The piSCES Operation has been very successful and delivered significant on-site savings for the participating trial sites. The technology is implemented in several industrial sites where flexible load is inherent in their processes. Polar Fish in Killybegs run a cold storage facility to keep their pelagic products at low temperatures before shipping to market. As there is a temperature band the product must be maintained within, the refrigeration system can be ramped and down within these bands. As energy prices on the market vary on a half hour basis, flexible loads can be ramped up when price is low and down when expensive. piSCES developed profiles as to how these cold stores react under various criteria and Optimsation algorithms were used to control the processes to the best economic outcome. Actuation systems were also developed such that the platform remotely and automatically controlled the process based on the Optimisation results.

Another area with flexible loads is Ice Manufacture where processors require a daily amount of ice to chill and transport product. piSCES developed profiles of the energy and time to create a quantity of ice such that pre-set orders of ice can be made automatically at the best prices for a set time. This system was implemented in Arctic Fish in Killybegs and with the Port of Milford Haven in Wales. An energy cluster system was also developed in Milford Haven which facilitates energy sharing amongst the buildings within the port. Analysis and data monitoring were also completed at a number of other sites to facilitate energy optimisation.

These developments were recently discussed on our webinar entitled ‘The piSCES Platform – Leveraging Energy Flexibility and the Smart Grid’ as part of the projects Closure Event held on December 15th 2020. Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs opened the event with an overview of the landscape in which piSCES is developing this critical technology. Project partners and sites gave an extensive overview of the project and the impact the technology has had at industrial level. Sean Lyons, Principal Investigator of the piSCES Project & Technical Lead in TSSG, WIT discussed the details of the piSCES platform and its implementation across all the trial sites including the results achieved and how this technology fits with the Clean Energy Transition. All objectives have been fully achieved with ground breaking results which are successfully implemented at live sites. He thanked all stakeholders and in particular the funding agency, Interreg Ireland Wales, for all their help in helping the project realise its goals.

The technology developed in piSCES will be critical in the future smart grid. Energy Communities will play a significant role where consumers will become active in the market and take control of the energy profiles. This will include local generation and sharing of energy such that these communities can become sustainable. Technology will play a central role to give users the intelligence and control to integrate within the market and become energy prosumers. The RegEnergy project is bringing the Prediction & Optimisation technologies developed in piSCES into these Communities to deliver sustainable energy clusters.

piSCES held a very successful webinar entitled ‘The piSCES Platform – Leveraging Energy Flexibility and the Smart Grid’ as part of the projects Closure Event on December 15th 2020. Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs opened the event with an overview of the landscape in which piSCES is developing this critical technology. Sean Lyons, Principal Investigator of the piSCES Project & Technical Lead in TSSG, WIT gave some background to the projects objectives which provided a context for the upcoming speakers. Tam Bardell, Energy Development Manager at the Port of Milford Haven gave a synopsis of the work undertaken at the port which included the Optimisation of the Ice production facility as well as the completion of a clustering system across a number of buildings in the port. Martina O’Brien, Green Programme Co-ordinator at BIM gave an overview of the Irish fish processing industry and in particular, the trial sites that took part in the project. Atlantic Dawn Group in Killybegs is one of these Irish sites with piSCES incorporated and Philip Kelly gave an industry view of the advantages of working with such an R&D project and the significant savings which can be achieved. Dr Ioan Petri from Cardiff University then gave an overview of the simulation work they completed.

Finally, Sean Lyons discussed the details of the piSCES platform and its implementation across all the trial sites including the results achieved and how this technology fits with the Clean Energy Transition. He thanked all stakeholders and in particular the funding agency, Interreg Ireland Wales, for all their help in helping the project realise its goals. The event was excellently moderated by John McLaughlin, Senior Software Engineer with TSSG who also contributed to the development of the platform. The recording of the event is included here –

The piSCES Platform: Leveraging Energy Flexibility and the Smart Grid – Webinar December 2020

Countries with access to coastlines are renowned for their valuable renewable energy resources such as tides, currents, waves, onshore and offshore wind. As Island nations, Ireland and the UK benefit from access to the seas for industry and are home to a number of ports. However, ports are often energy-intensive and are subject to high costs due to the energy demand required by cold stores. Often the timing of the energy needed by port businesses fails to match up with the availability of energy production from renewable sources.

Join piSCES and Action Renewables for our virtual event, designed to demonstrate the solutions to this problem. From predicting energy usage via smart monitoring to developing local partnerships; learn how these available technologies will allow you to incorporate renewable energy and reduce costs, irrespective of industry.

Make sure to FOLLOW us and get notified about all our upcoming events in 2020.

Speakers:

Aaron Kernohan, Senior Project Manager, Action Renewables.

Aaron Kernohan is a Senior Project Manager at Action Renewables. With extensive experience working on a range of projects looking at various renewable energy technologies. From the basics of wind and solar, to the rapidly growing hydrogen market, Aaron conducts policy research and investigates the development of renewable technology led communities on across Europe. Aaron will be presenting on behalf of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency.

