What is Smart Energy?

Background

When Ardnacrusha, Irelands first hydroelectric generation station was commissioned in 1929 it met all of Ireland’s electricity demand with renewable energy. Such has been the growth in demand, Ardnacrusha satisfied only 1.2% of total demand in 2023.

As demand increased, our grid evolved to one heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels, to the detriment of the environment. This has also exposed us to international market pricing and supply insecurity. This Russian - Ukraine war drove energy prices to an all-time high in 2022.

To meet our target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030, we must transition to cleaner sources of energy. The integration of more renewable electricity onto the grid will also support emissions reduction in transport and heat in our transition to a low carbon economy.

Smart energy is a combination of using appliances, technologies and habits to manage and consume electricity in your home more efficiently and sustainably. You can start with a smart meter or switching to a smart tariff. This will set the foundation for understanding your energy use, the when and how much, to start your journey to smarter and more flexible energy use.

We use electricity in our homes for lighting, cooking, laundry, hygiene, entertainment and gadgets - the list goes on. The demand for electricity is constantly fluctuating according to our behaviour and lifestyle. Without large scale electricity storage solutions, the generation of electricity needs to be almost instantaneous to meet our fluctuating demand.

Ireland is a world leader in wind energy, producing 35% of our electricity demand in 2023. The potential is huge, but wind energy is intermittent, and this adds complexity to the rapid supply and demand balancing of traditional grid operations. Smart meters are part of the solution towards more efficient grid operation and the integration of intermittent renewable energy.

The residential sector now consumes 27% of Irelands electricity. We can all participate in the clean energy transition and make a real difference by rethinking how, and crucially when we use energy at home.

Peak electricity demand on the grid is 5-7pm. We meet this demand, typically, by switching on a fossil fuel generation station. This is the most expensive way to produce electricity financially and environmentally.

Smart meter data

Smart meters record readings at 30-minute intervals and send the data to ESB Networks. You can view your smart meter data through the ESB Networks portal. The key to managing electricity at home is understanding your electricity use. Smart meter data can show when you use most electricity and can indicate some of your electricity use habits.

Together we can make a difference - take control by doing things differently at home. Use energy more efficiently, and shift some of your use away from peak times.

There is lots of advice and support available.

• SEAI Reduce your use.
• ESB Networks - During the energy price crisis of 2022, you might remember Beat the Peak campaign? This has been replaced with Is this a good time programme.

Viewing your smart meter data will help you understand when and how much energy you use throughout the day. Your data can show how much energy is used during the night when everyone is asleep, for example. This is electricity use that may be from appliances unnecessarily on standby instead of switched off.

The cost of running some appliances might surprise you, those that heat up fast are usually bigger consumers. Consider the electric shower, oven and tumble dryer. Can you use them more efficiently to save money?

Smart Time of Use tariffs

Smart Time of Use tariffs (ToU) offer different prices for electricity depending on the time of day. Suppliers have surplus electricity at night and expensive electricity from 5-7pm. TOU tariffs intend to incentivise consumers to avoid peak times and shift some energy use to times of low demand. Check your patterns of use to see if a ToU tariff can save you money. Also, consider the potential to change these patterns to make the most savings from a ToU tariff.

Would you shower before 8am if the same shower 15 minutes later costs twice as much? Smart plugs and smart bulbs are easy to use devices that help shift some of your demand to off peak times.

No matter what stage of the smart energy journey you are at, having a smart meter means you can make a difference. Efforts to improve efficiency and demand shifting at home supports the integration of renewable electricity onto the grid and our low carbon future.

The smart meter roll-out is just the beginning of Irelands evolving smart network. Smart appliances are another step in smart energy, when your appliance ‘talks’ to the grid and choses a time to run according to when electricity is clean and cheap.

Login to ESB Networks online account My Smart Data and see what you might change.

It’s a good idea to subscribe to newsletters offered by suppliers and ESB Networks to keep up with smart grid developments and how you can participate.

Find some Energy saving tips on how to make your home more energy efficient, suppliers also share advice on their websites.