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Policy

Research can play an important role in informing evidence based policy and delivering societal benefit. Climate and energy policy are priority areas for the Irish government and are underpinned by EU frameworks.  Energy Institute members contribute to evidence-based policy making and policy practice across different sectors including electricity, offshore wind development, built environment, transport and social policy.

This is carried out through a number of initiatives:

  • UCD Energy Institute Policy Series– Ongoing research at UCD Energy Institute and with our collaborators covers a range of projects and research disciplines. While the academic publications are available through scientific journals, libraries and research websites, we have developed a series of topical papers in some of the different research areas that are targeted at a more diverse audience.
  • ESIPP Insight Series - ESIPP was led by the UCD Energy Institute, and through its interdisciplinary research, a series of policy briefs were produced. These are linked below.
  • EMPowER Project– UCD Energy Institute provides electricity systems modelling services to the Climate Action Modelling Group within Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) providing a unique contribution to their overall research and analysis capacity. This forms part of the national policy modelling capacity that draws on expertise from several different institutions.
  • Consultation Responses/Other Papers– There are a number of consultations in the area of energy policy where the ongoing research at UCD Energy Institute can provide some useful insights. We endeavour to provide submissions to these consultations where relevant.

Further detail on these initiatives can be found below.

[1]https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/act/32/section/15/enacted/en/html

[2]https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/6223e-climate-action-plan-2021/

Policy

Hemmati, M., Mohammadi-Ivatloo, B., Soroudi, A. (2020) Chapter 2 – Uncertainty management in decision-making in power system operation, Editor(s): Shady H.E. Abdel Aleem, Almoataz Youssef Abdelaziz, Ahmed F. Zobaa, Ramesh Bansal, Decision Making Applications in Modern Power Systems, Academic Press, 2020, Pages 41-62, ISBN 9780128164457,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816445-7.00002-5.

Hodge, B.-M., Jain, H., Brancucci, C.,  Seo, G.-S., Korpås, M., Kiviluoma, J., Holttinen, H., Smith, J.c., Orths, A., Söder, L., Flynn,  D., Vrana, T.K., Kenyon, R.W., Kroposki, B. (2020) Addressing Technical Challenges in 100% Variable Inverter-Based Renewable Energy Power Systems, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Vol. 9(5), e376, Sept/Oct 2020.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.376

Holttinen, H., Kiviluoma, J., Flynn, D., Smith, J.c., Orths, A., Eriksen, P.B., Cutululis, N., Söder, L.,Korpås, M., Estanqueiro, A., MacDowell, J., Tuohy, A., Vrana, T.K. (2021) System impact studies for near 100% renewable energy systems dominated by inverter based variable generation, IEEE PowerTech, 27 June – 2 July 2021, Madrid, Spain.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2020.3034924

Kiviluoma, J., Helistö, N., Putknonen, N., Smith, C., Koiviston, M., Korpås, M., Flynn, D., Söder, L., Taibi, E., Guminski, A. (2022) Flexibility From the Electrification of Energy: How Heating, Transport, and Industries Can Support a 100% Sustainable Energy System, IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 55-65, July-Aug. 2022,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1109/MPE.2022.3167576

Kiviluoma, J., O’Dwyer, C., Ikäheimo, J., Lahon, R., Li, R., Kirchem, D., Helistö, N., Rasku, T., Rinne, E., Flynn, D. (2021) Analysing wind and solar power integration with a multi-carrier energy system model of Ireland, IET RPG Conference, Dublin, Ireland, 1-2 March 2021.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1049/icp.2021.1385

Kiviluoma, J., O’Dwyer, C., Ikäheimo, J., Lahon, R., Li, R., Kirchem, D., Helistö, N., Rinne, E., Flynn, D. (2022) Multi-sectoral flexibility measures to facilitate wind and solar power integration. IET Renew. Power Gener. 00, 1– 13 (2022).(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1049/rpg2.12399

Lahon, R., Stanley, S., O’Dwyer, C., Devine, M., and Flynn, D. (2020) Impact of Wide-Scale Data Centre Growth on Power System Operation with Large Share of Renewables, 2020 17th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 2020, pp. 1-6.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1109/EEM49802.2020.9221876

Mac Domhnaill, C., Ryan, L. (2020) Towards renewable electricity in Europe: Revisiting the determinants of renewable electricity in the European Union, Renewable Energy, Volume 154, 2020, Pages 955-965, ISSN 0960-1481,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.03.084.

