Corca Dhuibhne/Dingle Peninsula 2030 

Dr. Clare Watson, MaREI SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, Environental Research Institute

Impact: Local, National

Established in 2018, this is an innovative multi-partner initiative on the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry, involving the Dingle Hub, ESB Networks, NEWKD, and MaREI – working with the local community to enable the broader societal changes required for the sustainable transition. Through engaged research with its partners, MaREI is supporting the practical development and tracking, analysing, and documenting of experiential learnings. MAREI has also provided analysis on the Dingle Peninsula’s current energy demand and renewable energy potential and analysed the ESB Networks’ ‘Dingle Project’ Ambassador and EV trials.

Outcomes of this research include the development of the West Kerry Dairy Farmers Sustainable Energy Community (SEC); a local roadmap for anaerobic digestion; a more informed and involved local community; national and international recognition; and the designation of the Peninsula as Kerry County Council's Decarbonisation Zone. As a result of this project there has been a noticeable diffusion of sustainability in the local community, especially within the home energy and farming sectors, and an increase in solar PV usage on the peninsula. Further anticipated impacts include a policy change relating to the provision of core funding and support for community-based climate action initiatives and a decrease in local carbon emissions. MaREI’s involvement in this initiative is contributing to learning on engaged research through organizations such as Campus Engage and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The project recently won the Engaged Research Award at the UCC Research Awards 2021.

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Wind Value - End of Life Decisions for Wind Farms: An Opportunity for Climate Action and for Energy Communities

Dr. Peter Deeney, Environmental Research Institute

Impact: Local, National, International

It is easier to keep a current wind farm in operation than to build a new one. Wind Value aims to encourage investors to understand their choices near the end of the life of their wind farm and facilitate local communities to invest in purchasing wind farms. The principal impact will be to increase investment in wind energy by making the risks and rewards more easily understood for end-of-life wind farms. At this stage wind farm owners face choices regarding decommissioning, life extension and repowering. Decommissioning can be expensive and does not provide any income. Life extension of existing machinery may be a way to keep income streams while not committing too much money. Repowering (buying new turbines) can be expensive but makes use of existing infrastructure. Both life extension and repowering will normally require new planning permission. Local communities may find this easier than outside owners, giving them an advantage. By using current financial techniques for company valuation, such as real options analysis, our research project will show how developments in academic finance can be used to support sustainable development.

“It is easier to keep a wind farm working than to build a new one. Local communities can take advantage of the low price of a wind farm near its end.”

– Dr. Peter Deeney

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.1 - Universal access to modern energy
• Target 7.2 - Increase global percentage of renewable energy

SDG 13 - Climate Action

• Target 13.a - Implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
  

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

ACT4ECO: Becoming an Energy Prosumer via eLearning

Dr. Wendy Rowan, Dr. Stephen McCarthy, Dr. Ciara Fitzgerald, Laura Lynch, Professor Fred Adam, Department of Business Information Systems, Cork University Business School

Impact: National, International

ACT4ECO is an online platform that helps citizens to become more energy efficient. On ACT4ECO one can learn how to make changes to their homes, both on a small and large scale, and also, how to change habits, becoming more aware of the unconscious energy consuming traps one can fall into after improving the energy efficiency of the home. ACT4ECO is timely and relevant, as we see how humans are continuing to have a major impact on the environment. By providing the home energy consumer with a free online resource, ACT4ECO has increased awareness and consumer understanding of climate change and its consequences. ACT4ECO provides education on the sustainable use of resources to foster resilient societies, whilst also stimulating public debates and heightening awareness of environmental issues. Funded by Horizon 2020, ACT4ECO has fed back and engaged with policymakers to enhance evidence-based decisions.

This project has documented multiple KPIs including – Consumer Engagement, Communications, Innovation, and Policy Outreach. Over 11,000 home energy consumers across Europe and beyond engaged with the ACT4ECO platform. This project closely aligns closely with the UCC policy for research as it engages with the wider community, in this instance ACT4ECO is a pan-European project.  It contributes to UCC’s goals of sustainability and education for the greater good of society. ACT4ECO demonstrates one way of connecting with citizens for the greater good by informing, inspiring action, being partners in the process to influence future policy. ACT4ECO research has been published in media and academic outlets.

