ATU secures funding from SEAI for research on energy efficiency in Traveller communities

This funding falls under the 2023 SEAI's National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) Funding Programme, aimed at advancing a broad spectrum of energy research and propel Ireland toward a cleaner and more secure energy future.  

Dr Ehiaze Ehimen, ATU’s Senior Research Fellow, is the coordinator and principal investigator of the MOBILISE project. Undertaken in partnership with Traveller stakeholders and associate partners, including Sligo and Cork County Councils, MOBILISE focuses on researching and demonstrating societal, economic, political, and technological factors affecting the implementation of energy efficiency measures in Traveller communities.

Dr Ehiaze Ehimen says the MOBILISE project will help improve energy efficiency and reduce energy poverty in marginalised communities.  

"The unique multidisciplinary collaborative approach of MOBILISE will support the capacity of Irish stakeholders to access and implement international level RD&D research in energy efficiency approaches for mobile homes and subsequent research outcomes that will benefit the medium and long term goals of improving energy efficiency, facilitating a just inclusion, and reducing energy poverty levels in currently marginalised and underrepresented communities, while prioritising the voices and experiences of these communities."

The project aims to provide practical retrofit solutions for enhancing energy efficiency in mobile homes. The research outputs are intended to inform local authorities, government bodies, and policy stakeholders, offering insights and approaches that can be incorporated into national and local climate and green plans.

Note:

This MOBILISE project has been funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2023, Grant number 23/RDD/918.

The project fosters a multidisciplinary collaborative research approach, bringing together expertise in Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency (Dr Ehiaze Ehimen, Atlantic Technological University), Building Engineering, Modelling, and Retrofit (led by Dr Ciara Ahern, Technological University Dublin), and Applied Social Sciences and Human-Centered Approaches (led by Dr Mary Galvin, Munster Technological University).  

SEAI, Ireland's national energy authority, works in partnership with citizens, communities, businesses, and the government to drive the reduction and replacement of fossil fuel usage. Their mission is to be at the forefront of delivering Ireland's energy revolution by investing in and delivering sustainable solutions that support the transition to a clean energy future.  

SEAI is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications.

Ivana Hanjs 
Digital Communications Officer  
Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an Atlantaigh (OTA), Éire 
Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Ireland 
Tel: +353 89 963 9559  
www.atu.ie/communications