Latest Electrical Stories
Let there be light: ESB’s archives shed light on the electrification of IrelandNovember 21, 2017
On ESB's 90th anniversary, Deirdre McParland recounts the technical challenges and innovation behind the 1929 Shannon Scheme and the 1946 Rural Electrification Scheme, which by 1978 had connected over one million Irish homes and businesses to the network
‘Humanity’s future is in the hands of engineers’ – entrepreneur Seán O’SullivanNovember 21, 2017
Investor, philanthropist, innovator, inventor and all-round Renaissance man, Seán O’Sullivan is a man of many titles. The entrepreneur tells Barry Brophy why his electrical-engineering education was a privilege that afforded him the chance to change the world for the better
Everything you need to know about copper busbarsNovember 7, 2017
David Chapman and Prof Toby Norris offer guidance on the design and installation of copper busbars for electrical distribution-system design engineers seeking to design efficient, economic and reliable busbar systems
Eirgrid’s energy scenarios – planning to power Ireland’s futureNovember 7, 2017
Marie Hayden explains how EirGrid has devised four different energy scenarios detailing its plans for the development of the transmission grid and for Ireland’s future energy needs in these turbulent times
Budget 2018 milestones – climate action for competitiveness and environmental qualityOctober 24, 2017
Two measures in Budget 2018, relating to the Renewable Heat Incentive and low-emission transport, mark milestones in Irish public policy on climate action. However, there is criticism that they do not go far enough, writes Pádraic Ó hUiginn
EU-SysFlex – integrating large-scale renewables to the European gridOctober 24, 2017
The €20 million EU-SysFlex project, led by EirGrid, aims to identify issues associated with integrating large amounts of renewable energy and create a roadmap to facilitate the large-scale integration of renewable energy
Transport solar cells represent ‘next wave’ of renewables technologyOctober 24, 2017
See-through solar materials that can be applied to windows represent a massive source of untapped energy and could harvest as much power as bigger, bulkier rooftop solar units
Fusing transport, technology and energy – engineering an Irish revolutionOctober 10, 2017
With energy efficiency and transport technology predicted to fuel economic growth for the next 50 years, Dr Kieran Feighan outlines some amazing advances in development relating to energy storage, alternative fuels, autonomous vehicles and road surfacing
Power loss minimisation in distribution networks using fuzzy approach for system configurationOctober 10, 2017
Pat Moriarty and Sameh Noufal present an optimisation technique algorithm to minimise real power-line losses in medium-voltage distribution networks, which handles system constraints accurately based on heuristic rules and a fuzzy multiobjective approach
Harnessing energy to improve mobility – and conquer the worldSeptember 26, 2017
In the first part of his presidential address, Engineers Ireland president Dr Kieran Feighan outlines how harnessing energy to improve mobility has been the foundation for the development of many of the great empires in the world over the course of history
Brexit uncertainty: what are the implications for the energy sector?September 12, 2017
Paul Deane, Steve Pye and Carole Mathieu explore the implications of Brexit for energy policy in the UK and Ireland, considering infrastructure investment, energy markets and interconnection, legislative uncertainty and political influence
Nuclear technology after Fukushima – where do we stand now?August 29, 2017
In the context of the battle against climate change, nuclear power offers a large-scale low-carbon source of base-load electricity, but what is the prospect for nuclear power on this island? Tom O'Flaherty reports
Power quality in hospitals – minimising equipment failures and increasing patient safetyAugust 29, 2017
Hospital patients and visitors are now allowed to use mobile phones on site without fear of interfering with medical equipment. However, hospitals still have a long way to go to reduce power quality issues, writes Steve Hughes
Will changes to Part L help us achieve ‘nearly zero energy’ building standards?August 1, 2017
Chris Croly writes that the proposed changes to Part L of the Building Regulations would not bring buildings close to ‘zero energy’ performance, but should be viewed as a minimum requirement
Unbalanced wind-farm planning exacerbates fluctuationsAugust 1, 2017
If Europe co-operated better in the field of wind energy, wind-power output would fluctuate less, according to research that combines analysis of weather patterns with Europe-wide wind electricity generation
Renewable gas in Ireland – potential benefits and challengesJuly 18, 2017
A new SEAI study shows that renewable gas could provide the equivalent of 28% of Ireland’s current gas supply by 2050 and identifies the key challenges that must be addressed to realise this potential, writes Matthew Clancy
Electric vehicle charging – best practice for sustainable developmentsJuly 18, 2017
As we face landmark changes in how we commute, we must examine the enablers for electric-vehicle charging. Mark Daly outlines how building developments must sustainably prepare for EVs and the technologies and standards involved
Engineer develops solar-powered buggies on the DIT Grangegorman campusJuly 4, 2017
PhD student Ayda Esfandyari has designed a charging station for solar-powered buggies on DIT's 73-acre Grangegorman campus. She now plans to add more buggies to the system in the future, and to use the charging station for electric bikes
Engineer unveils new spin on future of transistors with novel designJuly 4, 2017
The all-carbon, spintronic proposal could replace silicon transistors and lead to smaller, better performing structures in electronics
Engineering and medicine in the developing world – challenges and opportunitiesJuly 4, 2017
Sr Miriam Duggan MD, a missionary sister who has spent most of her life working in Africa, outlines the contribution of engineers to improving life in the developing world, where solar energy is transforming aid efforts and improvement programmes