Solar Energy:

strand 3 SEAR: solar energy applications and research

The Government’s White Paper on Energy has set a series of challenging targets for the energy sector for 2020, with 33% of electricity to be generated from renewable sources. While the focus has been on wind energy and biomass, solar energy and photovoltaics (the conversion of solar energy directly into electricity) can play a contributing part. For Ireland where over 90% of our energy is imported1, Photovoltaics (PV) offers the prospect of local electricity supply security. In the short-term, the installation of PV on household, commercial and light industrial buildings can reduce peak electricity demand and improve energy supply security; In the long-term, PV can contribute to energy supply security by reducing reliance on depleting fossil fuels, by increasing the use of indigenous resources and by diversifying fuel sources.

This proposal aims to address some of issues facing PV in Ireland through expertise in DIT in the Dublin Energy Lab and by collaborating with the International Centre of Excellence the European Commission Director General Joint Research Centre, (JRC), Ispra, Italy, Imperial College London and University of Exeter, UK

DIT Personnel

School of Physics
Pedro Ferreira
Manus Kennedy
Ahmad Hasan
Jawad Sarwar

Dr Sarah McCormack
Dr John Doran

School of Architecture

School of Electrical Engineering Systems
Kevin O'Farrell
Moin Hanif

School of Marketing
Dr Aidan O'Driscoll

School of Mechanical Engineering
Lynette Magee

Prof Brian Norton

International Centre of Excellence the European Commission Director General Joint Research Centre, (JRC), Ispra, Italy
Dr Robert Kenny

University of Exeter, UK
Dr Mingjun Huang

Imperial College London
Dr Amanda Chatten