“ACT4ECO bridges on the one side the problem of bringing relevant information out when and where people need it, and on the other side the problem that mere information is not enough, it takes learning processes to change behaviour.”

-  Ms. A. Cacciani, SINERGIE, Reggio Emilia, Italy.  

On the ACT4ECO platform you can download all of the ACT4ECO policy briefs:
• Engaging consumers towards more sustainable energy consumption
• Supporting citizens’ desire for climate friendly behaviour
• Policy to help citizens improve energy efficiency of their homes
• Support and sustain efficient energy use
• Manage your energy consumption: answering the challenge of communicating energy consumption measurement to the consumer
• Become a smart consumer
• Produce your own energy
• Policy interventions aiming to encourage change in consumer behaviour on energy efficiency – Insights from EU-wide expert discussion
• Innovation and design needs

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.3 - Double the improvement in energy efficiency

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.b - Implement policies for inclusion, resource efficiency and disaster risk reduction

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.8 - Promote universal understanding of sustainable lifestyles

SDG 13 - Climate Action

• Target 13.2 - Integrate climate change measures into policies and planning
• Target 13.3 - Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change

ENERGISE: Enhancing the Transition to Energy Citizenship

Dr. Olive McCarthy, Centre for Co-operative Studies & Department of Food Business and Development, Cork University Business School

Impact: Local, National

In this project, researchers from UCC work with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) to explore the barriers and enablers to greater energy efficiency in the home, with a focus on households with low disposable income, and provide peer-based case studies to promote and support greater efficiency. Prior research has examined issues pertaining to a just energy transition for those experiencing low incomes. This research focuses on the experiences of those with low disposable incomes, many of whom may be in employment but face mounting or crisis debt. Many of the energy efficiency schemes remain unsuitable for people in this situation and this research helps to shed light on why this is the case. 

A policy briefing based on existing literature and the findings of the research supports the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) in advocating for a just transition to affordable, sustainable and modern energy for all, based on the gathered evidence. The peer-based information leaflets are available for use with clients across all MABS offices nationally to encourage engagement with energy efficiency measures that can decrease household costs through reduced energy consumption. Media outputs increase awareness of and debate around the difficulties facing households with low disposable income in terms of energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency. This research received funding from the Irish Research Council.

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.1 - Universal access to modern energy
• Target 7.3 - Double the improvement in energy efficiency

SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.14 - Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
  

Motivations, Incentives and Commitments for Co-Investment in Onshore Wind Energy Projects

Dr. Geraldine Ryan, Department of Accounting and Finance, Cork University Business School

Impact: National, International

This project explores the motivations and characteristics of those who invest in local energy schemes and explores how an understanding of this can be used to better promote financial incentives schemes for community investment. Achieving net zero by 2050 requires considerable investment to scale up clean energy generation capacity, expand and modernise power networks, and electrify end users. However, clean energy projects are facing growing opposition. While policy makers have introduced measures aimed at incentivizing citizen co-ownership to foster acceptance, little is understood about how these measures interact. Using novel data for Ireland this research examines whether, how, and to what extent, willingness to accept and willingness to invest into onshore wind farms are associated.  It examines how best to design co-investment schemes to mobilise citizen participation in private, community and joint private/community ventures. This work is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions grant agreement MISTRAL (Multi-sectoral approaches to Innovative Skills Training for Renewable energy & sociAL acceptance) [grant number #81383].  MISTRAL comprises of fifteen researchers based across seven countries (Ireland, UK, Denmark, Germany, Netherland, Portugal, and Switzerland) each evaluating the complexity of social acceptance issues facing the deployment of renewable energy infrastructure, and proposing innovative solutions in a variety of research, government and business contexts. 

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.2 - Increase global percentage of renewable energy

SDG 13 - Climate Action

• Target 13.2 - Integrate climate change measures into policies and planning

Community Engagement in Wind Energy: Innovative approaches to achieving a social license

Dr. Bernadette Power and Co-Wind Research Team, Cork University Business School

Impact: Local, National, International

This project aims to develop innovative approaches to achieve a social license for onshore wind energy development through i) community engagement; ii) community ownership/co-investment; and iii) enhancing current benefit sharing practices. This project provides insights on preferences for engagement, benefit sharing and co-ownership/co-investment mechanisms to increase community acceptance of onshore wind developments thereby assisting in increasing the share of renewables in Ireland’s energy supply (SDG 7). The project examines options for community ownership and co-investment (SDG 9) enabling citizens to invest, especially those that live near wind turbines, in a way that is affordable and equitable.  

