NovoGrid, an Irish software company that optimises energy delivery, has announced the successful completion of a two-year pilot project with ESB Networks at SSE Renewables’ Richfield wind farm in Co Wexford.

Using GridBoost, NovoGrid’s proprietary grid edge intelligence software, SSE Renewables saved more than 300,000kWh of renewable electricity, enough to power 70 Irish homes for a year, during the project period. This amount of electricity would have previously been lost in delivery on the grid.

Removes inefficiencies in renewable generators

GridBoost a patented technology which automates and removes inefficiencies in renewable generators and electrical grid operations was developed by Professor Andrew Keane and his team at University College Dublin (UCD). NovoGrid, a UCD spin-out company, was established to commercialise the technology.

Professor Andrew Keane, UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, co-founder and CTO, NovoGrid said: “Completing the GridBoost pilot project with the ESB and SSE is a key milestone for the company, after a long and rigorous process, resulting in the saving of a significant amount of energy.

“The world is shifting away from fossil fuel to decentralised energy resources and technologies such as GridBoost are needed by grid operators and renewable generators to manage that transition in an efficient and rapidly scalable way.”

A 2015 Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) funded report found that installing GridBoost across the Irish wind farm fleet would save Irish energy customers €2.2 million in costs and 16,300 tons of CO₂ per year.

Such benefits equate to a significant percentage of the emissions targets for the electricity sector by 2030 as laid out in the government’s Climate Action Plan 2019. In addition, these emission reductions would be achieved at a negative abatement cost.

Trials under way in Germany

NovoGrid’s GridBoost is already installed in a number of wind farms in the UK and trials are also under way in Germany.

Paul Manning, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, NovoGrid said: “Today’s results announcement from our first Irish pilot installation is exciting but challenges remain.”

“While we now have successfully demonstrated GridBoost in a pilot in Ireland, the Irish regulations are over two decades old and have failed to keep pace with technology. We cannot currently sell GridBoost in Ireland until they are updated.

"We would ask the government, in light of the new Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill, to prioritise this quick win for Ireland towards achieving the vital 7% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions.

“NovoGrid’s current focus is on growing our sales in the UK and other advanced markets.”