Northern Ireland government promote renewable energy

The Stormont estate is to go green and embrace renewable energy under a new British government drive to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in Northern Ireland, it was announced this week.

Householders in the province will also be invited to apply for the most generous discounts in the UK to switch to solar power, biomass, wind power or geothermal energy.

It is understood that the Secretary of State will announce the measures, including initiatives to tackle fuel poverty, as part of a £59.2m funding package to increase growth in the renewable energy market.

Peter Hain warned: "We are facing two potentially catastrophic scenarios: a threat to our security of energy supply, and even more dangerous, global warming which has seen the ten warmest years on record since 1990 and threatens the very future of our planet.

We must take action now to reduce the amount of energy we use and reduce the levels of harmful emissions from our energy usage to help protect the environment.

This fund is designed to help everyone in Northern Ireland contribute to doing so."

Under the proposals the Stormont estate in east Belfast will be heated by a wood-based fuel instead of gas and 40% of its electricity will be sourced from renewable energy sources

The exceptions will be Stormont Castle and the Parliament Buildings as both have a separate pipework system.

Up to 4,000 householders will be encouraged to follow the Government`s scheme and take advantage of large discounts, between 30% and 50%, as an incentive to change their energy supplies to renewable sources. At present an estimated 400 homes in the province use renewable energy but within two years it is hoped that figure will increase more than ten-fold.

The cost of a biomass boiler is between £4,500 to £8,000 while solar panels retail at approximately £3,000. Geothermal systems can be up to £8,000 while a one kilowatt wind turbine sells for £1,500.

The discounts will likely be available on a first-come-first-served basis and the Government will pledge to invest £9m to tackle fuel poverty and install 600 solar hot water systems in Housing Executive properties.

The Environment and Renewable Energy Fund for 2006-08 will also pledge money for additional research in the field, including an assessment of the value of compressed air as an energy source.

The fund is expected to generate around £300 million of additional private sector investment in renewable energy sources which will accelerate the use of solar energy, photovoltaic panels, wave and tidal power, geothermal heat pumps, wind turbines and biomass.

By 2012 the Government hopes to ensure that 12% of the province`s electricity consumption comes from renewable energy.