This feasibility study assesses the potential for decarbonising the residential building stock on Cape Clear Island, Ireland, through energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) interventions. The study aims to provide a technical and economic foundation for future investment decisions and funding applications supporting the island’s transition to a low-carbon, resilient energy system.
The study’s main objective is to identify cost-effective and technically feasible EE and RE measures that can significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in residential buildings. The analysis is based on representative building archetypes, reflecting the island’s predominant construction typologies and occupancy patterns, both permanent residences and seasonal (tourist) homes.
Using the RETScreen Expert software, each archetype was modelled to simulate baseline energy use and the expected performance improvements from a package of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. These measures include thermal envelope upgrades, efficient heating and hot water systems (notably heat pumps), lighting replacement with LED technologies, and photovoltaic (PV) systems for on-site electricity generation. The economic analysis combined RETScreen’s cost database with local quotations for heat pumps and PV systems to ensure context-specific accuracy. The analysis relied on Building Energy Rating (BER) certificates, data from the Clean Energy Transition Agenda for Cape Clear Island, and the CSO Interactive Data Visualisation Hub. These sources provide insight into building characteristics, occupancy, and energy use.