Tag: connections

How Teachers Can Integrate AI Tools in Irish Classrooms Without Formal Training

The gap between AI adoption and teacher preparedness in Irish schools is striking. Recent research from Microsoft and 3Gem found that 83% of Irish teachers lack formal training in AI, yet 72% support increased use of AI tools in their classrooms. This disconnect leaves thousands of educators wanting to use AI but uncertain where to start. The good news: you don’t need formal certification to begin using AI tools effectively in your teaching. What you need is a practical framework, sensible boundaries, and the confidence to learn alongside your students.

Irish classrooms are already among Europe’s most digitally advanced, with Ireland’s digital education transformation positioning schools ahead of many European counterparts. Teachers already use digital technologies to improve productivity and personalise learning—87% report using digital tools to optimise classroom time. AI represents the next step in this progression, not a complete departure from existing practice.

Why Formal Training Isn’t Always Necessary

Waiting for formal AI training before using these tools means missing opportunities that benefit students right now. AI tools designed for education are increasingly intuitive, with interfaces built for users without technical backgrounds. The same teachers who learned to use interactive whiteboards, learning management systems, and video conferencing during the pandemic can learn AI tools through similar approaches: experimentation, peer support, and gradual integration.

The Microsoft research reveals an interesting pattern: schools that adopt AI quickly report less concern about training gaps than slower-adopting schools. In fast-adopting institutions, only 32% cite insufficient training as a major barrier, compared to 67% in schools slower to adopt. This suggests that hands-on experience reduces perceived training needs—teachers who start using AI tools build confidence through practice rather than waiting for formal instruction.

“Technology in education should support teachers rather than replace their expertise,” notes Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole and former teacher with over 15 years of classroom experience. “The best approach is starting with simple applications that solve real classroom problems, then building from there.”

Starting Points for AI in Irish Classrooms

The most effective entry point for AI in teaching isn’t the most sophisticated application—it’s the one that saves you time on tasks you already do. Begin with administrative and planning tasks before moving to student-facing applications.

Lesson Planning and Resource Adaptation

AI tools can generate lesson plan outlines, suggest differentiation strategies, and adapt existing resources for different ability levels. A teacher preparing a history lesson on the Great Famine might use AI to generate discussion questions at varying complexity levels, create simplified text versions for struggling readers, or suggest extension activities for advanced learners.

The key is treating AI output as a starting point rather than a finished product. Review everything, adjust for your specific class, and add the contextual knowledge only you possess about your students. AI doesn’t know that Seán struggles with reading but excels in oral discussion, or that your Third Class has particular interest in local history. You add that expertise.

Feedback and Assessment Support

Writing individualised feedback consumes enormous teacher time. AI tools can help generate initial feedback drafts that you then personalise and refine. For a set of 30 creative writing pieces, AI might identify common issues across the class, suggest specific praise points, and flag pieces needing closer attention—reducing a three-hour task to one hour of focused work.

This application works particularly well because you remain in control of final communication with students and parents. AI handles the time-consuming initial analysis while you make professional judgements about what feedback each student actually needs.

Differentiated Resource Creation

Creating multiple versions of worksheets and activities for mixed-ability classes traditionally requires significant preparation time. AI can generate variations of resources at different reading levels, with varied scaffolding, or with alternative question formats—all from a single source document.

For Irish teachers managing classes with wide ability ranges, this capability transforms planning. Instead of choosing between teaching to the middle or spending hours creating differentiated materials, you can generate appropriate resources for each ability group efficiently.

AI Tools Suitable for Irish Primary Classrooms

Not all AI tools suit educational contexts. Teachers need applications that are age-appropriate, safe for school use, and aligned with Irish educational values around child protection and data privacy.

Text-Based AI Assistants

General AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude can support lesson planning, resource creation, and administrative tasks. These work best for teacher-facing applications rather than direct student use in primary settings. Use them to generate quiz questions, explain difficult concepts in child-friendly language, or brainstorm creative approaches to teaching challenging topics.