Meegahapola, L., Mancarella, P., Flynn, D., Moreno, R. (2021) Power system stability in the transition to a low carbon grid: a techno-economic perspective on challenges and opportunities, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 2021, Vol. 10(5), e399.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.399

Meles, T.H., Mukherjee, S.C., Ryan, L., Healy, S., Mooney, R., Sharpe, L., Hayes, P. (2020) Attitudes to Renewable Energy Technologies: Driving Change in Early Adopter Markets, UCD Centre for Economics Working Paper Series WP26/30.(opens in a new window)http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11646

Meles, T.H., Ryan, L. (2020) Adoption of Renewable Home Heating Systems: An Agent-Based model of Heat Pump Systems in Ireland, UCD Centre for Economics Working Paprer Series WP20/30.(opens in a new window)http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11780

Meles, T.H., Ryan, L. (2022) Adoption of renewable home heating systems: An agent-based model of heat pumps in Ireland, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 169, 2022, 112853, ISSN 1364-0321,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112853.

Meles, T.H., Ryan, L. & Wheatley, J. (2020) COVID-19 and EU Climate Targets: Can We Now Go Further?. Environ Resource Econ 76, 779–787 (2020).(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00476-3

Meles, T.H., Ryan, L., Mukherjee, S.C. (2022) Heterogeneity in preferences for renewable home heating systems among Irish households, Applied Energy, Volume 307, 2022, 118219, ISSN 0306-2619,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118219.

Meles, T.H., Ryan, L., Wheatley, J. (2020) COVID-19 and EU Climate Targets: Going Further with Less? UCD Centre for Economics Working Paprer Series WP20/12https://www.ucd.ie/economics/t4media/WP20_12.pdf

Mukherjee, S.C., Ryan, L. (2020) Factors influencing early battery electric vehicle adoption in Ireland, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 118, 2020, 109504, ISSN 1364-0321,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.109504.

Nouri, A., Soroudi, A., Keane, A. (2020) Resilient Decentralized Control of Inverter-interfaced Distributed Energy Sources in Low-voltage Distribution Grids, IET Smart Grid, 2020, Vol. 3 Iss. 2, pp. 153-161.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-stg.2019.0163

Petrov, I., Ryan, L. (2021) The landlord-tenant problem and energy efficiency in the residential rental market, Energy Policy, Volume 157, 2021, 112458, ISSN 0301-4215,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112458

Rabiee, A., Keane, A., and Soroudi, A. (2021) Enhanced Transmission and Distribution Network Coordination to Host More Electric Vehicles and PV, in IEEE Systems Journal.(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1109/JSYST.2021.3092785

Rabiee, A., Keane, A., and Soroudi, A., Smart Charging of EVs to Harvest Flexibility for PVs. Boook Chapter in Electric Vehicle Integration via Smart Charging: Technology, Standards, Implementation, and Applications by Vahid Vahidinasab (Editor), Behnam Mohammadi-Ivatloo (Editor), Springer, ISBN: 9783031059087. 

Ryan, L., Petrov, I., Kelly, A., Guo, Y., La Monaca, S. (2019) An assessment of the social costs and benefits of vehicle tax reform in Ireland,OECD Environment Working Papers, No. 153, OECD Publishing, Paris,(opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.1787/952e7bff-en.

Stanley, S., Lahon, R., O’Dwyer, C., Ryan, L., Flynn, D. (2021) Is the transition to zero carbon power economically feasible? The case of a 70% variable renewables power system, 26th Annual Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE 2021), 23-25 June 2021, Berlin, Germany

Stanley, S., Lahon, R., O’Dwyer, C., Ryan, L., Flynn, D. (2021) Operational and financial challenges beyond 70% variable renewables, 1st IAEE (International Association of Energy Economists) Online Conference, Paris, France, 7-9 June 2021

Stanley, S., Ryan, L., Flynn, D. (2022) Demand response and curtailment in an isolated system with up to 80% variable renewables, 17th IAEE European Energy Conference, Athens, Greece