Smart metering allows electricity utilities to provide consumers with better information on their energy usage and to apply time of use tariffs. These measures have been shown to reduce electricity consumption and induce time-shifting of demand. Less is known about how they affect residential...

We implement an agent-based, threshold model of innovation diffusion to simulate the adoption of electric vehicles among Irish households. We use detailed survey microdata to develop a nationally representative, heterogeneous agent population. We then calibrate our agent population to reflect...

We analyse the distributional impact of financing energy and environmental policies through additional charges on electricity consumption, focussing on the impact Ireland’s flat-rate Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has on domestic consumers. Switching Ireland’s flate-rate charge to a...

This paper derives efficient pricing formulae for renewable energy Feed-in Tariff (FiT) designs that incorporate exposure to uncertain market prices by using option pricing theory. Such FiT designs are presented as a means to delineate market price risk amongst investors and policymakers when...

This paper considers travel mode choice for a range of journey purposes in Ireland using micro-data for 2009. Results suggest that demographic and socio-economic variables, location and public transport availability are important determinants of mode choice. The results also indicate an...

We estimate the effects of adopting DSL broadband on firm productivity and productivity growth allowing for differing broadband speeds. We use a two-stage least squares estimator with geographical broadband availability as an instrument to address some potential endogeneity problems in a panel...

Electricity demand traditionally exhibits a substantial peak during a small number of hours each day. Policymakers are aware of the potential efficiency savings that may be generated from a shift in energy consumption away from peak times. Smart meters, in conjunction with time-of-use (TOU)...

As part of Ireland’s National Digital Strategy high-speed broadband is being rolled-out to all second-level schools to support greater use of ICT in education. This programme signals a move from slow and unreliable broadband connection for many schools to a guaranteed high-speed connection...