When using these tools, avoid inputting student names, personal information, or sensitive data. Frame requests around general classroom scenarios rather than specific children.

Educational Platforms with Built-In AI

Some educational resource platforms now incorporate AI to personalise learning pathways and provide adaptive practice. LearningMole offers curriculum-aligned video content and teaching resources that teachers can use to supplement AI-assisted planning, providing quality-assured materials that work alongside AI tools.

These platforms offer safer environments for student interaction because they’re designed with educational safeguarding in mind. Content is curated, age-appropriate, and aligned with curriculum expectations.

Image and Presentation Tools

AI image generators can create custom illustrations for teaching materials, though teachers should review all output for appropriateness. Presentation tools with AI features can help structure content logically and suggest visual improvements.

For Irish teachers, these tools prove particularly useful for creating materials with local relevance—images depicting Irish landscapes, historical scenes, or cultural contexts that generic stock imagery often misses.

Practical Implementation Framework

Moving from occasional AI experimentation to systematic integration requires a structured approach. This framework helps teachers build AI use gradually without overwhelming themselves or their students.

Week One: Personal Productivity

Start with applications that don’t involve students at all. Use AI to draft parent communications, generate meeting agendas, or summarise long documents. This builds familiarity with AI interaction patterns—how to phrase requests effectively, how to evaluate output, how to iterate toward better results.

Keep a simple log of what works and what doesn’t. Note which types of requests produce useful output and which need significant revision. This personal experience base informs later classroom applications.

Weeks Two and Three: Planning Support

Expand to lesson planning support. Use AI to generate activity ideas, discussion questions, or assessment criteria. Compare AI suggestions against your professional judgement and existing resources. You’ll quickly identify where AI adds value and where it falls short for your specific teaching context.

Try having AI adapt existing resources for different ability levels. Take a worksheet you’ve used successfully and ask for simplified and extended versions. Evaluate whether these adaptations actually suit your students’ needs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi-6WQyUgaY 

Week Four and Beyond: Selective Student Applications

Only after building personal confidence should you consider student-facing applications. Start with highly structured uses where you control the interaction—perhaps displaying AI-generated discussion prompts or using AI-created differentiated materials.

For older primary students, supervised AI use might include generating research questions, creating writing prompts, or exploring “what if” scenarios in history or science. Always preview AI outputs before student exposure and frame AI as a tool that makes mistakes, requiring critical evaluation.

Addressing Common Concerns

Teachers hesitating to use AI often cite specific concerns that, once addressed, become manageable rather than prohibitive.

Data Protection and Privacy

Irish schools operate under GDPR and specific DES guidance on data protection. AI tools raise legitimate questions about where data goes and how it’s used. The practical response: never input personal student data, names, or identifying information into AI tools. Frame all requests around anonymous, general classroom scenarios.

For teacher-facing applications, this restriction rarely limits usefulness. You can ask AI to help plan a lesson on fractions without mentioning any student names. You can generate differentiated resources for “a mixed-ability Third Class” without identifying specific children.

Academic Integrity

Concerns about students using AI to complete work dishonestly require age-appropriate responses. In primary settings, direct AI misuse is less common than in secondary and higher education. Focus instead on building critical evaluation skills—teaching children that AI can be wrong, that it doesn’t understand context, and that human judgement matters.

When students do use AI-supported tools, frame this as appropriate use of available technology rather than cheating. The goal is developing skills to work effectively with AI, not pretending it doesn’t exist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0PuL73lMQc 

Quality and Accuracy

AI tools produce confident-sounding output that may contain errors, outdated information, or cultural assumptions that don’t fit Irish contexts. Teachers must review all AI-generated content before use, just as they would review any external resource.

This requirement isn’t unique to AI—textbooks contain errors, websites become outdated, and imported resources assume different educational systems. The teacher’s professional role includes evaluating and adapting all materials, regardless of source.

