ESB hosted a round table discussion in June on how innovation can make Ireland’s energy system more secure, sustainable and affordable.
ESB’s Emerging Technology and R&D Manager John Walsh was joined in conversation by Maria Keany, Business Development Manager with the NexSys Research Programme at UCD; Anna Kennedy, Director of Operations at EnergyCloud Ireland; Anne-Lise Laurain, Senior Technical Leader at EPRI Europe; and Lisa Ryan, Professor of Energy Economics at UCD Energy Institute.
The discussion is available to read in full online at Eolas magazine. Key takeaways include:
- Innovation is happening at pace across the energy sector: from how power is generated, to how the grid is operated, to how we use electricity in our homes and businesses. Areas to watch include the falling cost of solar PV panels and battery storage, the potential for dynamic tariffs to optimise household energy consumption, the evolution of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, and new applications for AI.
- Ireland has unique strengths when it comes to energy sector innovation. We have strong research capabilities and a good culture of collaboration between industry, academia and policymakers, while the country’s size makes trialling new technologies easier. However, turning research into deployment can sometimes be challenging due to barriers like capital and accessibility.
- Collaboration – national and international – is key to unlocking the potential of innovation in energy. On the one hand this means fostering programmes and partnerships that bring research, industry, government and regulators together to address challenges in a multidisciplinary and cross-sector approach. On the other hand, it involves working closely with customers and communities to understand their needs and how new technologies can fit into their lives.
- New innovations can support consumers in making energy more affordable and resilient. Smart systems and automation will help households use electricity more flexibly and cost-efficiently, while technologies like solar PV, heat pumps and battery storage empower people to produce their own energy. Supports and incentives can help accelerate adoption, and Ireland can learn from what has worked well in other countries like Denmark.
- Policy and regulation have an important role to play: whether support for sandboxing pilot projects, incentives to facilitate broader adoption of new technologies, or regulatory frameworks that provide long-term certainty for investments.
Read the full conversation here, and learn more about innovation at ESB here.