Jarlaith's buzzing after competition win
A Ballyhaise student has scooped a €2,000 prize for an environmental project that examined ideas for the future of the electricity grid in Ireland.
Jarlaith Brady, a mechanical and sustainability engineering student in his final year in Dublin City University, won third place at the annual EirGrid Cleaner Grid Competition, following a recent event in Dublin.
The theme of this year's competition asked students to “present your vision of what the growing energy sector will need to look like in 2050 to have sustainably achieved net-zero emissions”.
Jarlaith's proposal 'The Transmission's Transition' described short, medium and long-term ideas for the future of the electricity grid in Ireland.
The prize purse of €2,000 is split between Jarlaith and his college - in this case DCU.
Jarlaith spoke positively of his experience in the competition. “This proposal is really a passion project for me. I felt I had a good understanding of the generation side, but this helped me also gain a greater insight into the transmission and infrastructure side. It’s so important for Ireland that we achieve our net-zero targets for a sustainable future, so I want to play my part in that solution.”
Entrants were asked to show how the grid will need to change to allow for more renewable sources. Other factors to consider included government policies, the impact on the economy, how the grid will need to adapt and the role technology can play to create a resilient energy system for the future.
Among the ideas put forward by the five competing teams of finalists from DCU, University of Galway, UCD and Trinity College Dublin included pumped hydro, leveraging our coasts through offshore wind and the use of artificial intelligence in grid enhancement.
Congratulating all the teams on an engaging series of presentations, EirGrid's Chief Innovation Officer, Liam Ryan, said students are at the forefront of the latest cutting-edge research through our universities, and we can learn so much from them.
“As we work towards delivering the Government targets for a decarbonised, sustainable, and strong economy, we recognise the importance of bringing students and young people with us on the journey as we transition to a clean, renewable energy grid.”
The judges were Joanna Donnelly, Meteorologist with Met Éireann; Vish Gain, Technology and Business Journalist with the Business Post; Professor John Barry, Professor of Green Political Economy at Queens University Belfast and EirGrid’s own Head of Engineering and Asset Management, Louise O’Flanagan.