy use and save money in the long run is at the building stage. At the very least you must ensure that your new home meets the energy requirements of the Building Regulations 2002 (TGD-L). By going beyond the regulations you will save even more energy over the lifetime of the building and “future proof” your home.
- The new EU Building Directive will mean that your home will have to be energy rated before being sold. This will affect the value of your property in future markets. So protect your investment by improving your insulation standards. You could even plan a low energy or passive home that requires little or no heating system. Talk to your architect or contact the Agency here
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| What Energy Efficient and Renewable Energy Heating Options are Available to Householders? |
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- Wood pellet stoves and boilers can be used in place of an existing oil or solid fuel system. Modern wood pellet heating systems offer the warmth and comfort of wood heating but are highly efficient, clean burning and totally automatic, saving you time and money. Wood has the advantage of being totally renewable when sourced from sustainable forestry and is cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. However, you will require a large dry storage volume to avail of cheap bulk buying and wood pellet boilers are more expensive to buy than conventional systems
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- Energy efficient heat pumps can also be used to heat your home. A heat pump is a small operating unit that extracts heat from a low temperature heat source, upgrades it to a higher temperature and releases it where it is required for heating purposes.
- Low temperature heat sources are available everywhere around us in very large quantities from renewable energy sources: outdoor air, surface water (rivers, streams and ponds) and the ground. These sources are continuously replenished with free energy from the sun, rain and wind.
- Heat pumps can be located inside or outside a building. While they are more expensive initially to install than other heating systems, their greater energy efficiency and low maintenance results in a medium term payback period.
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- Solar panels can be used to provide hot water in your home. A solar water heater is a roof mounted panel that converts sunlight into heat to produce hot water. They can provide up to 70% of a household’s hot water requirements and are generally used with a back-up heater such as an existing boiler or immersion heater, which will bring the water to the temperature required when there is not enough sunlight to do so. Back-up heating is generally only required in winter when central heating systems will be in operation anyway.
- All that is generally required for the installation of a solar water heating system is a south facing roof with enough space for around 4m2 of panels and sufficient room for the hot water storage tank. East and west facing roofs can also be used with some additional panel area.
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| Should I use Underfloor Heating in a New Build? |
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- The decision to use underfloor heating in a new dwelling primarily depends upon the size of the house and how the house will be used. Because underfloor heating requires constant heating of the floor slab it is better suited to buildings that are occupied throughout the day and/or very large buildings that are difficult to heat using conventional methods. The low temperature radiant heating used in underfloor systems is more efficient in this scenario than running high temperature radiators over the same period. However, if you are only home during the evenings and weekends an underfloor system may not be very energy efficient as you will be heating your home when unoccupied. In this situation a responsive radiator or air heating system can provide a “quick fix” of heat which will use less energy than would be required by the underfloor heating circuit.
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| Can I Generate my own Electricity from Renewable Sources? |
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- Electricity can be generated on-site in a number of ways. Domestic wind turbines, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and micro-hydro generators can be applied where suitable. Micro-hydro turbines require access to a stream with a decent depth and flow rate. Small scale wind turbines can be located on top of a house or on a free standing pylon. Likewise PV panels can be located on a due-south facing roof, a ground based A-frame or mounted on a wind turbine pylon.
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- Certain systems can be plugged directly into your electrical circuit with excess production going to the grid (unfortunately in Ireland you will not be paid for this grid supply). Most systems rely on electrical storage in battery banks. This also requires a charge controller and inverter which increase investment costs resulting in long-term payback periods. Of course, you can also reduce your electricity use buy using low energy lighting, A-rated appliances and through good energy habits (see our Tips Page here).
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| How can I use Vegetable Oil for Transport? |
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- The use of vegetable oil as a sustainable source of energy provides a viable solution to the reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions as well as a rational alternative to fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (CO2) released by the combustion of plant oils is essentially re-absorbed by successive crops. In this way the net emissions of CO2 are zero and vegetable oil is said to be carbon neutral.
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- Vegetable oil is more viscous than mineral diesel and has a higher flash point. Therefore, some modifications must be performed on a diesel engine before it can be fuelled by vegetable oil. A conversion kit allows most diesel engines to be run on pure vegetable oil. The advantages of this conversion are that the vegetable oil can be used directly as a fuel without the need for further processing or energy input and the vehicle is sustainably powered without any fossil fuel blending.
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- The conversion kit comprises a heat exchanger to pre-heat the vegetable oil before injection, thus lowering the viscosity, and new injector nozzles and glow-plugs designed for use with the alternative fuel. The conversion process also optimises the engine’s fuel pump and heating controls for using vegetable based fuels. Almost all chamber diesel engines as well as Volkswagen/Audi TDI direct-injection diesel engines and Volkswagen/Audi 3-cylinder unit-injector diesel engines can be converted to run on pure vegetable oil using this kit.
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- It is also possible to use a dual tank system where the vehicle is started and stopped using regular diesel but switched over to vegetable oil for the bulk of the journey. Alternatively, a diesel-vegetable oil mix can be used in non-converted engines with various ratios depending upon external temperatures - the higher viscosity of vegetable oil requires an increased diesel fraction at lower temperatures. Fuel mixing offers a simple non-conversion use for vegetable oils.
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| Where can I get more information and/or buy the above Renewable Energy Equipment? |
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Visit our links page to find companies that supply and/or fit the above renewable energy equipment. Click here
For further Energy Advice please contact the Agency here
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