The project informs national policy on climate mitigation (SDG 13) by identifying the values, requirements and expectations of all stakeholders and through improving community and institutional capacity to navigate pathways to increase social acceptance of wind farms. Using mixed methods to gather data from multiple stakeholders and innovative approaches to capture how citizens may trade-off their preferences for different aspects of new wind energy installations including  engagement, co-investment and community benefit funds key aspects of RESS I, it can identify mechanisms to increase social acceptance of developments. 

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.2 - Increase global percentage of renewable energy

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Target 9.1 - Develop sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructures

SDG 13 - Climate Action

• Target 13.2 - Integrate climate change measures into policies and planning
• Target 13.3 - Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change

Interactive Linkages, Non-Interactive Linkages, and Innovative Activity in the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Sector

Shane Barrett, Dr. Frank Crowley, Professor Justin Doran, Dr. Mari O'Connor, Spatial and Regional Economic Research Centre, Cork University Business School 

Impact: National, International

Using novel firm-level data from Europe on the offshore renewable energy sector, a high-tech sector in the early stages of development, this research examines the effect external linkages (interactive and non-interactive linkages) have on innovative activity. This work addresses important societal issues around future energy security and has direct implications for policymaking under SDG 7 and SDG 13. This research was funded by The Selkie Project and is part of the wider Selkie network, which has received funding from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme. The research collected novel data for a sector in its infant stages and the results of the data collection exercise are being disseminated to stakeholders in the industry and participants in the SELKIE network, which will provide actors with novel insights into the unique innovation trajectory of the industry.

This research has been submitted to a high impact international journal and is currently under review. Findings indicate the importance for policymakers to recognise the role of interactive linkages, with customers, suppliers, and consultants for the development of product and process innovation in the offshore renewable energy sector. To enhance product and process innovation in the ORE sector, policy interventions which promote and build collaborations or interactive partnerships among ORE firms may be fruitful. These types of relationship create a wider benefit which extend past participating firms through stimulating knowledge creation and diffusion. These are important considerations that should be taken by policymakers and academics addressing renewable energy and climate change policy under SDG 7 and SDG 13.

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.1 - Universal access to modern energy
• Target 7.2 - Increase global percentage of renewable energy
• Target 7.a - Promote access to research, technology and investments in clean energy

SDG 13 - Climate Action

• Target 13.2 - Integrate climate change measures into policies and planning

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Firm research, development and commercialisation and triple helix interactions in the offshore marine energy sector

Dr. Frank Crowley, Dr. Gillian Barrett, Professor Justin Doran, Mark Kelleher, Spatial and Regional Economic Research Centre & Department of Management and Marketing, Cork University Business School

Impact: National, International

In the developing and emerging offshore marine energy sector in Western Europe, this research explores the significance of triple-helix connections between business, academia, and government. The first research objective focuses on the relationship between the stage of technological development the company is at (i.e., research, development, and commercialization) and the kinds of triple helix interactions occurring at each step. Secondly, this research explores the factors triggering and limiting the formation of the triple helix system in the marine energy sector case. This work addresses important important societal issues around future energy security and has direct implications for policymaking under SDG 7 and 13. This research was funded by The Selkie Project and is part of the wider Selkie network which has received funding from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme.

Novel qualitative data was collected for a sector in its infant stages and the results of the data collection exercise was disseminated to interviewees and stakeholders in the industry and participants in the SELKIE network. The information will provide actors with novel insights into the unique innovation trajectory of the industry and enable them to better navigate triple helix interactions. This paper will be submitted to a high impact top international journal. An understanding of the mechanisms of firm-level innovation is enhanced by shedding light on how different actors are important at different stages of the innovation process for a firm. This work answers calls by Lerman et al., (2021, p. 9) to investigate “more complex relationship mechanisms using other theoretical models as a research framework for energy systems”. The qualitative analysis finds that interactions with universities are identified as being important at the early research and late development stages of the innovation process, while interactions with government are important only at the late development stage of the innovation process. A complex web of industry-level interactions involving consultants, suppliers, competitors, and customers take place at various stages of the innovation process, and into full commercialisation. The qualitative data reveals the motivations and bottlenecks that are impeding interactions for innovators in this sector providing rich research insights.

