UCD Energy Institute receives €1.2 million Horizon 2020 grant

A Horizon 2020 grant of €1.2 million has been awarded to Professor Mark O'Malley from the UCD Energy Institute and the the UCD School of Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering, for his project Realising Value from Electricity Markets with Local Smart Electric Thermal Storage (RealValue).

The RealValue project will be directed at local small-scale energy storage using Smart Electric Thermal Storage (SETS) and will see real-world implementation and testing in 1,250 homes in Germany, Latvia and Ireland. The project is directed at improving efficiency and value across the European energy market through the use of advanced information and communications technology.
SETS technology allows electrical energy to be stored as heat in order to meet the domestic space and water heating needs of households. While SETS will be the subject of the field test, the potential exists for the results to be implemented across a range of domestic electric heating technology.

Using advanced engineering and economic analysis, the RealValue project will seek to improve stakeholders' understanding on the smart coupling of domestic electrical heating systems to electric power system requirements.

RealValue will also validate the model by using desktop techno-economic modelling and virtual demonstration in order to prove the technical and commercial potential of the small-scale energy storage model.
The project will also produce findings towards the facilitation of variable renewable wind and solar energy integration. The UCD Energy Institute will work with industry leaders including Glen Dimplex, INTEL, SSE, ESB and EirGrid on the project.

The UCD Energy Institute is a public-private research consortium that examines key technical, social, and economic challenges in the integration of energy systems. It draws on a wide range of expertise from fields including electrical and mechanical engineering, economics and policy, meteorology, and consumer engagement.

Horizon 2020 is the largest research and innovation programme in the EU, and one of the biggest publicly funded in the world, with a goal of ensuring Europe's long-term competitiveness by supporting world-class research.