Turning Surplus Renewable Energy into Free Hot Water for Homes in Kildare and Dublin
As Ireland’s renewable energy transition accelerates, it’s crucial that we take every opportunity to support a more sustainable future for local communities across the country. With the country generating more green energy than ever before, there are exciting new innovations emerging that can ensure we maximise the potential of this shift for everyone.
Currently, at times of peak generation, some renewable energy goes unused because the grid cannot absorb it all. In fact, annually, up to 11.4% of renewable wind energy and 12% of all renewable energy is wasted, as the grid cannot carry all the generated power. On any given night, the surplus electricity going to waste nationally is enough to heat as many as three million domestic water tanks.
Yet within this challenge lies a powerful opportunity: to redirect that surplus energy to turn an environmental loss into a direct benefit for families and local communities. Across Kildare and South Dublin, we are beginning to see exactly what that can look like in practice.
Together with Kildare County Council, South Dublin County Council and EnergyCloud, a charity that uses innovative solutions to divert otherwise wasted renewable energy to homes, Microsoft recently announced support for a new initiative that will redirect surplus renewable electricity, providing free hot water to four hundred social homes close to our current and potential data centre operations in the Kildare and South Dublin council areas.
Each of the participating households will receive an EnergyCloud-enabled smart device that diverts surplus renewable electricity, which would otherwise go to waste, to heat water in the home, turning unused energy into a direct benefit for families.
The scheme, being rolled out in County Kildare for the first time, will support 200 households, helping to reduce renewable energy waste while benefiting approximately 550 people living in the Council’s social housing. In South Dublin, the initiative will build on the positive impact of an initial pilot in Clondalkin and extend the project’s reach to an additional 200 social homes across the local area.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, highlighted that this type of collaboration is critical as Ireland advances on its green energy journey, and that surplus renewable electricity can be “put to practical use in people’s homes – reducing waste, supporting households, and advancing our national climate ambitions.”
At Microsoft Ireland, this initiative is one of the many steps that we’re taking to empower greener and more resilient communities near our operations. Since 2008, Microsoft has invested €4.5 million in projects supporting local people living near our data centres and delivering on the commitments set out in our Datacentre Community Pledge.
As Lavinia Morris, General Manager, EMEA Data Centre Operations, Microsoft, put it – by working together with local authorities and the not-for-profit sector, we’re demonstrating how “collaboration and technology can deliver meaningful local benefits and make a real difference to hundreds of local people across Kildare and South Dublin.”
South Dublin County Council Mayor, Pamela Kearns, described the broader significance of the initiative as not just a climate solution but a step towards “climate justice” – turning wasted energy into something as essential as hot water for households that need it most.
As Ireland continues to scale its renewable energy capacity, innovation and collaboration will be key to ensuring that everyone benefits from the green transition. By working together across local government, industry and the non-profit sector we can continue to reduce energy waste and advance a more sustainable future for communities across the country.