Councillor says all public housing should have solar panels

Cllr John Clendennen recently brought a motion before Offaly County Council to introduce a policy that all public housing developments include the installation of solar PV panels as standard.

The Fine Gael councillor raised the issue in light of the closure of Ireland’s last peat briquette production facility at Derrinlough and the ongoing challenge of higher electricity charges.

Cllr Clendennen said: “Inevitably, what we're going to see with a reduction of peat is an increase in electricity usage and dependence on the grid."

"I don't accept that installing a heat pump is reducing emissions to the extent that we need to because at the end of the day that needs to come from somewhere else in terms of energy."

Cllr Clendennedn continued: "By right the state should be leading by example. Otherwise, we're going to be continuously at the mercy of electrical utility providers and under exorbitant bills.”

Cllr Neil Feighery seconded the motion saying, he was “very happy” to do so. “This weekend we found ourselves back to the stone age in the sense that we didn't have any running water or no way of cooking so I think we are hugely electricity dependent and I think we can generate some of it within our own homes.”

“Where we are in the Midlands particularly with the decarbonisation of our electricity grid, I think the more we can generate micro generation certainly would be welcomed. I think the state is currently trying to incentivise people to take up options like solar panels on their houses."

"I think we should be incentivised from the very beginning when we're planning our homes and solar panels form a key part of that in terms of the electricity usage,” added Cllr Feighery.

Cllr John Leahy said he would like to support Cllr Clendennen's motion as he has been to the forefront of fighting housing issues for the past two or three years.

He added: “I can't understand how the state is not leading by example on it. I reckon within five years that we'll start seeing many developments whether private or public with PV panels on them because that is the future.”

Cllr Eamon Dooley also supported the motion and said it was a “no brainer.”

Cllr Mark Hackett said that he thought the motion was “great” as it “promotes solar energy.”

Director of Services, Sharon Kennedy, pointed out that as part of building regulations, new houses must generate a majority of energy from renewable sources. “ The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provide 100% funding to local authorities for the provision of new build social housing to ensure that they achieve minimum compliance with building regulations, which is generally done through the provision of the heat pump where the house is fitted with a heat pump to provide heating and hot water.”

Cllr Clendennen stated: “I think the whole purpose of my motion is that I don't accept that a heat pump is a renewable energy source. I don't want to get into technicalities but it's being driven by energy which is electricity."

“The price is going up to go up and in the best interest of our our entire population, all I want is that a measure will be introduced for public interest housing so that everybody else doesn't pay an excess in their bill because of the dependence on it so I appreciate what the current policy is but what I'm doing here is looking for a change in policy.”