Europe is beginning to show it is serious about a move to greater renewable energy development with the launch of a campaign which sets demanding targets to be achieved by 2003, including installation of 15 million square metres of solar panels.
"Campaign for Take-Off" envisages a rapid increase in the deployment of renewable energy technologies but concentrating on "mature technologies" capable of delivering energy efficiently and economically; notably solar, wind and biomass resources.
The European Commission initiative coincides with a new television series on RTE 1 presented by Duncan Stewart which explores the potential of renewable energy resources. The first of four progammes was broadcast last night, with the remainder due to go out on Wednesdays at 8.30 p.m. The series highlights alternatives to our current dependency on fossil fuels.
Among the targets are: heating 1 million EU homes with biomass (using woodchip or pellet heating systems); increasing consumption of biofuels to five million tonnes a year; generation of 10,000 megawatts each of power from wind turbines and biomass combined heat and power installations, and increasing use of biogas from municipal and agricultural waste.
"Europe is serious about kick-starting the deployment of renewable energy technology," said Mr Ewan Chalmers of the Irish Energy Centre's renewable energy information office. "Ireland will be expected to play its part - especially given the richness of our native resources."
