energy-banner2

Current Commercial Research Topics 

Our current areas of interest in the Energy Market include the cross-over between Energy Networks, Data Gathering and Big Data analytics. We are also interested in the network and device management that will be required for the upcoming changes to the electricity grid. Below are the top 10 changes that we see affecting the energy market now and in the next few years:

1. Changes to Electricity Generation.

  • Increased Renewable Energy.
    - Balancing Load and Demand.
    - Avoiding Local Instabilities.
  • Increasing Prices
    - Peak Oil driving up prices. How to set the customer prices?
    - Wider Impact, including re-examining profitability of storage systems.


    • 2. Changing Demand Profile

  • Rechargeable Devices.
  • Electric Cars.
  • Intelligent Devices.



    • 3. Regulatory Environment

  • How to meet the European 20-20-20 targets?
  • National Targets.
  • Unknown new targets beyond 2020.



    • 4. Market Liberalisation

  • Move towards more open markets, similar to Telecoms.
  • European Target Market EU Directive, scheduled for 2016 in France, UK and Ireland.



    • 5. Micro-Generation

  • Reduction in costs for domestic users (Solar, wind, geothermal, water).
  • Added complexity to balancing supply and demand.
  • Spill-over payments.


6. International Energy Trading

  • Choose where to sell the electricity generated.
  • Impact to balancing supply and demand.
  • National Security.
  • How to set prices?



    • 7. Smart Metering

  • Now being deployed across Europe.
  • What protocols, information, ontologies to use?
  • How to use the information obtained (for each stakeholder)?
  • How to set-up Autonomic Decision Making?



    • 8. Demand Side Units

  • Scheme in Ireland to reward consumers who will quickly shed load when requested.
  • Questions for Payments, Supply/Load balancing, local instabilities, communications.



    • 9. Real-Time Pricing

  • How to provide an open market?
    - What Regulations Exist? How will they impact our ability to provide Real-Time Pricing?
    - What Grid Modifications are Needed?
  • For all stakeholders:
    - Market Operator.
    - Generators.
    - Distributors.
    - Transmission System Operators.
    - Energy Brokers.
    - Regulators.
    - Consumers.



    • 10. Smart Grid

  • What is it?
  • How do we build it?
  • How to combine telecoms and electricity networks?
  • How do we use all of the data provided?

_____________________________________________________________________