However, several concurrent developments have focused the minds beneath the hard hats into assessing new, greener opportunities for the sector; not least the arrival of the Green Party in Government Buildings, as well as a flattening of the Celtic Tiger's residential housing boom.

To date, Sustainable Energy Ireland has provided 5,000 grants to housing developers to build energy-efficient homes under its House of Tomorrow Programme, and new building standards to be introduced later this year will make these energy efficiency standards obligatory for all new builds.

However, most Irish houses stock were built before many energy principles were included in standard design and construction techniques, and there is growing consumer interest in retrofitting older houses to be more energy-efficient.

Over 16,000 householders have applied for government grants to install renewable energy features in existing homes since the Greener Homes initiative was launched in 2006. Eamon Ryan, new minister for energy, communications and natural resources, said the government is "intent" on ensuring energy efficiency principles are maintained in all construction projects.

Private homes are the largest primary energy users in Ireland, and account for one quarter of all energy demand in the country. The housing boom has added to this energy demand in recent years and homes account for more energy usage than either transport or industry.

The Construction Industry Federation is adamant the building boom will continue in terms of capital and civil engineering projects, although it concedes that the high volume residential days are, if not over, then certainly on the wane. With this in mind the industry body is seeking new opportunities.

"Repair and maintenance is now the fastest-growing part of the residential construction industry, currently accounting for 12% of all activity, " said a CIF spokesman, "We strongly believe the energy efficiency aspect is a driving force, particularly as new rules mean people selling their home on must include an energy rating."

According to CIF, twothirds of Irish homes are more than 15 years old. This means roughly 1,122,000 households across the country were built before sustainable energy principles were high up the agendas of builders and architects. As climate change, increasing energy prices and dwindling fossil fuel reserves continue to grab the headlines, there is an opportunity for manufacturers, suppliers and installers of energy efficiency devices to market their products to the Irish populace.

Some of the most efficient home improvements are straightforward renovations any homeowner can execute, such as laying an extra inch of attic insulation, fitting a padded lagging jacket on the hot water cylinder, or replacing standard lightbulbs with fluorescent models. SEI estimates that improved roof insulation will pay for itself in less than three years, while the price of a lagging jacket can be recouped within months.

There are, however, more advanced options available and nascent solar, wind and geothermal companies are springing up around Ireland to take advantage of European Commission directives stipulating that 20% of the European Union's energy requirements must come from renewable sources by 2010.

More than half of the average home's energy requirements are based on heating, and it is in heat energy conservation, reuse and generation that new opportunities are opening up.

Surface Power is one firm specialising in solar and wind energy products for the home.

Demand for its products has increased since the SEI grants came on stream last year and the Mayo-based company recently announced plans to hire 31 new staff over the next two years.

Caroline McAndrew, Surface Power marketing manager, said the company is also planning a training course to educate plumbers, electricians and other skilled tradesmen on retrofitting renewable energy devices to homes.

"I don't think people would be doing this if it wasn't for the grants, but the fact that oil prices and general energy prices are on the rise will also drive demand, " she says.

Dr Paul Sikora, chairman of the Geothermal Association of Ireland, is managing director of Dunstar, which specialises in fitting geothermal heating systems in new and older houses. He says retrofitting geothermal heating systems . . . which work by extracting solar energy absorbed by the earth and transforming it into heat . . . into older houses is not as common as in new builds, but the grants are stimulating customer enquiries.

"We're particularly seeing demand for retrofits on period homes that might be listed buildings but need new heating systems, and it can add a lot of value, " he says.

Sikora estimates an average geothermal project is worth between 10,000 and 12,000, while larger retrofits may come in at anywhere between 25,000 and 40,000.

Less than one-tenth of the 2,000 geothermal projects undertaken in Ireland each year are retrofits, and Sikora expects that figure to rise significantly.

"Every indication we have is that the market is still growing in Ireland, but there's a lot of growing to be done until it comes near Austria or Switzerland, " he says.

The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) in Brussels estimates Europe's renewable energy market will be worth more than 140bn by 2010, and another 303bn by 2020. This figure does not include estimations of home owners who voluntarily upgrade their properties for energy efficiency before directives oblige them to, and in this respect the prospects for the growing retrofit sector are bright.

HEAT-SAVING TIPS

>> UP to 20% of heat lost from a house is lost through the roof. Effective attic insulation can pay for itself within two to three years.

>> A lagging jacket on the hot water cylinder will keep water hotter for longer and pay for itself within a few months.

>> For a given area of wall or window, a window will allow up to eight times more heat to escape.

>> As much as a quarter of the heat lost from a house can be lost through the walls. Insulating walls properly can reduce this by two-thirds.

>> Badly fitting windows and external doors can account for more than one-sixth of heat loss.

>> Heat loss to the ground depends on several factors, including "oor type, whether the house is one- or two-storey, the nature of the soil and whether the house is terraced or detached.

Source: Sustainable Energy Ireland