A test-bed facility to examine ideas for future energy-saving products and services in a real environment has been opened at Cork Institute of Technology by Sean Sherlock, TD, Minister for Research & Innovation. This ‘National Sustainable Building Energy Test Bed’ was launched in CIT’s Nimbus Centre. The event was attended by key players in the Building Energy sector, including existing testbed user, Exergyn and United Technologies Research Centre Ireland Ltd. (UTRC-Ireland), which designed and established the test bed in partnership with CIT.

The test-bed facility is now available to national and international commercial entities within the energy space as an enabler to trial Research & Development work, particularly within the areas of Demand Side Management, Smart Grid and Intermittent Generation. The test bed is also available for experimental work to other Higher Education Institutions and researchers through European Commission-funded research projects.

Online and press coverage of the event is recorded here.

L-R: Dr Dirk Pesch, Nimbus Centre Head; Minister Sean Sherlock, TD; Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT.

What this really means is an availability to test ideas for future energy-saving products and services in a real environment since the test bed actually controls the energy demands of large office spaces and residential areas within the CIT campus. The proof of concept here leads to full-scale deployment into towns and smart cities later, with the knowledge that the prototype ideas have been thoroughly tested in a live environment.

The Nimbus Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for embedded systems research, development and demonstration. The centre’s 65 researchers and engineers focus on hardware, systems integration and networking in application fields including Energy, Water, Security, and user interfaces. Nimbus’ TEC Gateway has extensive involvement with more than 140 Irish SMEs, delivering technological advances nationally and internationally.

Minister Sean Sherlock, who launched the test bed, said, “The National Sustainable Building Energy Test Bed will allow companies and third-level institutions all over Ireland to trial Energy technology innovations and boost job creation while simultaneously saving energy.”

Pictured at the Nimbus Centre L-R Dr Dirk Pesch, Nimbus Centre Head; Dr Brendan Murphy, CIT President; Minister Sean Sherlock, TD; James Fritz, Director of Operations, UTRC; John Milton-Benoit,UTRC-I.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Brendan Murphy, President of CIT, said, “This exciting initiative is an example of CIT’s innovation ecosystem working for Ireland. Our goal is to offer this facility to the Nation’s businesses and institutions and lead a new kind of innovation that impacts on our daily lives and inspires creativity.”

James Fritz, Director of Operations, UTRC, also spoke at the event.

“UTRC-Ireland has found CIT’s expertise in the areas of ICT and embedded systems to be extensive and comparable, if not exceeding, best-in-class in Europe,” he stated. “Our collaboration with CIT, and the dynamic, forward-thinking approach of the college has led directly to our partnership on a number of successful European FP7 programs. In addition, CIT has provided valuable outputs, through direct contracts, which have advanced our company’s strategic research agenda.”

The National Sustainable Building Energy Test Bed is managed by Dave Hamilton in the Nimbus Centre, CIT.

The CIT Energy Co-ordinator is Rene Peeren; Rene.Peeren@cit.ie.

For more details call (021) 433 5560