Over-Reliance

Some teachers worry that AI will deskill the profession or make teaching impersonal. The opposite proves true when AI is used appropriately: by reducing time on administrative tasks, AI frees teachers to focus on the relational, creative, and responsive aspects of teaching that no technology can replicate.

AI cannot read the mood of a classroom, notice that a child seems withdrawn, or adjust a lesson because the energy is different today. These human skills become more valuable, not less, as AI handles routine tasks.

Building Confidence Through Peer Learning

Formal training programmes exist—the Microsoft Dream Space Teacher Academy offers free AI skills development for Irish teachers—but peer learning often proves more immediately useful. Teachers learn best from colleagues who’ve solved similar problems in similar contexts.

Staffroom Sharing

Informal conversations about AI successes and failures accelerate collective learning. When one teacher discovers an effective way to use AI for report writing, sharing that approach benefits the whole staff. Schools might designate brief time in staff meetings for AI tool sharing, creating space for practical exchange without requiring extensive formal development.

School-Based Champions

Some teachers naturally embrace new technologies and can support colleagues’ learning. Without creating additional workload, schools might recognise these informal champions and create opportunities for them to share expertise. A ten-minute demonstration of AI-assisted planning might inspire colleagues to experiment independently.

Online Communities

Irish teacher communities on social media and professional networks increasingly discuss AI applications. These spaces offer access to broader experience than any single school provides, with teachers sharing specific prompts, workflows, and cautionary tales from their own practice.

Curriculum Connections

AI integration works best when aligned with existing curriculum goals rather than added as separate technology instruction. The Irish Primary Curriculum’s emphasis on skills development provides natural connections.

Critical Thinking

Evaluating AI output develops critical thinking skills explicitly valued in the curriculum. When students assess whether an AI-generated text is accurate, well-written, or appropriate, they practice analysis and evaluation skills transferable across subjects.

Communication

Using AI effectively requires clear communication—precise requests produce better output. Students learning to interact with AI develop skills in clarity, specificity, and iterative refinement that support writing and speaking development.

Creativity

AI tools can support creative work by generating starting points, suggesting alternatives, or providing constraints that spark imagination. A student stuck on a story opening might use AI-generated prompts as inspiration while maintaining ownership of their creative choices.

The Role of Quality Teaching Resources

AI tools work best alongside high-quality teaching resources rather than replacing them. AI can generate rough content quickly, but polished, curriculum-aligned, pedagogically sound resources require human expertise and careful development.

Platforms offering structured educational content complement AI tools by providing reliable starting points that AI can help adapt and extend. When planning a science unit, a teacher might use video resources from established educational platforms for core instruction, then use AI to generate extension activities, differentiated worksheets, and assessment questions aligned with that content.

This combination—curated resources for core content, AI for adaptation and extension—offers efficiency without sacrificing quality. Teachers maintain professional control over what students learn while reducing time spent on routine resource creation.

Moving Forward Responsibly

AI in Irish education will continue developing regardless of individual teachers’ choices. The question isn’t whether to engage with AI but how to do so in ways that benefit students while maintaining professional standards and educational values.

Starting small, maintaining critical oversight, and building gradually from personal productivity to classroom application provides a manageable pathway. Teachers who begin this journey now, even without formal training, position themselves and their students well for an educational landscape where AI literacy becomes increasingly expected.

The 83% of Irish teachers lacking formal AI training aren’t failing—they’re facing a professional development system that hasn’t kept pace with technological change. By taking initiative to learn through practice, these teachers demonstrate exactly the adaptability and commitment to improvement that makes Irish education strong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need formal AI training before using AI tools in my classroom? No. Many AI tools are designed for users without technical backgrounds. Start with simple applications for personal productivity, build familiarity through practice, and expand gradually. Hands-on experience often reduces perceived training needs more effectively than formal courses.

What AI tools are safe for use in Irish primary schools? Teacher-facing tools like ChatGPT and Claude work well for planning and resource creation when you avoid inputting student personal data. Educational platforms with built-in AI features designed for school use offer safer options for student-facing applications, as they’re built with appropriate safeguards.

