The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has released the Energy in Ireland 2020 report, detailing energy usage across many sectors.
The key highlights include:
Overview
• Final energy demand fell by 0.6%, while the economy grew by 3.2% as measured by modified domestic demand (MDD). Most of this reduction occurred in the residential sector, and was mostly due to 2019 being a warmer year than 2018.
• Primary energy demand fell by 1.2%. This includes losses in electricity generation and other energy transformation sectors.
• Fossil fuel use for energy decreased by 3.0% in 2019 and was 17% lower than in 2005. Energy-related CO2 emissions
• Energy-related CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels accounted for 57% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 4.5%, or 1.7 million tonnes of CO2, and are now 21% below 2005 levels. This was the largest drop in energy related emissions since 2011, at the height of the last recession.
• Energy-related CO2 emissions outside of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (non-ETS emissions) fell by 2.4%. This includes transport and heating in households, the commercial sector and small industry.
Renewable energy targets
• Renewables made up 12.0% of gross final consumption, relative to a 2020 target of 16.0%.
• This avoided 5.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and over €500 million of fossil fuel imports.
• The share of electricity generated from renewable sources increased from 33.2% in 2018 to 36.5% in 2019 (normalised). The 2020 target is 40%.
• The renewable share of energy used for transport (including weightings) increased from 7.2% in 2018 to 8.9% in 2019. The 2020 target is 10%.
• The renewable share of energy used for heat remained flat at 6.3% in 2019.
The 2020 target is 12.0%. *Note: All percentage changes are 2019 compared to 2018, unless otherwise stated.
Transport
• Transport continues to dominate as the largest energy-consuming sector, with a 42% share of final energy consumption and accounting for 41% of energy related emissions.
• Transport energy use increased by 0.5%, but CO2 emissions from transport decreased by 0.1%, due to increased biofuel blending in petrol and diesel.
• Electric vehicles made up 3.0% of new private cars in 2019, but just 0.3% of the total stock of private cars.
Electricity
• The amount of electricity generated increased by 1.5%, but there was a 1.8% reduction in the fuels used for electricity generation, and an 11.8% reduction in the CO2 emissions from electricity generation.
• This was due to a 70% reduction in coal use for electricity generation, which is much less efficient and more carbon intensive than gas or renewables.
• Coal and peat generated just 8% of electricity, but were responsible for 29% of electricity CO2 emissions. The remaining CO2 emissions from electricity generation are almost all from gas.
• Wind generation accounted for 32% of all electricity generated and avoided 3.9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
• The use of renewables in electricity generation in 2019 reduced CO2 emissions by 4.8 million tonnes and avoided an estimated €297 million in fossil fuel imports.
• The carbon intensity of electricity fell by 14% in 2019 to 324 gCO2/kWh. This was is the lowest level recorded in over 70 years.
Heat
• Energy use for heat in homes and businesses decreased by 3.1%. When corrected for weather the decrease was 0.7%.
• Energy use for heat in industry decreased by 1.0%.
• Energy use for heat in households decreased by 5.9%. When corrected for weather the decrease was 2.1%.
• Energy use for heat in services increased by 1.0%, or 5.3% when corrected for weather.