Sir, – The present heatwave and associated calm conditions should prompt some serious reflection on Ireland’s energy policy.
For years, we have been told that ever more onshore and offshore wind generation is the solution to our electricity needs. Yet, under the very weather conditions we are currently experiencing, wind generation has fallen dramatically and the system remains heavily dependent on gas-fired generation to maintain supply.
At the same time, Ireland is enjoying abundant sunshine but has relatively little rooftop solar capacity to take advantage of it. This is a glaring omission in our energy strategy. Distributed solar generation could help ease pressure on the grid during periods of high demand, particularly as more homes, workplaces and care facilities increasingly rely on fans, cooling systems and air conditioning during hotter summers.
The lesson from this spell of weather is not that renewable energy has failed. Rather, it is that over-reliance on any single source of renewable generation leaves us exposed when weather conditions change. Climate change is expected to bring more extremes, including periods of prolonged heat and high pressure, and our energy system must be resilient enough to cope with them.
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The Government’s continuing push to accommodate additional large electricity users, including data centres, only underlines the need for dependable generation capacity and a more diversified approach to energy production.
Achieving net zero requires realism as well as ambition. Instead of placing so many eggs in the wind basket, Ireland should pursue a balanced energy mix that combines rooftop solar, wind, demand reduction and reliable backup generation. Recent events have shown why diversity, not dependency, is the foundation of energy security. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’MEARA,
Fenor,
Co Waterford.