Sean Lyons, Technical Lead at TSSG, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

Sean Lyons is the technical lead of Waterford’s IT Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG). Sean drives the group’s focus into the energy challenges of moving from the old centralised model to the smart grid with distributed and renewable energy sources.
In the area of Renewable Energy, Sean’s work includes developing the piSCES platform which integrates local energy sources with variable loads and market tariffs. Incorporating variable and intermittent renewable technologies such as wind and solar is critical to decarbonising our environment and reducing our reliance on finite fossil fuels. Work includes forecasting and predicting the generation capabilities of these distributed resources based on a myriad of environmental and infrastructural conditions that affect them.
Sean will discuss piSCES which is developing a platform that aims to use smart grid technologies to reduce the costs and carbon footprinte of Energy Networks in the fish processing industry. He will look at how value can be realised by optimising load flexibility at industrial sites and how this can enable Energy Communities that are envisaged to be at the centre of the clean energy transition.

Katharine York, OMCE Manager at Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

The Grimbsy Renewables Partnership was established by a group of local businesses which anticipated the arrival of the offshore wind market. By gathering together, the area has had a stronger voice for attracting new investment and providing new opportunities in the supply chain for local business.
Katharine works full time for Siemens Gamesa, runs the GRP website and manages the GRP LinkedIn presence. She moved to work in the Offshore Wind Industry in Grimsby in 2012, and GRP helped her to make connections locally. Katharine is excited to see the prominent role that the Humber region is playing in this rapidly accelerating and essential industry. She is an advocate for WiME and the skills opportunities within the offshore wind industry.

Paul Olvhoj, Business Development Manager, Marine Services, Orkney Islands Council.

Paul has worked in Siberia and Nigeria as well as Dutch Company Furgro, conducting wireline logging and geotechnical surveys around the world. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (MICS). Paul is now the Business Development Manager for the Orkney Islands Council and is responsible for the development of the core business incomes for Marine Services. He will give us an insight into the Harbours Masterplan and developments around Scotwind and other renewables.

Registration Information:

Our event will be hosted via Zoom Webinar. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email. Further details on how to join the event on 26 August 2020 at 10:30am will be sent to your registered email, prior to the start date.

**NOTE** – Spaces for this event are limited, so please register early to secure your spot.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smart-renewable-energy-communities-in-coastal-settings-tickets-115855740639

Thanks to all members participating for all hard work. Project is evolving, we have great results from both trial sites. Companies have been already making some savings and making good impact to decarbonising our energy systems.

Development team is receiving customers feedback regarding piSCES interface and adapting changes accordingly.

Launch the latest version of the platform for trails site.

And piSCES technical meeting was held in Milford Haven on the 20th of February. First trials are starting in the port’s Ice Plant. Development team is receiving customers feedback regarding piSCES interface and adapting changes accordingly.

Latest version of home view.

TSSG will be the lead investigator in a €1.8m EU funded project “piSCES” to examine risks posed by climate change on both sides of the Irish Sea

Waterford Institute of Technology’s, Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) is the lead investigator in a €1.8m EU-funded project, piSCES, which will support the scientific investigation of the opportunities and risks posed by climate change on both sides of the Irish Sea. Included is the deployment of technology to reduce energy costs and help businesses develop new products and processes will be investigated within the project.

The funding will be used to develop and test a new “smart grid” electricity network to help reduce energy costs for the fisheries industry in Ireland and Wales. TSSG are lead investigators on the piSCES project which will have a significant impact on the overall fisheries industry in Ireland.

The piSCES project was launched in Dublin recently and followed the operations first Steering Group meeting held at the same location. Senator Paudie Coffey formally launched the piSCES Project, which involves innovative collaboration in the smart energy sector between WIT, Cardiff University, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Port of Milford Haven. It is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation programme.

Sean Lyons, Tech Lead at TSSG, opened the launch proceedings by saying, “I would like to acknowledge the support of the Interreg programme which has a strong track record in supporting regional development initiatives in the past and is now supporting new technologies and knowledge transfer to help meet our climate change obligations”.

As a former Minister of State in the Department of Environment, Senator Coffey helped steer the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act through the Oireachtas in 2015.

He discussed how piSCES relates to government policy in relation to skills, the environment and the low carbon economy as he officially launched the project.

Senator Coffey said “Ireland faces huge challenges in achieving their climate change obligations to reduce our carbon emissions – innovative projects like piSCES can help us achieve carbon reductions in specific industries like the fishing sector, by delivering smart energy management systems that benefits the industry itself and delivers on tangible carbon reduction in our economy.”

David Kelly, Assistant Director – EU Programmes Division of the Southern Regional Assembly also speaking at the launch said: “This project is a great example of how organisations collaborating across the Irish sea, with the support of EU Funds, can innovate together to assist SMEs address common challenges of reducing energy costs whilst also reducing their carbon footprint.”
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