Almost a million Irish homes built before 1997 are poorly insulated and energy inefficient, according to the country's leading renewable energy association. The Renewable Energy Skills Accel Project (RES) claims that Irish households are wasting millions of Euro each year on heating poorly insulated homes and that the situation is unlikely to improve without Government intervention. The network has indicated that the provision of grant aid to the owners of houses built prior to the introduction of the 1997 Building Regulations would help improve energy efficiency.

Johnny Flynn, Ennis Town Councillor and Chairperson of RES stated, "The introduction of environmentally sound construction methods and materials in the building of new homes is being undermined by the fact that approximately two thirds of existing Irish homes remain poorly insulated and are, therefore, neither energy efficient nor environmentally friendly. If this Government is serious about significantly reducing overall carbon emissions, as set out under the recently launched Government White Paper, then it must address the disastrous situation whereby over a million homes across Ireland are extremely poorly insulated. Renewable Energy Skills would like to see grant aid being made available to the owners of homes built before 1997".

He explained, "There are many vulnerable people in our communities, such as the elderly and low income households, who are living in homes without adequate insulation. Without adequate insulation, which makes these buildings practically impossible to heat, these people are suffering from health problems and are also facing huge fuel bills."

"Apart from reducing fuel and electricity bills, a more energy-efficient home helps to protect the environment and provide greater protection for householders against future increases in fuel costs, as well as making the use of renewable energy technologies a more practical option", concluded Mr. Flynn.

Meanwhile, Renewable Energy Skills has announced details of the 3rd National Renewable Energy Heating Conference in Limerick Institute of Technology, Limerick on Thursday 6th September 2007. The key focus of this year's conference will be the financial argument for renewable energy heating systems and the benefits of improved energy efficiency, with national and international experts exploring how benefits can be gained and savings can be made.

According to Dick Whelan of Renewable Energy Skills (RES), "The event will focus on improving energy efficiency through better building design and the use of the latest renewable energy technology. It will be of interest to builders, developers, designers and architects, as well as those working in the renewable energy sector. The event is timely and our agenda highly topical, particularly in view of repeated hikes in gas and electricity prices and the increasing popularity of renewable energy heating systems for both commercial and domestic markets."

He added, "The conference will explore the financial justifications for renewable energy heating systems for both domestic and large scale commercial and community projects and will offer expert guidance and workshops on Best Practice in Renewable Energy Heating Systems. The target audience for this event include Policy Makers, Specifiers and Installers."

Fergus Blake of Shamrock Solar Energies Ltd, a founding member of the RES network stated, "This conference offers a unique opportunity to all stakeholders in Ireland’s renewable energy heating sector. It brings together professional and trades in the industry, architects, engineers, industry leaders, policy makers, suppliers and academics to share information and exchange ideas on technology trends and what is happening in Europe."

The 3rd National Renewable Energy Heating Conference, which will be officially opened by Junior Minister for Environment and Energy Tony Killeen, forms part of a unique two-day energy event at Limerick Institute of Technology. On Friday 7th September, the Limerick Clare Energy Agency will hold its Energy Solutions National Conference at the same venue.