Energy efficiency initiative for Irish industry announced

Pro

17 December 2012

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD, have announced a new €1.69 million energy efficiency research project that hopes to significantly reduce energy costs for industry and create jobs.

The Total Energy Management for Production Operations (TEMPO) research project will focus on establishing effective means for monitoring total energy consumption during manufacturing processes so as to reduce overall energy costs. It is hoped that the results of the research will allow international and indigenous companies to identify areas where they can significantly reduce their energy costs.

This project is a cross-border collaboration between Limerick Institute of Technology and the University of Ulster, funded through the International Energy Research Centre (IERC) located at Tyndall National Institute, Cork.

 

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"This research project, with its strong focus on reducing energy costs for industry, is exactly the type of initiative we want to see coming from Ireland’s research community," said Minister Rabbitte. "It clearly demonstrates the benefits that come from linking our research capability with industry needs, and from developing integrated energy projects that can deliver measurable cost-effective solutions. Energy efficiencies are strategically highly important both to industry and to the national economy and this research initiative underpins the Government’s objectives in this important area."

"A key part of the Government’s plan for economic growth and job creation," said Minister Bruton, "is to turn good ideas into good jobs by supporting and investing in Irish research capability and the commercialisation of this research. We are committed to supporting high-tech research in our universities and institutes and to driving increased research-industry collaboration. Today’s announcement is an excellent example of what we are trying to achieve throughout investment in research-concrete ideas which can be used by companies to solve problems and create jobs. Through continued implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs, I am determined to ensure we can see more initiatives like this to help create the jobs and growth we need."

The principal scientist with the TEMPO project is John Cosgrove, director of the ACORN Research Group at Limerick Institute of Technology, working with Professor Martin McGinnity, director of the Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at University of Ulster’s Magee campus and Professor Neil Hewitt, director of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) at the University of Ulster’s Jordanstown campus.

 

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