8. ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION
Energy RD&D programmes
Institutional framework
The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) is responsible for setting Ireland’s energy RD&D policy and for providing funding for applied research, and research for policy, development, demonstration and innovation.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) allocates funding among the different RD&D programmes and co-ordinates the overall RD&D investment portfolio on behalf of the DCCAE. The SEAI also supports the DCCAE in policy development and in developing future energy research policies by generating the necessary evidence base.
The Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation is the co-ordinator for science, technology, engineering and mathematics research and innovation in Ireland and has the largest budget for investing in research in Ireland.
The Environmental Protection Agency has statutory responsibility for co-ordinating environmental research in Ireland, with a particular focus on climate change, water and sustainability.
Energy RD&D is a cross-cutting field that involves various sectors and thus affects different government departments and agencies, including the following:
Department of Planning, Housing and Local Government.
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Marine Institute.
Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
Department of Education and Skills.
Science Foundation Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland.
The Irish private sector also plays an important role in energy RD&D, either through stand-alone initiatives or in collaboration with public institutions. Private sector RD&D spending is helping to leverage public funds and also ensures the continued relevance of research to outcome commercialisation and practical applicability. For example, awards made under the SEAI RD&D funding programme often require varying levels of co-investment from the private sector.
A good example is the International Energy Research Centre that was established in 2013 with a funding commitment of up to EUR 20 million. The centre works with companies on research projects, primarily in demand-side management, and leveraged this with additional funding from industry and competitive funding calls.
Co-ordination among the multiple public and private actors involved in energy RD&D in Ireland has been significantly enhanced since the last in-depth review (IDR) in 2012.
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ENERGY SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION
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