Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative Energy Master Plan Executive Summary October 2020 This local Energy Plan has four main parts and has been developed to enable the ECTC communities to look at its existing and future energy needs in terms of the flowing: 1. Feasibility study micro-hydro energy system within the ECTC community 2. Potential of Solar -PV on community buildings within four of the ECTC communities 3. Potential of wood biomass for heat and employment within the ECTC community 4. Analysis of the housing stock within the ECTC community This document is hoped will assist the Energy Community Tipperary Cooperative (ECTC) to determine where it sees priorities and opportunities for action. The development of the plan has been led by a steering group that includes representatives from the ECTC Sustainable Energy Community (SEC), the SEAI county Mentor, Energy Champion (Energy Community Tipperary Cooperative), a registered member of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) Network, has entered into a three-year Partnership Agreement with SEAI. The Objectives of the SEC program are to: Increase energy efficiency Use renewable energy Develop decentralized energy supplies Develop sustainable local employment & new skills The baseline year for the EMP is 2016 pertaining to potential energy upgrades and retrofits. On the analysis and results herein the ECTC has an opportunity to establish and commit to its energy demand reduction targets and renewable contribution targets to be achieved by 2030. From the analysis detailed in this document, the projected achievable out-turns for these targets by 2030 can be an energy demand reduction of 64% of all the measures (2,070 homes upgraded to BER-B2) from the community-led retrofit scheme are realized are completed by 2030. Since 2012 but formally since 2014 the ECTC has been an active community-first driven Co-op assisting homeowners, communities and businesses make the energy transition to low carbon/energy properties. The main suggested energy demand reduction actions involve: a deep retrofit of 72% of dwellings in the study area from a BER D or lower to BER B2 a medium energy retrofit of 21% of dwellings in the study area from a BER C to a BER B2 the above actions have the potential to deliver 59% and 6% energy savings respectively from the residential stock by 2030. The main suggested renewable energy contribution actions involve: deployment of heat pumps in 90% of all dwellings in the study area. Deployment of PV to the non-residential sector benchmarked to 30% of electricity demand (further scoping required) Page 2 of 161 Other areas like renewable biomass, hydropower generation, and community solar PV generation projects should be encouraged to be further investigated using long-term economic appraisal methods along with current and future funding/grant aid opportunities. Page 3 of 161 Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 What is an Energy Master Plan? ........................................................................................... 10 1.2 ECTC Communities and its Local Energy System .................................................................. 10 1.3 Overview of ‘whole system’ approach .................................................................................. 12 1.4 Scope of the EMP .................................................................................................................. 13 2.0 Mobilising Community Led-Retrofit in the ECTC Communities .............................................. 14 2.1 Climate Action Plan 2030 ...................................................................................................... 15 2.2 Building Energy Rating .......................................................................................................... 16 2.2.1 How is My BER Calculated ............................................................................................. 16 2.2.2 How Might My Home Rate? .......................................................................................... 17 2.2.3 BER Rating of housing stock within Electoral Divisions of ECTC ................................... 18 2.2.4 Domestic Home Heating and Running Costs – Tipperary ............................................. 21 2.2.5 Home Heating system and Fuel Type within ECTC Communities ................................ 23 3.0 Baseline CO2 Data for Study Area ....................................................................................... 24 3.1 Emission Factors ................................................................................................................... 24 3.2 `Total Greenhouse Gases Produced Within ECTC Study Area .............................................. 25 3.3 Home Heating Fuel Costs Within the ECTC Communities ED .............................................. 26 3.4 Home heating and CO₂ Emissions Within the ECTC Community Areas. ............................... 27 3.4.1 Cappamore ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions ................................................. 27 3.4.2 Ballintober/Kantoher ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions .................................. 28 3.4.5 Birdhill ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions ......................................................... 29 3.3.6 Terryglass ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions .................................................... 30 3.3.7 Lorrha/Rathcabbin ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions ...................................... 31 3.3.8 Burgesbeg ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions.................................................... 32 3.3.9 Upperchurch ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions ............................................... 33 3.3.10 Moyaliff ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions ....................................................... 34 3.3.11 Foilnaman ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions .................................................... 35 3.3.12 Curraheeb ED Heating Fuel Type and CO₂ Emissions ................................................... 36 3.3.13 Ablington ED Heating Fuel Type and used CO₂ Emissions ................................................. 37 4.0 Energy Savings within the ECTC Community 2014-2030 ....................................................... 38 4.1 ECTC Energy Reduction Summary infographics .......................................................................... 39 5.0 Energy Savings Potential 2021-2030 ...................................................................................... 40 Page 4 of 161 5.1 Retrofit Scenarios for ECTC communities ............................................................................. 41 5.2 Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 42 6.0 The Potential for Establishing a Wood Fuel Business.............................................................. 43 6.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 44 6.2 Forestry Statistics – Co. Tipperary (2017) ............................................................................. 49 6.3 Forestry Statistics – Co. Limerick (2017) ............................................................................... 49 6.4 Public and Private Forestry in Tipperary ............................................................................... 50 6.5 Forest Ownership .................................................................................................................. 51 6.6 Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 53 7.0 The Potential of Solar PV in the ECTC Community .................................................................. 54 7.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 55 7.2 Opportunities in Ireland ........................................................................................................ 55 7.3 Estimated Solar Resource ..................................................................................................... 56 7.4 Is Solar PV right for me? ........................................................................................................ 57 7.5 What is a photovoltaic system? ............................................................................................ 57 7.6 Community Site-Specific Data ............................................................................................... 58 7.6.1 Birdhill NS solar-PV feasibility study Bill Analysis ......................................................... 60 7.6.2 Solar-PV Simulations Birdhill NS ................................................................................... 61 7.6.3 Option A: Maximum Self-Consumption Potential from Solar PV Birdhill NS ................ 61 7.6.4 Option B: Maximum Export to Grid from Solar PV Potential Birdhill NS ..................... 64 7.6.5 Summary