Dingle in Co Kerry will today be unveiled as a demonstration town by ESB Networks to test how the smart electricity network of the future will operate. New and existing homes will be fitted with solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and battery storage as part of a €4m demonstration project to see how the grid copes with additional demands for power.
High-tech equipment will also be used to measure consumption, help the grid to “heal itself” in the event of outages by transferring power to homes through other lines and assess how the system deals with outages caused by extreme weather. Details will be revealed today at the launch of ESB Networks’ Innovation Strategy, which aims to meet the challenge of a changing energy market, deploying technology to help drive the shift to a low-carbon future.