KESS- Small Scale Renewable Energy in Northern Ireland

Parliament Buildings – Long Gallery

1.30pm: RaISe Researcher – Welcome
1.35pm: Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

Dr Paul McKenzie, School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University

Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables offers greater energy security, reduced energy costs and improved air quality. The Department for Economy’s Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland seeks to identify opportunities to increase renewable energy generation and work toward net zero by 2050; helping to implement commitments made in the Executive’s Programme for Government. An example of Departmental efforts in this area include its introduced Renewable Electricity Generation Bill; aiming to support renewable use in Northern Ireland. To help inform Northern Ireland Assembly scrutiny of that Bill, this seminar demonstrates the potential of solar PV to reduce carbon emissions while also lowering household energy bills.

The 2021 Census found that 63% of homes in Northern Ireland relied on oil which can exhibit significant price differences over short geographic distances (Walker et al., 2015) and reduce air quality (DEFRA, 2024). Furthermore, current housing stock in Northern Ireland has low energy efficiency with almost two-thirds of homes assigned an energy rating of D or below. Volatile fuel prices and low energy efficiency create high rates of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland with recent polls indicating 39% of households at risk of fuel poverty (NEA, 2025). Rooftop solar PV can be installed in order to lower household energy bills, while also reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Research at Ulster University used 3D images captured by aircraft to identify buildings across Belfast with high suitability for rooftop solar panels. The study found that over 70% of domestic buildings could accommodate solar panels, producing approximately 2,000 kWh of electricity per annum and saving 20 tonnes of CO2 over 25 years (Gawley and McKenzie, 2022).

In further research, data from household energy efficiency work was combined with solar models to determine the impact of solar panels on household energy costs and fuel poverty. The work found that rooftop solar panels could produce an average of 46.8% of annual electricity use in domestic buildings. Without solar panels, the average household spent 24.3% of gross annual income on electricity and space and water heating (SWH). After solar modelling, the average household would spend 19.9% of gross income on electricity and SWH. Based on combined electricity and SWH, homes saved an average of £580 per annum by installing solar panels (McKenzie and Gawley, 2026). Solar panels and hot water diverters (HWD) can reduce annual electricity costs by an average of 26%, demonstrating considerable benefits from combining technologies. Interestingly, while terraced properties had smaller roofs and smaller numbers of panels, they had lower annual demand, thus gained greater benefits from solar panels. Solar panels and HWDs lower annual electricity costs and, when taken alongside installed energy efficiency measures, suggest reduced fuel poverty risk. Moreover, integrating excellent data allows optimal rooftops to be identified for renewable deployment. Solar panels can significantly reduce household energy costs, thus lowering risk of fuel poverty. Furthermore, by reducing reliance on energy from the grid, solar panels can also help decarbonize buildings.

Spatial models enable policy- and law-makers to identify buildings that can experience gains from solar panels and other low carbon technologies. This can subsequently identify groups of homes that could collaborate to form community energy groups with high suitability. While spatial models can identify suitable buildings, they can also be used to identify larger sites for ground-mounted solar panels in rural locations (Finn and McKenzie, 2020). As such, spatial data and models can efficiently identify suitable locations for solar panels at various scales across Northern Ireland. So while the Department’s introduced Renewable Electricity Generation Bill, if enacted and implemented, could enhance renewable energy generation in Northern Ireland, there remains a need to look beyond large scale renewables, to those smaller scale, such as those highlighted here today.

2.05pm: Discussion
2.35pm: RaISe Researcher – Closing
2.40pm: Networking & Refreshments