Research Projects Archive

EnerPort

Research Partners: Insight, NUI Galway, Systemlink, MSemicon, Verbatm, IERC

Description: Electricity sector is transiting through a major infrastructural change where several new business models are being developed. EnerPort is an industry-led collaborative research project that will investigate new market models for peer to peer energy trading. This involves implementing blockchain technology with smart metering and designing and demonstrating of residential hardware and software platforms in the Power Electronics Research Centre laboratory in NUI Galway. It will develop a new software tool for the co-simulation of electricity distribution networks and blockchain-based peer-to-peer energy trading. This project also aims to address the key challenges around these hardware and software requirements and protocols, as well as issues around markets, regulations and policy.

Community Grid / cPAD (T2 Project)

Research Partners: Dublin Institute of Technology, IERC MPower, Siemens, AT Kearney, South Dublin County Council, Community Renewable Energy Supply (CRES), Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA), MSemicon and Systemlink

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ImpRESS (T2 Project)

Research Partners: Queens University Belfast Bombardier, Williams Industrial Services, Flow Energy Solutions, Energia, Green Lizard Technologies

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Superhomes 2.0 (T2 Project)

Research Partners: INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS: ESB Group and Tipperary Energy Agency. ACADEMIC PARTNER: Limerick Institute of Technology.

Description: The optimisation of Air Source Heat Pump Applications in Near Zero Energy Building Residential Retrofits.

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GreenGasCert (T2 Project)

Research Partners: INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS: Gas Networks Ireland and the Renewable Gas Forum of Ireland. ACADEMIC PARTNER(S): Deutsche Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ),Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) and Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy (MaREI) at University College Cork.

Description: This Certification of Renewable Gas in Ireland (GreenGasCert) project involves the development of a blueprint for a renewable gas certification system for Ireland.

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ExpertMV (T2 Project)

Research Partners: INDUSTRY PARTNERS: Apleona (formerly Bilfinger) and United Technologies Research Centre. ACADEMIC PARTNER: IERC

Description: An Expert Energy Measurement and Verification Solution for Energy Savings in Buildings and Industries (ExpertMV) that involves the development of a software tool for executing energy audits and for measuring and verifying achieved energy savings. The project will support the energy services sector and help address opportunities for increased energy efficiency.

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Microgrid Franchise for Intelligent Community (MiFIC)

Description: National and EU energy policy is targeting increased generation of energy from cleaner renewable energy (RE) sources including micro generation (μGen) systems. Distribution network operators and aggregators are however concerned about the potential impact on grid stability. Further research and development on improved grid stability with viable μGen systems is required to achieve RE targets and to empower prosumers as key energy citizens. The aim of this project is to determine how to increase μGen based RE penetration through the design, development and optimization of a community grid (C-Grid) that is to be deployed as a franchised product offering using a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure): • Design a C-Grid and define the structural & operational flexibility while minimizing impact to the grid stability • Design and develop the power and energy matching algorithms for energy trading platform • Improve and optimize the community grid stabilisation unit • Optimize the energy storage functionalities for future microgrid operation

Impacts: • Improvements on state of the art or current commercial offerings in μGrid systems • Sustainability achievement of μGen based RE systems • Increase the penetration of RE • Empowering energy citizen through the development of energy trading mechanism for the prosumers • Establish nationally relevant demonstration sites • Create new business models and opportunities

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Resident Engagement

Research Partners: Cork City Council, Smart Gateway Project

Description: The result of this research will provide information and evidence for relevant authorities, businesses and residents to identify areas for investment planning, policy implications, intervention measures and deployment programmes.

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Tempo

Research Partners: Limerick Institute of Technology (Project leaders), University of Ulster

Description: Total Energy Management for Production Operations

Commercialisation: The project will provide a fully integrated solution based on intelligent energy nodes for monitoring, detailed heuristic and predictive data analysis and multi-layer visualisation and decision support tools.

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AUTHENTIC

Research Partners: University College Dublin (Project leaders), Tyndall National Institute, Cork Institute of Technology, University College Cork

Description: Autonomic Home Area Network Infrastructure

Commercialisation: This project seeks to design and deliver a HAN infrastructure capable of supporting opportunistic decision making pertaining to effective energy management and other services in a residential setting.

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ROWBUST

Research Partners: Tyndall National Institute (Project leaders), Cork Institute of Technology

Description: Robust Wireless Sensor For Building Usage Technology

Impacts: The IERC ROWBUST system is a smarter and more user friendly building energy management solution that with further development could result in increased savings of between 10-30% in energy costs for most buildings, and up to 70% for older buildings, by improving installation methods and reducing maintenance.

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EMWINS

Research Partners: University College Cork (Project leaders), NUI Galway, Cork Institute of Technology

Description: Energy-Monitoring Wireless Networked System

Commercialisation: The project will provide a fully integrated solution based on intelligent energy nodes for monitoring, detailed heuristic and predictive data analysis and multi-layer visualisation and decision support tools.

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WSN INA

Research Partners: Cork Institute of Technology (Project leaders), Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Maynooth University

Description: Wireless Sensor Networks as a Platform Technology

Impacts: The project team has studied WSN adoption, challenges and opportunities in three use cases, covering commercial buildings, home networks and smart cities. The study examined each use case against four criteria of energy, cost, interference and computation.

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PCM

Research Partners: Dublin Institute of Technology (Project leaders), Cork Institute of Technology

Description: Water Compact Thermal Energy Storage Unit & Heat Exchanger (Phase Change Materials)

Impacts: The use of the PCM tank has resulted in the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant operating in a more continuous way (run times increased from 20 to 210 minutes) with resultant benefits of greater system efficiency, improved system reliability and improved return on investment.

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HMI INA

Research Partners: Dublin City University

Description: Optimal Human Machine Interfaces for the Residential Market

Impacts: This short research study involved monitoring subjects using electroencephalogram (EEG) and other physiological sensors in a laboratory setting while they were presented with a series of visual choice sets specifically designed to replicate the social contexts for energy usage decisions at home. Individuals’ responses to these choice sets were correlated with neurological feedback to identify trends and patterns.

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