Renewable Heating Technologies
Renewable energy resources are constantly replenished through the cycles of nature - their supply will never be exhausted. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, are finite resources. They will become increasingly scarce and expensive to extract and supplies will become concentrated in politically volatile areas of the world before reserves are finally exhausted.
A gradual shift towards using renewable energy would mean:
- reduced CO2 emissions.
- secure and stable energy supply for the long term.
- reduced reliance on expensive fuel imports.
- investment and employment in our indigenous renewable energy projects, often in rural and underdeveloped areas
Today, renewable energy sources meet about 2% of Ireland’s total energy consumption. This figure breaks down in roughly equal proportions to heat from wood fuel in the domestic and wood processing sectors and electricity production from hydropower.
EU policy targeted an increase in the contribution of renewables to 12% or Europe’s total energy by 2010. There are a few different options commonly used in houses recently, the main ones are:
- Solar thermal
- Geothermal heating systems
- Biomass