With increasing demands for sustainability in global societies, especially in Europe, our sources of energy provision have long been in focus.

We have already seen significant investment in wind generation and there is currently increased focus on solar and biogas, among others.

Policy structures to support these have been a long time coming, but with EU policy now set to up the ante on sustainability issues, renewable energies will only increase in importance as we progress into the decade ahead.

Wind

Over one third of our electricity is now coming from renewable sources, the majority from wind turbines, and Ireland is now the leader in Europe for its share of electricity from onshore wind. There are over 250 wind farms in the Republic of Ireland.

By 2030, there is a strong policy mandate to reach 70% renewable electricity. At certain times when the wind is blowing, and demand is low, that 70% target is already within reach for short periods.

However, the network operators EirGrid and ESBN are working continuously to accommodate more renewables. The renewables sector can be expected to almost double in size over the coming 10 years.

This 70% target is a key part of our national Climate Action Plan and will help go a long way towards decarbonising our energy systems.

It is achievable, but it will require a sustained effort from all involved, including acceptance by communities of new energy infrastructure.

Solar power

Outside of rooftop units, there have been no solar installations put in place in the Republic of Ireland so far. That is set to change, given the recent success of solar in Ireland’s first renewable electricity auction. Over 4,000 acres will host 63 new solar farms, and these are to be built by 2022.

Landowner benefits

Renewables are already adding to the bottom line for many farmers. Thousands of landowners are getting annual rental payments indexed to inflation, with no investment or effort required and minimal downside risk.

Payments per turbine are about €18,000 per annum, depending on the size of the turbine. And for farms of solar panels, the market rent for a well-located site could be up to €1,000 per acre.

Many other landowners will receive payments for access or other infrastructure associated with the renewable generator, such as a substation or a wind mast.

A community benefit fund is now a mandatory part of renewable policy support and capital must be reserved for a local fund managed in accordance with Government guidelines to support community groups.

Meeting targets

To meet the 70% renewable electricity target, the heavy lifting will be done by offshore and onshore wind, and larger-scale solar projects.

Fewer wind turbines will be installed on wind farms, but their size and output will increase substantially. This will particularly be the case for offshore wind farms, where the scale involved will be very large.

An indication of the evolution of the size and scale of wind turbines is shown in Figure 1.

The key benefit of this size increase is that costs have fallen, and will continue to do so, though perhaps not as dramatically as in the last decade (see Figure 2).

Some of the larger windfarms are now able to build without regulated price support and have the net effect of driving down wholesale electricity prices.

The primary source of revenue for farmers will continue to be as landlords for utility-scale projects, built by those with either deep pockets or a large appetite for risk to fund the expensive and uncertain early stages of project development.

This also supports jobs in the economy, energy security and dramatically reduces our carbon footprint.

Citizen-centred energy

Despite the trend towards ever-bigger projects, there is a parallel need for smaller-scale citizen-centred energy initiatives.

In the recent auction, there was a separate category for community-led projects, which under the current rules can be no larger than 5MW, and seven projects were successful.

Government policy is to have a flourishing community electricity generation sector by 2025, and community-led projects will continue to be a subset of future auctions.

The myriad of benefits from this approach include local employment, rural regeneration, community empowerment and the opportunity for local citizens to own their own energy supply.

\ Donal O' Leary

Defining a community as a legal concept is challenging, but in essence it is a legal entity “which, is based on open and voluntary participation, is autonomous and is effectively controlled by shareholders or members that are located (in the case of SMEs or local authorities) or resident (in the case of natural persons) in the proximity of the project”, according to the Department of Climate Action.

It also states “the primary purpose is to provide environmental, economic, societal or social community benefits for its shareholders or members or for the local areas where it operates”.

Farmers are typically close to their community and well placed to get involved, both as landlord and/or active participant, in bringing their community together for this common purpose.

It is a long journey. The seven projects recently given the go-ahead have been several years in the development phase.

Some of these are joint ventures between community members and commercial developers, which has shortened the timeline. Potentially, the experience of these initial community groups can help to speed up the process for the next set.

Technology trends

There are technical advances, known and unknown, coming prior to 2030. One trend is the electrification of as many parts of our energy use as possible.

Fossil fuel cars will no longer be available in a few short years. A 2030 target to ban their sale is already giving car purchasers considerable pause for thought as to whether to go electric.

The solution for tractors or other heavy-goods vehicles is emerging, with many under development.

By 2022, oil boilers will be banned for new homes and, by 2025, also gas boilers. The heating system of choice for a new home is a heat pump which uses electricity to extract heat from ambient air or ground. Heat pumps will not suit every user.

There will also be niche opportunities to supply biomass for larger installations, say a factory where steam is required, or a district heating plant that would service a range of users, for example an apartment block.

Another trend is the integration of digital technologies into our daily needs, such as energy supply. Our meters and appliances will get more complex and “smarter” over time. Local mini-grids will need to incorporate vehicles, solar panels, batteries, heating systems, pumps, motors and other electrical equipment. We may rely, for example, on artificial intelligence to optimise our farm energy use, from both a cost-saving and carbon avoidance perspective.

On-farm generation for own use

The opportunity to produce energy for self-consumption on the farm is becoming easier over time. Larger users, such as dairy and potato farmers, can cost-effectively displace a substantial portion of their electricity costs by installing solar photovoltaic panels. Some farms have also installed west- and east-facing panels to generate power during morning and evening milking.

There are decent cost savings to be made by displacing own use, but a small generator is unlikely to stack up financially unless the majority of the electricity is used on site. Outside of larger dairy sites, pig and poultry units or farms with large refrigeration units, farm electricity use is modest with only occasional demand and annual usage less than a typical home.

The policy focus is on climate action by individual households, as much as farms or other small businesses. The Green Party, part of the Government coalition, has a highly ambitious plan in its election manifesto that would see 700,000 rooftop solar PV systems installed on Irish homes and 55,000 on commercial premises by 2030.

Key points

  • We have made a lot of progress using wind in electricity generation and further expansion will take place, mainly from very large offshore units.
  • Solar systems will add to the production of renewable electricity with 63 new solar farms on over 4,000 acres to be built by 2022.
  • The involvement of farmers is mainly through on-farm self-supply, community projects and through letting land for these installations.
  • *Tom Bruton is a consultant with expertise in delivering renewable energy projects. He can be contacted at tom.bruton@bioxl.ie