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This is a bonus episode recorded at the 2022 SEAI Energy Show in the RDS, Dublin. Fergus Sharkey, our Head of Public Sector and Transport, spoke to Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of EuroACE, who was a speaker at the sold-out seminar on Deep Retrofit, Insulation and Recovery Plan. They discussed the current energy crisis, Ireland’s retrofitting targets and the additional benefits for homeowners who upgrade their homes.  Watch the ‘Deep Retrofit, Insulation and Recovery Plan’ seminar  

SEAI’s Jim Scheer, Head of Data & Insights, interviews Margie McCarthy, Director of Research and Policy Insights at SEAI, about the recently published National Heat Study by SEAI. It’s a comprehensive analysis of the options for reaching net zero emissions from the heating sector by 2050.  Comprising a series of technical reports analysing heat supply and use across all sectors, the study provides key insights and proposed actions to decarbonise the sector. Crucially it stresses the need for early and urgent action. Margie and Jim discuss what form these actions could take and who should be acting on them. You can read the report in full here.

This is a bonus episode about SEAI’s Annual Report Energy in Ireland, which presents the latest official statistics on energy use in Ireland. SEAI’s Jim Sheer, Head of Data and Insights, chats to Denis Dineen, senior statistician, about the report’s findings. They discuss Ireland’s national energy use and the underlying driving forces, such as the economy and weather, and more recently the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also examine greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, energy security, cost competitiveness, and our progress towards EU renewable energy targets.  Read the report in full:  https://www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/key-publications/energy-in-ireland/  

Episode 7 features Pauric Kavanagh, Operations Director with KORE Insulation, and Dearbhla Stapleton from SEAI’s Business and Industry team. This October, KORE Insulation won the award for ‘Small and Medium Business Exemplary Energy Management’ at the SEAI Energy Awards. Pauric tells Louise what winning the award has meant for the company and Dearbhla outlines what made it a winning entry. We also hear about the supports SEAI offer to SMEs beginning their energy efficiency journeys.   Learn more about how SEAI's support and education resources for businesses: https://www.seai.ie/business-and-public-sector/small-and-medium-business/ 

This is the final episode about electric vehicles (EVs). In this episode, we’re talking about the different options for charging your EV. One of the most common comments SEAI gets on social media is around ‘range anxiety’. People are concerned that the EV won’t get them from A to B without stopping to charge.   We asked EV owner Noel how he finds charging and if he ever uses the public network. SEAI’s Transport Programme Manager Graham Brennan tells Louise about his recent experience driving an EV around Ireland this summer. He also explains what’s coming next for Ireland’s charging infrastructure.  Find out about SEAI’s home charger grant here.  Try our ‘Compare and calculate’ tool to see what EV would suit your needs 

This is the second of three episodes where we explore the many benefits of driving an electric vehicle (EV). In this episode, we talk through the buying process when in the market for a new EV. We visit a local car dealership for a test drive, and we hear some of the most common questions customers have when buying an EV.  Find out more about switching to an electric vehicle at drivingelectric.ie

This is the first of three episodes where we will explore the many benefits of driving an electric vehicle (EV).  Host Louise Ryan chats to two motoring journalists Caroline Kidd and Neil Briscoe, who tell her about the latest in the EV market and what the future holds for Ireland’s driving electric plans. We also hear from former EV sceptic Noel Griffin, who was inspired to make the switch a couple of years ago after attending a climate change event. Learn more at drivingelectric.ie

This is the final episode focusing on home energy upgrades. Our host Louise Ryan is talking about financing an energy upgrade, which is a huge investment in your home and can take years to plan and save for.   We hear from homeowner Cormac Madden again who availed of the SEAI grants at all stages of his home upgrade. SEAI’s Tom Halpin explains the different routes for homeowners looking to start, including the various grants and ‘green loans’ available. Find out more about home energy upgrades.

This episode is the second of three episodes focusing on home energy upgrades. Our host Louise Ryan is talking about heat pumps, which can transform the comfort levels in your home while reducing running costs, energy usage and harmful greenhouse gas emissions.  Brian McIntyre, SEAI, breaks down exactly what a heat pump is and how they make a home much more energy efficient. Homeowner Cormac Madden installed a heat pump in his house in 2017 and he explains why it’s transformational and he predicts it will be the appliance of choice in the future. Find out more about heat pumps.