How can I use AI without compromising student data protection? Never input student names, personal information, or identifying details into AI tools. Frame all requests around anonymous, general scenarios. For example, ask for resources suitable for “a mixed-ability Third Class” rather than naming specific children or their characteristics.

Will using AI make me a less effective teacher? Used appropriately, AI makes teachers more effective by handling routine tasks and freeing time for the relational, creative, and responsive work that defines excellent teaching. AI cannot replace professional judgement, classroom presence, or understanding of individual students.

How do I evaluate whether AI-generated content is suitable for my classroom? Review all AI output before use, checking for accuracy, age-appropriateness, and alignment with Irish curriculum expectations. Apply the same critical evaluation you’d use for any external resource. AI content is a starting point for professional refinement, not a finished product.

What’s the best way to start using AI as a teacher? Begin with personal productivity tasks that don’t involve students: drafting communications, generating meeting agendas, or summarising documents. Build familiarity with AI interaction patterns before moving to planning support and eventually selective student-facing applications.

Conclusion

Irish teachers don’t need to wait for formal training to begin benefiting from AI tools. The practical framework outlined here—starting with personal productivity, expanding to planning support, and eventually incorporating selective student applications—provides a manageable path for any teacher willing to experiment and learn.

The gap between AI enthusiasm and training provision in Irish education creates an opportunity for teachers to lead their own professional development. By engaging thoughtfully with AI tools now, building critical evaluation skills, and maintaining focus on educational values, teachers prepare themselves and their students for an educational future where AI literacy matters increasingly.

Quality teaching resources, professional judgement, and human relationships remain at the heart of excellent education. AI tools enhance rather than replace these fundamentals—when used by teachers confident enough to experiment, critical enough to evaluate, and focused enough to keep student benefit central to every decision.

From Reach to Real Impact: 7 Smart Social Media Strategies for Growing Brands

In today’s digital world, social media is at the heart of brand engagement. It is no longer merely a medium related to visibility; it is an important vehicle for building identity, trust, and engagement with an audience. All interactions, posts, and comments contribute to brand perception and impact purchasing decisions. Brands that want to persistently grow must do more than look at vanity metrics—likes and shares—to create real engagement that resonates emotionally and intellectually. Expert branding consultancy services drive this process, assisting organizations with creating and sustaining an online presence aligned with their values and audiences’ preferences. Building from reach to real impact requires a thoughtful approach to an authentic narrative that promotes connection, relevance, and purpose.

7 Smart Social Media Strategies for Growing Brands

1. Harnessing Cultural Insights to Create Deeper Connections

Identifying audiences requires more than simply demographic analysis; it requires an understanding of the culture in which the audience inhabits. Utilizing cultural insights equips brands to engage in the social conversations tied to the audience and reflect their values and trends that matter to them. When brands engage with their audience’s beliefs and cultures, it creates authenticity that cannot be bought and manufactured through paid campaigns. Recognizing and celebrating community moments, tying into relevant conversations, or highlighting regional influences places the brand in a comfortable, relatable, human pillar rather than the traditional corporate voice.

2. Developing a Consistent and Distinct Brand Voice

Each post, comment, or caption plays a role, however big or small, in developing how a brand is perceived.  Being consistent with a tone (professional, conversational, funny, or inspirational) creates familiarity and builds trust. Visuals, language, and responses should all reinforce this voice across all platforms. If a tone is inconsistent, audiences can become confused, and the identity can be weakened.  When a style guide is built to outline the tone and imagery to use as the model for your voice, it ensures that every brand communication showcases the same essence, so the audience can recognize the brand in any format.

3. Prioritizing Storytelling Over Selling

Social media is all about storytelling—stories that inspire people by touching on emotion, value, and the personal side of a brand. Instead of promoting products constantly, the best stories are about journeys, struggles, and stories behind the success. Sharing a customer’s experience, a behind-the-scenes look at a service or product, and the people who work at your organization creates transparency and relatability. A better story ties back to the purpose we often refer to; that story goes further and sticks with the reader longer than one that is only about ‘selling’ and positions the brand as a brand that connects with people rather than simply an advertisement.