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.1 - Universal access to modern energy
• Target 7.2- Increase global percentage of renewable energy
• Target 7.a - Promote access to research, technology and investments in clean energy

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Residential Solid Fuel Use in Ireland and the Transition Away from Solid Fuels

Dr. John Eakins, Department of Economics, Cork University Business School & Environmental Research Institute

Impact: National

The Environmental Protection Agency has highlighted air quality issues in urban centres in Ireland in recent years. Emissions of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), attributable to the burning of solid fuels, such as coal, peat and wood, are a particular cause of concern. This research develops a better understanding of solid fuel use in the residential sector in Ireland, including examining the factors that influence choices regarding residential heating and the barriers to transitioning from solid fuels to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. A key contribution was the development of new data sources to examine aspects of the solid fuel residential heating market. In providing a deeper understanding of residential solid fuel use using existing and new sources of data, the outputs from the research can be used to both inform and monitor the design and implementation of new solid fuel regulations, which will encourage a transition to affordable, reliable and modern energy services in the residential sector in Ireland.

The research outputs can feed into the development of policy at national level including the National Clean Air Strategy, the Annual Climate Action Plan, the National Planning Framework, the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, the Just Transition Plan and the National Energy and Climate Plan. These policies are closely aligned with the SDGs, particularly in ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all (SDG 7). The research outputs can help statistical agencies collect accurate data on residential energy use including issues such as measuring the extent of informal solid fuel use. The research also draws attention to the need to monitor trends in solid fuel use as new solid fuel regulations come into effect. This research highlights and makes recommendations to overcome barriers to a transition to affordable, reliable and modern energy services in the residential sector, such as the possibility of substitution to informal solid fuel use as an unintended behavioural consequence.

The final EPA published report can be read here.

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.1 - Universal access to modern energy
• Target 7.2 - Increase global percentage of renewable energy

SDG 13 - Climate Action

• Target 13.2 - Integrate climate change measures into policies and planning

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Copper-based Flow Batteries for Energy Storage and Renewables Integration

Dr. James Rohan, Tyndall National Institute

Impact: International

CuBER focuses on improving the infrastructures for renewables self-consumption and grid integration. It seeks to unify the expertise of different European actors in the field of Electrochemistry, Electrochemical Energy Storage, Electronics, Process Engineering, Smart Sensors, IoTs and Solar Power Industries with the objective of deploying functional pilots capable of validating anholistic and innovative way of producing and consuming renewable energy in urban, rural and industrial areas in the EU.

The overall objective of CuBER which is ongoing, is to develop and validate in a relevant environment a low-cost and scalable stationary energy storage technology with a proven superior environmental performance based on a non-critical and earth-abundant material (copper), relying on a fully European value chain from primary production to recycling. CuBER will provide a low-cost energy storage solution, thus greatly supporting the market penetration of renewable energy and their integration in the Global Energy sector. CuBER will base its superior cost competitiveness on the use of abundant and recyclable materials, thus enjoying comparatively low electrolyte cost and the utilization of low-cost components and solutions (e.g. inexpensive microporous separators instead of costly ion exchange membranes). Our role in the project is to assess different additives and pre-treatments applied to the electrode materials to enhance reaction kinetics. This is required, to maximise the amount of active material that can be stored in the negative half-cell compartment, increasing the capacity and the energy and power capabilities of the system.

“The Cuber project is developing a low-cost and scalable stationary energy storage technology with a proven superior environmental performance based on a non-critical and earth-abundant material (copper), relying on a fully European value chain from primary production to recycling with a view to enhancing the security of supply for the EU energy sector.”

– Dr. James Rohan

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.2 - Increase global percentage of renewable energy
• Target 7.a - Promote access to research, technology and investments in clean energy