In this episode, host Louise Ryan explains the importance of our home’s BER (building energy rating) and how it effects your energy bills and carbon emissions. We hear from homeowner Cormac Madden, who spent several years upgrading his family home to an A3 rating and he’s delighted with the results. Then architect Denise O’Connor talks through the latest trends in house design and says her clients are becoming more focused on comfort and climate action. Find out more about home energy upgrades.

This season we are talking about energy efficiency in the home, the motivations for investing in a large energy upgrade, and how to finance it. We also discuss the switch to electric vehicles, Ireland’s charging infrastructure and how one EV owner converted to driving electric and hasn’t looked back! 

This bonus episode of 180 Degrees comes from our recent Energy Show. The SEAI Energy Show is Ireland’s leading sustainable energy business event and this year we hosted it all online.    The event offers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest innovations in energy efficiency and renewable energy and policy developments underpinning Ireland’s clean energy ambitions.     We had a fantastic line-up of speakers over the two days. One of which was Daniel Murray, a journalist with the Business Post, who chaired the session ‘Pathway to Net Zero’. Daniel shared some brilliant insights into Ireland’s energy transition and what challenges, risks, and opportunities it presents for business. 

This episode is coming to you straight from the SEAI Energy Show. Fergus Sharkey, Head of Business and Public Sector at SEAI, interviews two business leaders who are actively looking to decarbonise their business for the long term.  Fergus talks to Ian Ryan from Wyeth Nutrition and Shaun McKevitt from Terra Spirits and Liqueurs who share their insights from their own decarbonisation journeys.

In this episode, Louise is looking at the careers of two senior women leading on change and innovation in what has historically been a very male populated sector. Our guests are Martina Hennessy, Principle Officer of Offshore Renewable Energy at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, and Patricia Comiskey, Programme Manager of Offshore energy at SEAI. We are also chatting about the offshore wind sector and what measures are being taken to increase its viability in Ireland. 

 Homeowner Francis Clauson shares his fascinating story of building a home to an A1 rating – also known as a passive house. Louise finds out why he did it and what’s it like living there eight years on.  Susan Andrews from SEAI’s Home Energy team, explains what exactly is involved in upgrading your home to a BER B2 and the benefits of doing so.

Louise is joined by Céline Reilly, Manager at Dublin City Council (DCC) and Alan Ryan from SEAI’s Public Sector Programme. Here they examine what DCC is doing to meet (or exceed) its energy targets and why other public sector bodies need to get serious about decarbonisation. DCC won the Leadership in Public Sector Award at the SEAI Energy Awards 2020 making it well placed to lead the conversation on decarbonisation in the public sector. 

In this episode, Louise speaks to Carol Loftus, from Mulranny Sustainable Energy Community (SEC), about how the local community came together to reduce their energy consumption, and change behaviour that will have a positive impact on climate change.   Ruth Buggie from SEAI’s Sustainable Energy Communities programme outlines the support SEAI and other communities can offer aspiring SECs across Ireland.  

In this episode, Louise chats to Eoin Madigan, Waterford Insulation and Brian McIntyre, SEAI. Eoin shares his experience working on deep retrofit projects. They look at the start-to-finish project experience through the eyes of a contractor and hear why people make this investment in their homes. Brian discusses the challenges for homeowners, how SEAI is supporting the process, and the target of bringing 500,000 homes to a B2 by 2030.

Host Louise Ryan finds out why Jan-Bart Spang, Co. Cork, switched to an electric vehicle and how he’s finding it so far. Jan-Bart explains what motivated him to make such a change, how he found the process from researching cars to getting a home charger installed, and what are the benefits of driving electric. Shane Prendergast from SEAI’s Transport team, along with Jan-Bart, helps to dispel outdated concerns about ‘short range’ and ‘lack of chargers’ and looks to the future of EVs in Ireland. 

Joining Louise are Paul Blount, Portfolio Director at Coillte, and Dr Lucy Corcoran from SEAI’s Research and Innovation Department to discuss how energy research is informing Ireland’s Climate Action Plan. Paul has a wealth of experience in wind energy and is the Irish Wind Energy Association’s (IWEA) Person of the Year 2020. He recently led the model development and analytics aspects of an innovative wind energy project supported by SEAI. While Dr Corcoran leads a range of energy research and innovation activities at SEAI.