4. Embracing Data Analytics for Smarter Decision-Making

Numbers have their own stories to tell. Social media analytics provides insights into audience behavior, content performance, and engagement trends. By observing key metrics, such as engagement rates, demographic audiences, and sentiment, brands can determine how to optimize and adjust. Data helps turn strategy into information. Frequent analysis gives a brand the ability to be agile to shifts in trends while maintaining a consistent message.

5. Leveraging Influencer Partnerships Strategically

Influencers are still incredibly important in linking brands to communities. The right influencer partnership builds credibility, especially if the influencer aligns with brand values. Rather than counting up followers, for successful partnerships, we prioritize authenticity and audience trust. For example, micro-influencers often create more engagement due to their niche communities. As part of a larger marketing effort, brands can grow reach and maintain authentic connections with their audiences by leveraging influencer content.

6. Integrating Social Responsibility into Brand Messaging

Contemporary consumers expect brands to operate positively. Showing sustainability initiatives, community projects, or good ethical conduct earns trust and affinity from consumers. When a brand shares social media content that truly demonstrates a commitment—like a commitment to environmentally-friendly practices, or inclusivity, for example—it shows it is accountable in ways beyond profits. The more a brand provides transparency about its impact, the better it creates a positive reputation when trying to attract values-driven consumers who prefer to only engage with brands that make an impact.

7. Encouraging Two-Way Engagement and Community Building

Social media should not be a simple broadcast for only one party. Participating in the dialogue (replying to comments, resharing user posts, or hosting activities) fosters community and trust. Audiences enjoy being acknowledged and included. Polls, Q&As, and participation campaigns help convert a passive follower into an active contributor. Once people feel that they are all on the same journey together, they will advocate for your brand. The most powerful social presence does not dominate; it starts a conversation.

End Point

Sustainable growth on social media requires more than being seen. It is built on authenticity, connection, and adaptability. Combining creativity with data, empathy with analysis, and storytelling with responsibility can help brands create impact and improve their overall presence online. These seven strategies serve as a guide for growth that doesn’t go away, turning brands into members of their community, rather than a voice in the crowd. Real impact occurs when social media is more than a marketing tool, but a device driven by purpose.

Viatel and SIRO celebrate 1,000 enterprise connections, powering INTERSPORT Elverys’ national network

Viatel Technology Group, the country’s leading business technology and cybersecurity provider, is celebrating its 1,000th enterprise connection with SIRO, Ireland’s first 100% Fibre First wholesale network. This positions Viatel as a key SIRO enterprise partner in the Irish market. The partners, both members of the Guaranteed Irish business community, marked this significant milestone with one of their valued customers, INTERSPORT Elverys.

Viatel has delivered 1,000 of SIRO’s high-speed, enterprise grade connections to businesses across Ireland, empowering them with the robust infrastructure required for modern operations. This achievement is exemplified by the successful network enhancement for INTERSPORT Elverys.

INTERSPORT Elverys, which operates 44 stores nationwide, alongside a dynamic online platform at elverys.ie, partnered with Viatel to enhance its connectivity infrastructure. This collaboration supports Elverys’ ongoing investment in its online presence, store portfolio, and advanced warehouse automation. The deployment began with the connectivity upgrade of their headquarters and distribution centre in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, utilising SIRO’s future-proof fibre network, delivered and managed by Viatel.

Gareth Browne, IT Support Engineer at INTERSPORT Elverys, highlighted the  service provided by Viatel: “The personalised service and responsiveness we’ve received from Viatel have been outstanding. Our dedicated Account Manager, Damien Peelo, has been instrumental in ensuring our needs are met. We’ve had the opportunity to visit Viatel’s Blanchardstown HQ, meeting the entire project team, and we benefit from weekly touchpoint calls with our Project Manager in the Service Delivery Team. This level of visibility and transparency has been transformative.”

