Competition winner and PhD student Killian McKenna is set to represent the all-island electricity sector at a European level, with the chance of winning a prestigious European award, next month, in Berlin.

Killian, age 25, from Glenageary, has been named as the Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI) entrant for this year’s EURELECTRIC Student Award, winning a prize including a trip to Berlin courtesy of national sponsor ESB. Killian will now compete with students from across Europe for the annual EURELECTRIC prize.

EAI Chief Executive Owen Wilson said: “Many congratulations to Killian. Next month’s event will provide a fantastic opportunity for him to engage with senior executives and policy makers in the electricity sector. We wish Killian every success in the European stage of the competition.”

With all entrants requiring sponsorship from their national electricity association, EAI and ESB invited students from Ireland and Northern Ireland to submit an essay discussing the title ‘Dinosaurs of the past or innovators of the future? Designing digital strategies for electricity companies to engage domestic customers.’

Killian, a PhD student at the Electricity Research Centre at University College Dublin (UCD), said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been chosen to represent the EAI in the EURELECTRIC Student Award competition 2015. I would like to thank the EAI for organising the national competition; it was certainly a thought provoking essay title.”

Killian’s entry along with others from across Europe will now be judged by an expert panel to determine the overall winner. If successful, Killian will be asked to present his short paper to an audience of around 400 delegates at a formal award ceremony.

Killian’s own research looks at the potential impacts for the distribution network of customers taking greater control over their electricity demand.

ESB Executive Director of Innovation, Paul Mulvaney said: “ESB is delighted to be sponsoring the EAI student representative. This year’s event is particularly relevant for the upcoming generation of engineers and technologists as it seeks to address the challenges to the energy world of tomorrow with, for example, low carbon sustainable generation, smart technology and innovation increasingly coming to the fore. At ESB we’re keen to show our support for the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to help maintain, develop and enhance our electricity system so it can continue to meet the needs of a modern Ireland.”

EURELECTRIC is the sector association which represents the common interests of the electricity industry at a pan-European level.

EAI is the representative body for the electricity sector operating within the Single Electricity Market (SEM) on the island of Ireland.

Ends

Notes to editor:

• National prize sponsor: ESB is a strong, diversified, vertically integrated utility, operating right across the electricity market: from generation, through transmission and distribution to supply. It is a leading Irish utility focussed on providing excellent customer service and maintaining its financial strength. As at 31 December 2014, ESB Group employed approximately 7,150 people.
• Next month’s EURELECTRIC conference in Berlin ‘The Consumer Powered Energy Transition’ will focus on the transition to a European customer-centric energy market.