5 REDUCING RESIDENTIAL CARBoN EMISSIoNS …
49
annual average demand estimated to be up to 36,000 units for the next
30 years (IBEC 2018). Yet despite the number of new homes built to
ever increasing energy performance standards, the Irish housing stock
is among the poorest in Europe in terms of energy efficiency (Goggins
et al. 2016). Current trends also show that households are getting bigger, with an average 15% increase in floor area across all homes between
2000 and 2016 (SEAI 2018). Another contributing factor in residential
energy use is the number of persons per household, which for Ireland
is the second highest in Europe at 2.7 persons per dwelling (Eurostat
2018).
The location of dwellings can have a significant impact on the type
of fuel and heating systems available to households, as some options
such as connection to a mains gas network or district-heating system
may not be feasible in rural areas. The use of heating oil is particularly dominant in rural households, and the carbon-intensive practice
of harvesting and burning peat is socially and culturally engrained in
many rural locations. Housing type is also a significant material factor
in affecting residential energy use, particularly regarding space heating due to the level of exposed surface area, which is generally greatest
for detached houses and lowest for apartments. In Ireland, detached
houses make up the vast majority of dwellings in rural areas (83%), compared to 19% in urban locations and 42% of the overall housing stock.
Just 7% of people in Ireland live in apartments or flats, which is easily
the lowest proportion across the EU (Eurostat 2015). While there are
clear opportunities for reducing energy use through increasing thermal
efficiency of homes, other socially oriented policy instruments such as
those that might reduce per capita living area (e.g. encouraging downsizing after children move out) or sharing of resources (e.g. common
laundry rooms) can also reduce energy use, but are less developed
in Ireland.
energy poLiCy in ireLanD
Ireland’s energy policy is largely techno-centric, with a strong emphasis on technological change and innovation. For example, improving
energy efficiency in the residential sector is considered a critical element of Ireland’s energy policy and of a sustainable energy transition,
with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimating
49
annual average demand estimated to be up to 36,000 units for the next
30 years (IBEC 2018). Yet despite the number of new homes built to
ever increasing energy performance standards, the Irish housing stock
is among the poorest in Europe in terms of energy efficiency (Goggins
et al. 2016). Current trends also show that households are getting bigger, with an average 15% increase in floor area across all homes between
2000 and 2016 (SEAI 2018). Another contributing factor in residential
energy use is the number of persons per household, which for Ireland
is the second highest in Europe at 2.7 persons per dwelling (Eurostat
2018).
The location of dwellings can have a significant impact on the type
of fuel and heating systems available to households, as some options
such as connection to a mains gas network or district-heating system
may not be feasible in rural areas. The use of heating oil is particularly dominant in rural households, and the carbon-intensive practice
of harvesting and burning peat is socially and culturally engrained in
many rural locations. Housing type is also a significant material factor
in affecting residential energy use, particularly regarding space heating due to the level of exposed surface area, which is generally greatest
for detached houses and lowest for apartments. In Ireland, detached
houses make up the vast majority of dwellings in rural areas (83%), compared to 19% in urban locations and 42% of the overall housing stock.
Just 7% of people in Ireland live in apartments or flats, which is easily
the lowest proportion across the EU (Eurostat 2015). While there are
clear opportunities for reducing energy use through increasing thermal
efficiency of homes, other socially oriented policy instruments such as
those that might reduce per capita living area (e.g. encouraging downsizing after children move out) or sharing of resources (e.g. common
laundry rooms) can also reduce energy use, but are less developed
in Ireland.
energy poLiCy in ireLanD
Ireland’s energy policy is largely techno-centric, with a strong emphasis on technological change and innovation. For example, improving
energy efficiency in the residential sector is considered a critical element of Ireland’s energy policy and of a sustainable energy transition,
with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimating