Ireland

Pilot description

Rural regions like the Dingle Peninsula present challenges for grid operators and planners, both socially and technically, with significant congestion issues on the MV network. Flexibility service trials for managing increased electrification are being designed and implemented through ESB's National Network, Local Connections program. This pilot focuses on three activities spanning residential, agriculture, and transport sectors to address technical and social aspects: Increasing local energy system flexibility through the agricultural sector: The Citizen Renewable Platform (CRP) and SSH approach will actively involve farmers in the energy transition, boosting renewable generation and flexible technologies for local and upstream DR and grid services. This enhances energy efficiency, reduces costs, and lowers carbon emissions. Data-driven approaches for improving self-energy sufficiency and community resilience: Understanding energy consumption, generation profiles, and citizen responses will inform effective service co-design, business cases, engagement strategies, and incentives. The Digital Active Platform will suggest energy scheduling based on local resource forecasting, accommodating generation, consumption, and preparing for disruptive events anticipated by the DSO. These activities aim to activate energy citizens to become prosumers, supporting the local energy community in its decarbonization efforts and preparing for potential disruptive events affecting the energy supply through the main grid. 

• Increase local energy system flexibility through the agricultural, residential and transport sectors.
• Data-driven approaches for improving the self-energy sufficiency and resilience of the local energy community.
• Platform for suggested energy scheduling for the local resources. 
• Engagement strategies and incentives to activate energy citizens to become prosumers.