Innovation from good idea to commercial reality
Identifying the challenges to position Ireland to a leading innovator in
smart grids / renewable energy
 What is a smart grid?
 What does it involve and what is required to make it work? Is it confined
to the Grid?
 What makes countries good at innovation ?
 How does policy effect innovation and how to create the right
environment
 Technology is the easy bit, getting it to deliver what is needed in the right
environment is the difficult bit.
 50 years ago next year a decision was made to allow innovation take
place in the US, that happened on the back of policy.
 The need to identify and set challenges
 How to meet the challengeOisin
? McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd
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Required to meet the challenge
 Vision Big problem needs a big leader to deliver the vision.
 Willingness for the state and semi state companies to embrace and support this
vision. Ease of implementing new technology?
 People and customers ie a community ! Customers are either “informed and engaged”
or “uninformed and disengaged”
 Willingness and joined up thinking of the organizations to deliver this vision.
 Willingness to make the community a green leader to promote green energy and
sustainability
“ Innovation and engineering“
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Oisin McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd
What can “old-fashioned” Innovation and Engineering contribute to it ?

Testing new generation technology, why does ireland not manufacture equipment for the
grid or renewable energy sector?
 Ensuring on a small scale that what we build today will deliver what we require in the future In
finding solutions to these constraints, we need to consider whether we are addressing the needs of
 each generator individually of the needs of the cluster as a whole.
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Brings people together from different backrounds to solve problems including
communications, controls, planners, utilities and venture monies.
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Job Creation
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Product and export opportuntity for Irish business

R&D must change to being a bottom up approach rather than a top down
Oisin McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd
What can Ireland offer in the smart grid area
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Ireland has very valuable unique advantages as a perfect test validation and demonstration
location
It has an island Grid with limited interconnectivity coupled with highly variable wind and hydro
inputs throughout the seasons.
We have the opportunity to invite world leading technology developers and providers to base
their leading edge smart grid demos in Ireland
ESB Through Networks offers a new 20kv network with a strong International credibility
Large consumers that want to participate in smart being part of efficient energy usage
Oisin McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd
SMART GRIDS THE CHALLENGES
 1: REGULATORY CHALLENGES
 2: END USERS
 3: POLICY / VISION JOINED UP THINKING IE 1 OWNER
 4: STIMULATE INNOVATION AND CULTURE CHANGE TO BRING
ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDUSTRY TO ALLOW UTILITIES
REDUCE THEIR COSTS AND CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT
INDUSTRY.
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Oisin McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd
DON’T KNOW, DON’T CARE…
WHATS GOING ON:
-Malicious Media ?
-Ignorant Public ?
- Manipulation by vested interests?
...OR LACK OF WISDOM BY THE SECTOR
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Oisin McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd
How does Ireland become a leader in to meet the challenge ?
What is required to Position Ireland as a Leading innovator in Embedded
Generation and Smart Technology
THANK YOU
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Oisin McCann, Enersol BMCC Energy Ltd