The smart device uses excess heat from excess renewable energy to power the immersion

EnergyCloud, an AWS initiative that will benefit 150 homes in Galway

Life

John Mullins, EnergyCloud; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Department Hildegarde Naughton; Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Alan Dillon; Neil Morris of AWS

More than 150 Galway families will soon have homes equipped with an EnergyCloud-enabled smart device that will enable them to use free hot water tanks from surplus renewable energy as part of Galway’s new EnergyCloud project with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The device uses excess renewable energy that would otherwise be wasted to heat immersion tanks.

Neil Morris, country director for AWS in Ireland, said: “AWS has been investing in Ireland for over 15 years and our partnership with EnergyCloud Ireland underlines our ongoing commitment to local communities. EnergyCloud Ireland is a great example of an innovative technology solution where businesses can work together to make a positive social impact.”

Wind Energy Ireland CEO Noel Cunniffe commented: “EnergyCloud’s vision is to use wind energy that would otherwise be wasted to provide hot water to homes living in fuel poverty. As a country, we are working towards 80% of Ireland’s electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030, which will make us much more dependent on the weather. Initiatives like EnergyCloud help maximize the use of energy when the wind blows, while also helping people affected by energy poverty.

John Mullins, CEO of EnergyCloud Ireland, added: “This support from Amazon Web Services will enable EnergyCloud to support families across Galway. Access to free renewable energy means families participating in the EnergyCloud project can simultaneously save money on electricity while reducing their use of fossil fuels. The project benefits both parties because we work together to create solutions for surplus energy, rather than simply turning off wind turbines and solar panels. For example, according to EirGrid, 5,480 GWh of renewable wind energy was dispatched between 2018 and 2023. This energy could have heated 1.825 billion hot water tanks and the approximate retail value of this wasted wind energy was €1.592 billion.”

TechCentral reporters

Read more: Amazon Web Services AWS EnergyCloud Green Sustainability