Renewable Energy

In March 2007, European leaders signed up to a binding European-wide target to source 20% of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland’s individual target for 2020 (under the Renewables Directive) of energy from renewable sources is 16%. The Irish Government has set the ambitious target of 40% of electricity generation to come from renewables by 2020. This will necessitate significant investment and expansion of the renewable energy market.

Renewable energy sectors

We advise on the full range of green energy projects, solutions and services, including:

• Wind energy – onshore and offshore - which is expected to provide the bulk of Ireland’s renewable capacity
• Solar energy - solar photovoltaics and solar thermal
• Water energy – in particular hydro and ocean energies - wave and tidal
• Geothermal
• Biomass (wood, waste and energy crops / agricultural biomass) and Biofuels
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems

Renewable energy services

The renewable energy market requires dedicated and highly specialised advice. We advise on all aspects of renewable energy development, deployment generation and grid connection, including the following areas:

• Wind farm development and financing; turbine manufacturing and supply agreements; services agreements (engineering consultants etc); si    te acquisition and planning
• Tidal turbine manufacturing and deployment; consenting; prototype development agreements; negotiation of power generation licences; turbine supply agreements; grid connection agreements
• CHP installation and operating agreements
• Regulatory compliance advice: Electricity Production from Renewable Energy Sources (2001/77/EC) (RES-E Directive); Sustainable Energy Act, 2002; Biofuels Directive; Bioenergy Action Plan 2007 (Ireland); Biofuels MOT Relief Scheme II; Greener Homes Scheme.