Electricity consumption comprises all electricity used by your organisation, including purchased electricity and electricity generated by your organisation, and including electricity generated from both renewable and fossil sources.
The M&R electricity energy types are grouped into a single category in the system ('electricity'). They include:
This page contains guidance notes on different aspects of reporting electricity consumption.
For a description of every energy type and specific guidance on each, see energy types.
Grid electricity is electricity purchased from the electricity network (grid). There are two options for reporting the consumption of grid electricity:
You cannot differentiate between the sources of electricity purchased from the grid when reporting your electricity consumption, i.e. you can differentiate between different electricity suppliers or different electricity products, including any purchased electricity supply that may be branded as being renewable or 'green'.
Emissions arising from the consumption of grid electricity are calculated by applying the average emission factor for electricity in Ireland for each year to the electricity consumption that you report. This emission factor is calculated annually by SEAI and accounts for the significant changes to Ireland’s generation mix over time. This calculation does does not distinguish between different electricity suppliers or different electricity products. No emissions benefit is given for purchasing ‘green’ electricity products.
If your organisation generates electricity within the meter boundary of a facility, you may export some electricity onto the public electricity network (grid). The meter boundary refers to the boundary point at which your electricity consumption from the public electricity network, and your electricity exports to the public electricity network (if any) are metered.
Onsite renewable electricity (RE) generation is electricity that is generated within the meter boundary of a PSO electricity end-user.
Onsite RE generation is typically via solar PV or small wind energy systems. Some organisations may also use other non-fuel technologies, such as small hydro systems, which can be reported as ‘onsite RE generation - other’. These are all non-fuel generators in that the generation process does not involve the combustion of any fossil or renewable fuels.
For all types of non-fuel onsite RE generation, you should:
See ‘fuel-based electricity generation’ below.
Offsite renewable electricity generation is electricity that is generated from an RE generator that may be owned or operated by your organisation, but which is located within the meter boundary of a PSO electricity generator. A PSO electricity generator is a connection for a power generating facility. While there may be some electricity consumption within the meter boundary (house load, etc.) and some electricity imports from the public electricity network, the primary function of the connection is to export electricity from the generator to the public electricity network.
Offsite RE generation is not reportable via M&R, i.e. you should not report any generation or consumption related to these facilities.
See ‘landfill gas generation’ below.
Fuel-based generators consume one or more fossil or renewable fuels to generate electricity, e.g. natural gas, gasoil, wood chips, etc
Onsite fuel-based electricity generation is electricity that is generated from a fuel-based generator within the meter boundary of a PSO electricity end-user. (Both terms in italics are explained above under RE generation.) Examples included emergency and peaking generators that may be located at your facilities.
For all types of onsite fuel-based electricity generation:
Offsite fuel-based electricity generation is electricity that is generated from a fuel-based generator that may be owned or operated by your organisation, but which is located within the meter boundary of a PSO electricity generator. A PSO electricity generator is a connection for a power generating facility. While there may be some electricity consumption within the meter boundary (house load, etc.) and some electricity imports from the public electricity network, the primary function of the connection is to export electricity from the generator to the public electricity network.
Offsite fuel-based generation is not reportable via M&R, i.e. you should not report any generation or consumption related to these facilities.
See ‘landfill gas generation’ below.
There are two ways to report electricity consumed in your organisation's EVs, depending on whether the charging is done offsite or onsite.
In the same way that you must report litres of diesel purchased from a fuel supplier for use in your vehicles, you must report kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity purchased from an electricity supplier for offsite charging of your EVs. Offsite charging refers to charging at on-street charge stations or from fast chargers in service stations, etc.
Choose the energy type ‘offsite charging of electric vehicles (EVs)’ and report the kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity consumed.
Onsite charging of EVs refers to charging of EVs from an electricity connection that is attributable to your organisation. This consumption should already be reported by your organisation as part of its overall reporting of electricity consumption.
If you wish, you can optionally report an annual value for the proportion (percentage) of your organisation's total electricity consumption that is used for transport - using the ‘electricity end-use’ table in the ‘energy use’ data input screen.
In the same way that you should only report diesel consumption that is attributable to your organisation, you should only report electricity used for charging electric vehicles (EVs) if it is attributable to your organisation. Any electricity used to charge your organisation's fleet is attributable to your organisation and should be reported. On the other hand, in general, any electricity provided by your organisation for charging staff or visitor vehicles is not attributable to your organisation and, in principle, it should not be reported.
If your organisation provides public charge points for charging staff or other vehicles is not attributable to your organisation, you should consider metering the charge points to calculate this consumption. If you have such data available, you should:
In general, all calculated values shown in data reports for electricity consumption include electricity consumed for transport. The same applies for all calculated values shown for electricity CO2.
There are some calculated values for transport that include electricity for transport. These values are explicitly referenced as including electricity.
See ‘combined heat & power (CHP)’ in thermal consumption.
Landfill gas generation is electricity generated from the combustion of the gases produced from decomposing waste in landfills. Some local authorities and other public bodies own or operate such facilities.
The methodology for reporting energy flows associated with landfill gas generators, and for calculating the contribution of these flows to your energy efficiency target and emissions reduction targets depends on when the landfill gas generator was commissioned.
Electricity generated by landfill gas generators that were commissioned up to 31 December 2020 may be reportable via M&R. If your organisation owns or operates such a facility, you can choose whether to include the generation in the scope of your reportable consumption.
If you choose to report this generation:
Electricity generated by landfill gas generators that were commissioned after 31 December 2020 is not reportable via M&R:
The methodology for reporting landfill gas generation has changed since the M&R-2020 methodology. These changes bring the methodological treatment of such facilities in line with the treatment of other electricity generators that are outside the meter boundary of electricity end-users. These changes were initially highlighted to public bodies by SEAI in December 2019 and subsequently communicated at an SEAI briefing to the public sector on 10 March 2021.
The ‘electricity end-use’ table in data input screen energy use is used to specify the proportion (percentage) of your organisation's grid electricity consumption that is used for
A relatively small number of public bodies use a significant portion of their electricity consumption for space heating, i.e. for heating their buildings via storage heaters, heat pumps and/or electric ‘radiators’.
The system uses the percentage reported by you each year to calculate the quantity of electricity used for heating. This quantity is then carried forward to further calculations:
The system uses the percentage reported by you each year to calculate the quantity of electricity used for transport. This quantity is then carried forward to further calculations: