Written answer
Office of Public Works
The OPW is developing a framework, to be advertised by the end of 2026 and running to 2031, to install solar PV, heat pumps and other decarbonisation technologies across its building portfolio. It is prioritising major energy users for retrofit studies and assessing district heating at four large campuses; renewables are already included in new buildings and major renovations where feasible.
76. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding the work he is undertaking to ensure that all OPW owned buildings, structures and monuments have solar panels and other renewable energy provisions installed, where possible. [73609/26]
Comment on this
The OPW are responsible for achieving the targets for building and transport emissions as set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 and the annually updated Public Sector Climate Action Mandate, which commits Ireland to a strategic direction to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. As a National Estate Portfolio Lead (NEPL) OPW are part of the National Heat and Built Environment Taskforce that are working towards pathways for decarbonisation of the Public Sector Building Stock Portfolio.
The responsibility for achieving these targets is shared with other Departments that occupy OPW owned buildings. Sustainability and climate action are at the core of the Office of Public Works’ Statement of Strategy and the organisation is committed to a vision that strives for harmony between our built and natural environments. One key objective from the Office of Public Works’ Statement of Strategy is advancing climate action obligations and promoting the transition to a low carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy and the installation of solar panels and installing other renewable energy technologies, will significantly help towards achieving these objectives.
The OPW is currently in the process of establishing a new multi-party framework contract for the design and installation of decarbonisation technologies in public-sector buildings. The framework will focus on installing solar panels, heat pumps and other renewable energy technologies across the existing OPW portfolio. The framework competition will be advertised on e-Tenders before the end of 2026 and will remain in place until 2031. This new framework will provide OPW with a focussed delivery method for the installation of Solar PV panels and other renewable energy technologies.
Generally all new buildings built by the OPW in recent years have Solar PV panels and renewable heat technology (Heat Pumps) installed to provide renewable heat and electricity, e.g. new FSI Laboratory, new Government Data Centre and T7 Rosslare Europort. Also, where a major renovation is taking place in a building, Solar PV and Heat Pumps are retrofitted where technically feasible. Recent examples include: Tom Johnson House, DSP Ennis Government Offices, Renmore Government Offices and Navan Government Offices. It is also OPW Policy to consider installing Solar PV in any large building where the roof is being replaced or upgraded
The OPW has recently completed a detailed assessment of the overall building portfolio to map out and isolate the Significant Energy Users (SEU), specifically owned buildings which would benefit from a Deep Retrofit. Following this assessment, a number of SEUs are being actively prioritised for feasibility studies to explore potential renewables deployment. The intention is to target the largest emitters so as to maximise the emissions savings from the available funding and resources
The OPW is also in the advanced stages of commissioning detailed feasibility studies for 4 large campuses to determine the viability of large-scale renewable heat deployment i.e. decarbonised district heating. These studies will assess the local heat supply options i.e. which renewable technologies are most suitable and feasibility of installing a district heating network. The campuses currently under consideration are the Backweston Laboratory Campus, Templemore Garda College, Garda HQ, Phoenix Park and Government Buildings Complex.