Not-for-profit social enterprise EnergyCloud and Electric Ireland have partnered to tackle energy poverty with surplus renewable energy.
Participating households are equipped with EnergyCloud enabled smart technology which will allow surplus renewable energy to be used to heat immersion tanks.
Electric Ireland energy poor customers living in the pilot housing schemes will see an average annual bill saving of over €100.
The initial pilot is being rolled out with local authorities and approved housing bodies across Ireland, with the number of participating homes set to expand significantly over the next 12 months.
EnergyCloud has installed over 400 hundred smart immersion controllers across the country and plan to install several thousand more in the next 12 to 18 months.
EnergyCloud works with local authority and approved housing body partners to select residents who are in energy poverty and agrees a plan to install the smart immersion controllers in their homes that can be accessed remotely by EnergyCloud to heat the home’s water tank.
By heating water tanks during periods of low electricity demand and high wind turbine output, the initiative offers a practical solution to both energy waste and energy poverty.
Pat Fenlon (left), Executive Director, Electric Ireland said: “Energy poverty is a serious challenge for hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland.
“It is a major complex issue that requires a range of solutions including new innovative approaches and technologies.
“Our new partnership with EnergyCloud Ireland demonstrates a targeted approach which seeks to connect energy poor homes to renewable electricity that would otherwise go unused.
“At Electric Ireland, we are committed to supporting energy poor customers and we are pleased to support this initiative with EnergyCloud and support the development of a scalable solution to reach many more customers.”
Energy poverty remains a pressing challenge in Ireland, with over 550,000 households affected and up to 43% of households are at risk of energy poverty, according to a report from the ESRI2. This issue highlights the critical need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to support energy poor communities.
Alan Wyley (right), CEO of EnergyCloud Ireland, said: “We are delighted in EnergyCloud to partner with Electric Ireland.
“This is a great example of how technology can deliver a targeted use of renewable energy to help those customers who are struggling with their energy costs.
“This partnership is truly transformative for EnergyCloud, but more importantly for the many more people in energy poverty that we can now help with the support of Electric Ireland.”