Viatel’s delivery of dedicated internet connectivity to INTERSPORT Elverys, leverages SIRO’s 100% fibre network which provides speeds of up to 2 Gigabits per second for residential customers, and up to 10 Gigabits for enterprise customers, and is now available in every county in Ireland. This robust foundation ensures optimal performance for Elverys’ diverse operational needs, from in-store customer experience to online sales and logistical efficiency.

Damien McCann, Chief Commercial Officer at Viatel, emphasised the company’s commitment to delivering superior solutions: “At Viatel, we are dedicated to partnering with industry leaders like SIRO to provide our customers with the best possible solutions. We are experts in enterprise connectivity, and we understand that reliable, high-speed connectivity is the bedrock for all our other digital services.

”SIRO’s symmetric fibre enterprise connections are ideal for building our advanced SD-WAN networks, providing the necessary bandwidth for Microsoft applications, ensuring robust cybersecurity, facilitating seamless access to cloud workloads, and supporting other critical managed services. This connectivity is vital to support the best possible customer experience for businesses like INTERSPORT Elverys.”

Ronan Whelan, SIRO Chief Commercial Officer noted: “SIRO’s connectivity partnership with Viatel is delivering for Irish business and we are pleased to celebrate this milestone with them. Reliable, high-quality connectivity is essential for businesses, such as INTERSPORT Elverys, to thrive and grow into the future. Together, SIRO and Viatel are enabling enterprises across Ireland to unlock their full potential with 100% fibre broadband. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and supporting even more businesses with future-proofed connectivity solutions.”

This milestone underscores Viatel’s position as the leading provider of enterprise connectivity and digital services in Ireland, enabling businesses like INTERSPORT Elverys to thrive in a digital-first economy.

Future-proof broadband access technologies gain ground for both fixed and mobile networks across the OECD in 2023

Broadband technologies such as fibre and 5G mobile networks which help “future-proof” networks, continue to grow rapidly to meet the increasing demand for high-quality, affordable and ubiquitous connectivity, the latest OECD broadband data reveals.

Across OECD, fibre connections accounted for 42% of all fixed broadband subscriptions by the end of 2023, compared to 38% a year earlier, while 5G comprised 28% of mobile broadband subscriptions, a 9% increase compared to the end of 2022. Since COVID, total fibre connections in OECD countries have surged by 73%, growing from 122 million in December 2019 to 211 million at year-end 2023.

The countries with the highest share of fibre connections in total fixed broadband are Korea (89.6%), followed by Iceland (89%), Spain (86%), Lithuania (80%), and Japan (79%). Fibre is crucial to future-proof networks that support digital transformation as it offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, scalability and helps support 5G mobile networks.

Transitioning to future-proof broadband access requires the shutdown of legacy copper networks (e.g. DSL). Across the OECD, the share of DSL subscriptions has decreased significantly in four years, from 33% of total fixed broadband subscriptions in 2019 to 20% by the end of 2023.

OECD member countries in Latin America – notably Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico – have accelerated their transition to future-proof networks. Over the past four years, these countries have experienced a 258% increase in fibre connections while legacy DSL subscriptions declined by 66%.

OECD Nordic members such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden that initiated this technological shift approximately eight years ago, experienced a growth rate of 36% in fibre and a 77% decline in DSL over the same period (2019-23).

Despite already high penetration rates, mobile broadband subscriptions have also grown, increasing by 19% between 2019 and 2023, reaching 1.86 billion subscriptions by December 2023, up from 1.56 billion four years earlier. Japan and the United States lead in mobile broadband penetration, with 203.5 and 190 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants respectively, followed closely by Estonia and Finland with 176 and 160 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants respectively. This growth is likely due to an increase of 5G deployments across the OECD, which are now present in 37 of 38 OECD countries.

The top end of networks also continues to grow. There is growing demand for high-quality broadband offers across the OECD. In four years, the share of Gigabit (GB) offers has more than tripled, reaching 14% of fixed broadband subscriptions in December 2023, up from 4% at the end of 2019.

