Energy Demand Analysis and Forecasting:

Analysis of small and medium enterprises' heat consumption in Ireland - implications for a competitive, low-carbon economy

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make up less than 2% of Irish gas consumers but account for a significant proportion of Irelands total gas consumption. However, relatively few greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation policies have been targeted at this sector due to lack of information on potential energy savings. Using high resolution smart-metering data from a range of SME sectors, this deficit can now be addressed by the Dublin Energy Lab (DEL), which will: 

• develop models to forecast short-term SME gas consumption to allow Bord Gáis Networks to more accurately purchase bulk gas supplies for the national network, thus resulting in savings and increasing competitiveness;
• develop representative models of long-term heat consumption at a business level and investigate the cost-effectiveness of efficient and renewable technologies for the smart-metered sample; and
• extend these findings to all customers to identify the potential for GHG emissions mitigation so as to inform policymaking.

Personnel

DIT – School of Civil and Building Services Engineering

Ronan Oliver

Dr Aidan Duffy

Collaboration:

Bord Gáis Networks - Ian Kilgallon

University College Cork - Prof Karsten Menzel