CIT led consortium launches National Agricultural Energy Optimisation Platform
Published on: Monday, 14 September 2020
A consortium led by the MeSSO Research Group in CIT, consisting of Teagasc, Met Éireann and the SEAI, recently launched the national agricultural energy optimisation platform (AEOP).
The launch of AEOP realizes a decade’s worth of high quality R&D carried out by Dr Michael D. Murphy and Dr Philip Shine of MeSSO Research group at CIT and Dr John Upton of Teagasc, Moorepark, in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Bord Bia, and Met Éireann.
This highly applied research encourages the deployment of optimal renewable energy and energy efficient technologies throughout the Irish agri-sector via informed decision making.
AEOP enables farmers, industry professionals and policy makers to identify the most beneficial energy technologies with regard to the long-term financial and environmental impact associated with their installation, on a farm-to-farm basis. These technologies range from solar thermal, photovoltaics, wind turbines, variable speed drives, heat recovery and plate cooling systems, while AEOP also allows for user specific input conditions related to electricity pricing tariffs, demand side management, availability of grant aid and feed-in-tariffs to be varied and assessed.
Integrating mathematical modelling with advanced optimisation algorithms, AEOP represents the first of its kind decision support tool aimed specifically towards the agri-energy sector, while also being highly aligned with Ireland’s Climate Action plan, National Mitigation Plan, National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, and National Renewable Energy Action Plan.
Government policy has put forward ambitious targets for the agri-food sector, aiming for very large increases in overall production and an 85% increase in exports by 2025.
As food production with corresponding energy consumption and GHG emissions rapidly increase, the selection and proliferation of optimal renewable energy and energy efficient technologies for the agri-food sector is essential for Ireland to meet its future energy and environmental obligations.
- AEOP can be freely accessed through: https://messo.cit.ie/agri-energy
