Sir, – While Pat O'Doherty's sentiment is laudable, his proposed methodology is questionable ("Ireland must cut its dependence on oil in daily life", Opinion & Analysis, September 18th). Mr O'Doherty suggests further oil efficiency improvements won't shift the dial and improvements in building standards cannot address our existing building stock.
I disagree. The majority, in fact 500,000, of home-heating users in Ireland still use a standard oil boiler with efficiencies in the 60 per cent range. A nationwide boiler replacement scheme supporting condensing oil boilers of 90 per cent-plus efficiency (similar to a scheme in Northern Ireland) would see a significant reduction in oil use, a reduction in consumers’ fuel bills and emissions. This alone would remove 250 million litres of oil annually from the demand side, a significant, not gradual, improvement, and something the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme really must consider.
The solution does not lie in heat pumps that not only require householders to make a large financial outlay but have been proven by independent energy experts to deliver nowhere near the ongoing savings in comparison to oil.
With regard to existing building stock, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is now focusing on deep retrofits, and this is currently delivering strong efficiencies.
Mr O’Doherty also suggests that “gradual improvements” in heating efficiency are “insufficient to remove oil from our energy system”. In our view, this is less than pragmatic but also ignores significant innovation and the great strides that heating and boiler manufacturers are making this area. For example, blueflame boilers, oil and air-source hybrids and biofuel-compatible technology are already impacting future heating strategy.
I also question the role of wind energy. We have not seen any cost-benefit Analysis regarding the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), but it is well-known that subsidies continue to push up energy bills.
I propose that if the money spent on that action plan had instead gone into “predominantly” energy conservation, energy efficiency and energy reduction projects, then Ireland might well be on the way to meeting all EU energy-efficiency directive targets, and possibly ahead of schedule. – Yours, etc,
DAVID BLEVINGS,
Oil Firing Technical
Association,
PO Box 11311,
Glasnevin, Dublin 11.