Construction BUSINESS

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has announced an investment of over €1 million in projects aimed at developing new energy solutions. The projects range from converting forest residue into fuel to establishing a living laboratory energy zone in south Dublin. Building on its track record of delivering material results in addressing climate change, SEAI will work closely with the project teams over the coming months to produce real insights and results for the Irish economy.

“SEAI is delighted to invest in these projects which have the potential to produce real results for the environment and the economy. The range of projects we are supporting really highlights the huge appetite among SMEs, local enterprises and research institutions to seek new and innovative ways to understand our energy use and develop new responses to the challenges we face,” said SEAI CEO, Jim Gannon. “Some of these projects will provide the public with better, more accessible information, some will help shape the energy communities of the future and some will be instrumental in delivering new business models for particular sectors.”

Among the projects that received SEAI funding this year are:

• Development of Blockchain technology to manage the payment of renewable energy used on the electricity grid
• Enhanced data to increase the number of ground source heat pumps in Ireland
• Analysis of SEAI’s data centre landscape
• Recovery of agri-food, marine, municipal and forestry waste for renewable energy
• Establishment of a ‘Living Laboratory’ energy zone in South Dublin
• Creation of a decision support system to ensure optimal energy use in the dairy sector