Latest Electrical Stories
Dual-purpose wave farms: a new paradigm in coastal engineeringMay 29, 2018
With the advent of technology for transforming wave power into electricity, the objective of coastal engineers will be to protect the coastline and harness wave power, rather than to dissipate or reflect it back to sea – a paradigm shift in coastal engineering
Biorefineries and small-scale bioeconomy opportunities for the agriculture sectorMay 29, 2018
Small-scale biorefineries, while at an early stage, hold enormous potential for the EU bioeconomy, particularly for rural and coastal diversification and regeneration
Ireland’s future natural gas supply: How well connected is the island?May 15, 2018
With Corrib due to run out, coupled with rising demand, the question arises: do we need another source of gas, or are the current interconnectors more than capable of providing all of our natural gas needs for the foreseeable future
Engineering with UNIFIL on Lebanon’s Blue LineMay 15, 2018
In 2016, Captain Eoghan Carton project-managed the changeover of combat engineering, infrastructure and utilities support for the Irish-Finnish Joint Battalion in Lebanon and, in 2017, he won Engineers Ireland’s 2017 Chartered Engineer of the Year Award for the project
New organic solar cells become most efficient to dateMay 15, 2018
University of Michigan researchers have created a breakthrough organic photovoltaic with an efficiency comparable to inorganic solar cells currently on the market, writes Shelby Rogers
Powering the Nation Part 2: Building the Shannon Scheme through technical drawingsMay 1, 2018
Photographs taken by workers were discussed in Part 1, and here we focus on the large number of technical drawings that have survived from the architectural and engineering design process of the station, and which show the project in a very different light
Ireland’s potential role in the development of offshore renewables: Operations and maintenanceMay 1, 2018
With a claim to one-third of northwest Europe’s offshore renewables resources, Ireland is well placed geographically to capitalise on the development of this green economy
Sweden sets the tone for electrified roads that charge your vehicle as it movesMay 1, 2018
The electrified road is first of its kind to enable recharging of vehicles while driving, helping to create a future of fossil-free transport, writes Kashyap Vyas
Powering the Nation Part 1: A worker’s view of the Shannon SchemeApril 17, 2018
The images in the recently published book Powering the Nation reflect the official story of both the buildings themselves and the complex of locks and canals, as well as the unofficial story of workers and visitors, writes Sorcha O'Brien
Making Ireland a leader in climate action and the role of ‘negative emissions’April 17, 2018
Barry McMullin, Paul Price, Mike Jones and Alwynne McGeever explore the background motivation and concepts underpinning the recent interest in NETs, and the opportunities - and risks - associated with their deployment here
Scottish coast now home to the most powerful wind turbine in the worldApril 17, 2018
A single rotation of the Vattenfall-installed 8.8 MW wind turbine dubbed the ‘world's most powerful’ can reportedly power an average UK home for a day, writes Jessica Miley
Storm Ophelia (Part II): Planning for and managing the impact on the distribution networkApril 3, 2018
The EPRI's Adrian Kelly analyses how ESB Networks planned for and managed Hurricane Ophelia and asks what lessons can be applied to other distribution system operators for future major weather events
Oil prices, the Paris Agreement and the endgame for fossil fuelsApril 3, 2018
Prof Dieter Helm writes that renewables subsidies are not going to be temporary and disappear any time soon – in fact, they are likely to be around for quite a long time
Weathering the storm (Part I): A report on the impact of Storm Ophelia on Ireland’s transmission systemMarch 20, 2018
Adrian Kelly of the Electric Power Research Institute analyses how EirGrid planned for and managed Hurricane Ophelia and asks what lessons from the experience can be applied to other system operators for future major weather events
The Lir National Ocean Test Facility: Bringing the sea to the labMarch 20, 2018
Standardised high-quality testing within Lir's 2,600m2 facility will provide the marine sector with the best chance of success which would unlock our vast offshore renewable energy resource
Renewable heat scheme may help domestic production of bioenergy to catch fireMarch 6, 2018
While the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat is relatively conservative, it is hoped that it will encourage wider participation and stimulate domestic production of bioenergy, writes Guy Milligan
A team of engineers develop a new method of keeping the lights onMarch 6, 2018
Researchers propose three ways that 100% clean, renewable energy could prevent blackouts, writes Taylor Kubota
ENERGISE project in top gear as it hooks into 1,000 best practice energy models across EuropeFebruary 20, 2018
The pan-European initiative ENERGISE aims to reduce energy usage across the EU while contributing to policy-making in the sector - and it intends to plug into 1,000 models of best practice that have been identified
Gas-competent engineering offers agri-sector fuel for thoughtFebruary 20, 2018
A commitment to 20% use of renewable gas by 2030 throws up an opportunity for gas-competent engineering and the agri-sector, writes Ian Kilgallon
A sound climate-energy strategy must tap into a whole world of R&DFebruary 6, 2018
In the final part of a three-part series, Michael O'Halloran argues that it would be unwise not to research every conceivable method for producing alternative energy because at this early stage nobody can predict the eventual outcome of research in any area