Sunday 30 October 2005: Sunday Business Post

Put some sunshine in your life Sunday, October 30, 2005 - By Roisin Finlay

With all the grey, damp weather we have been experiencing, it may be a surprise to learn that the Irish climate is just as suitable for harnessing solar energy for home and water heating as that of many of our European neighbours.According to Bill Quigley of NuTech Consultants, award-winning specialists in renewable energy technology, solar energy is not simply about sunshine.“The amount of energy you get from solar energy, particularly in autumn, spring and winter, is a function of the outside air temperature and the amount of solar radiation available,” Quigley says.

This means Ireland's mild climate is a distinct advantage for those seeking to utilise solar power.While interest in alternative energy is rising in Ireland in tandem with heating bills, we still lag behind our European counterparts.“Austria and Germany haven't hugely better climates than we have in the winter, spring and autumn,” Quigley says. “Yet Germany has five square metres of solar collectors per thousand and Austria has 17.5 square metres.“Ireland has about 0.2 square metres.”This low level of interest is not helped by a lack of government grant schemes for installing alternative energy systems. Purchasers pay 21 per cent Vat on such equipment, while across Europe, many governments offer incentives and waive Vat, according to Quigley.Ireland's house-building boom has been a wasted opportunity to make new homes energy efficient as, according to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced significantly and “Irish home heating bills could be cut by up to 50 per cent through the use of solar energy'‘.If you are building a home, extending or renovating, a solar energy solution is well worth considering.For more information, contact Bill Quigley at NuTech Consultants, PO Box 8008, Glenageary, Co Dublin; tel 01-6636372; or email bill-quigley@unison.ieFor a full list of solar specialists and general information on the subject, contact Sustainable Energy Ireland, Renewable Energy Information Office, Shinagh House, Bandon, Co Cork; tel 023-42193; e-mail renewables@reio.ie; or visit www.sei.ie/reio.htm