This is mirrored for mobile data usage, which is on a steady rise in OECD countries: the average monthly data consumption per mobile broadband subscription increased by 20% in just one year, and more than doubled over the past four years (2019-23), climbing from 6 to 13 GB.

 

Fixed broadband subscriptions are still growing in OECD countries, totaling 496.5 million by December 2023, with an average of 36 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. This marks an increase of 63 million, or 15% since the end of 2019. France leads in penetration rates with 47 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, followed closely by Korea (46.6), Switzerland (46.2), and Norway (46).

Fixed wireless access (FWA) is emerging as a connectivity solution in sparsely populated and remote areas due to its lower deployment costs. Although FWA subscriptions account for a modest 5% of the total fixed broadband subscriptions in OECD countries, certain countries had notably high adoption rates by the end of 2023: Czechia at 39%, the Slovak Republic at 23%, New Zealand at 19%, and Estonia at 18%.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) SIM cards are also experiencing again the highest growth rates among all indicators, with a 15% increase in just one year. Sweden and Austria lead in M2M adoption, with 253 and 209 M2M SIM cards per 100 inhabitants, respectively, followed by Iceland (114), the Netherlands (100), and Norway (75). The significant numbers in Sweden and Iceland are largely due to the issuing and registration of M2M SIM cards by national operators for international use.

 

Download broadband data, charts and maps by country.

Failure to facilitate hybrid connections creating needless barrier to renewables in Ireland

Ireland’s failure to implement policies that facilitate so-called hybrid connections places unnecessary costs and delays on renewable providers. This warning comes from the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA) who want new policies to be expedited so they are implemented as soon as possible to help achieve the ambitious targets of the latest Climate Action Plan.

A hybrid connection is where more than one source of energy or storage is connected to the national grid on a single site. These are currently not permitted in Ireland, meaning that in sites where solar and storage or solar and wind are present together, there is a need for two separate connections. Each grid connection requires the construction of physical infrastructure with the associated costs, planning requirements and time.

While consultations are taking place in regard to increasing the over install limit of connection capacities and an additional consultation is expected to take place in regards to multiple legal entities behind connection points, there is a third, and more important topic, the dynamic sharing of MECs, that needs to be addressed urgently if we are to capitalise on the benefits of updating these policies for consumers and renewable providers.

Speaking about the need for new policies in this area ISEA CEO Conall Bolger said “We have been talking about hybrid sites for nearly a decade, with no output evident aside from on-going consultation processes. We have examples of locations that have two buildings side by side performing duplicate functions. This is extremely wasteful, increases the cost to energy providers and ultimately to consumers.

“There has been a general recognition amongst policymakers that change is required for several years.” But according to Bolger there has been very little action. “The 2019 Climate Action Plan committed to putting the right policies in place by Q3 2020. The latest iteration of Climate Action Plan now makes that same commitment but for Q4 2023. Despite an unexplained 39-month delay, the industry isn’t overly confident that we will see much movement this year.”

ISEA now want the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to make a decision. “It feels as if the regulator isn’t focused on the big picture in relation to what needs to be done to expedite the updating of these dated policies with their lack of attention on the dynamic sharing of the maximum export capacity (MEC) by technologies behind the same connection an example of this. If adopted, this will allow for greater flexibility and variety in what can be achieved at hybrid connection points. We need to radically accelerate our deployment of renewables and hybrid connections will help keep costs for consumers lower and ensure faster implementation.

“If we were to place a solar farm on every renewable site already connected to the grid, we could ramp up our delivery of green power while minimising the construction of new network. Everyone knows what is required, so let us put that in place now, and not wait until the end of the year.”

Concluding Conall Bolger, CEO of ISEA said “We are in a climate crisis, everyone agrees that renewables are one of the most important solutions. We need the triumvirate of solar, storage and wind working together to combat Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels. Allowing hybrid connections facilitates this in an efficient manner.”