Arden Energy is an integrated electricity supply and energy management services company with a strong focus on delivering energy cost reductions through smart metering, data analytics, and visualisation technologies. Its approach is based not only on offering competitive tariffs but also on providing customers with tools to actively monitor, manage, and reduce their energy consumption. By combining technological solutions with behavioural insights, Arden Energy empowers consumers to make informed energy decisions. Within the DIGITISE project, Arden Energy applies its expertise in energy performance contracting and digital energy services to demonstrate how digital tools can enhance consumer engagement, enable demand-side flexibility, and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable energy system.
Arden Energy journey to the DIGITISE project
Arden Energy is an integrated electricity supply and energy management services technology company focused on delivering energy cost savings. Our key selling points are competitive tariffs, transparency, and empowerment. We provide a unique smart metering, data analytics, and visualisation offering, which delivers immediate and sustained energy cost reductions to customers. Our differentiation lies in offering overall cost reductions rather than just simple unit rate reductions. Most importantly, we offer unique additional features that are proven factors for influencing effective energy management. Our service empowers customers to take control and reduce electricity costs through a suite of layered services. We provide outsourced energy management and energy performance contracting services to our clients. Gaining and communicating a fundamental understanding of energy use and the opportunities for improving energy efficiency is key to the successful delivery of these services.
The team working on the DIGITISE project pilot site
Arden team comprises:
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Dr. Fergal Purcell: He holds an engineering degree and a PhD in energy systems analysis, with nearly 20 years’ experience in the energy and environmental sectors. Before founding Arden Energy in 2012, he worked with ScottishPower (UK), Project Management Group (Ireland/former Soviet Union), and Ergon Energy (Australia). He has led trials on micro-CHP, solar PV, wind, and energy-efficient housing evaluation. An expert in energy management systems, he sits on ISO TC301 and has contributed to EU projects including EPLACE, TOPAS, and currently Horizon Europe’s Phoenix, focusing on building energy performance and legacy device integration.
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Dr. Sarah Millar: An environmental scientist and business development expert with over 20 years’ experience in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. She has led initiatives across public, commercial, and social enterprise sectors, from large-scale waste treatment to urban regeneration. As Environmental Manager with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd., she helped the area win over 40 environmental awards. Sarah holds a PhD in Environmental Science, an Honours Degree in Process Biotechnology, and an MBA. Now CEO of the Rediscovery Centre, she has developed a national model for social enterprise and contributes to multiple sustainability-focused research projects.
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Stephen Wright: He holds a Master’s in Renewable Energy Systems from Loughborough University and has 10 years’ experience as an Energy Engineer. He has worked with electricity suppliers and aggregators, gaining deep insight into system operations. He has contributed to major EU-funded Smart Grid projects including CityxChange, Phoenix, and PVCROPS. Passionate about energy policy, Wright has made several regulatory submissions to the CRU. His expertise also spans IoT and digital electronics, developed during his engineering studies and refined during his time at MICROCHIP Inc.
Arden Energy’s role in the DIGITISE project
Arden Energy is an integrated electricity supply and energy management technology company, focused on delivering measurable energy cost savings through smart metering, data analytics, and visualisation tools. Our core expertise lies in empowering customers to actively manage and reduce their energy use, not just through competitive tariffs but through behavioural and data-driven strategies. In DIGITISE, we bring our practical experience in energy performance contracting, smart data services, and customer engagement to support the design and implementation of effective demand response solutions. Our role focuses on demonstrating how digital tools can drive real-time energy flexibility and cost reduction at scale.
The main focus areas of the Irish demonstration site, and how do they align with DIGITISE’s overall mission of consumer empowerment?
The Irish demonstration site focuses on the Ringsend Sustainable Energy Community, a proactive local partner working to raise awareness and engage the community on energy use, efficiency, and sustainability. Their role is central to consumer empowerment, supporting local understanding and participation in clean energy transitions. The pilot includes a wide mix of technologies — heat pumps, EVs, solar PV, and batteries from various OEMs — which enables real-world testing of interoperability, optimisation, and integration challenges. As an energy supplier, we also use this site to trial smart tariffs and introduce consumers to demand response programmes, directly aligning with DIGITISE’s mission to empower consumers through digital innovation and energy flexibility.
How is the project integrating smart energy management solutions within Ireland’s energy system, and what impact is expected for local users?
The DIGITISE project is integrating smart energy management solutions into Ireland’s energy system by combining advanced metering, data analytics, and flexible tariffs with real-world community engagement through the Ringsend Energy Community. By deploying diverse technologies — including heat pumps, EVs, solar PV, and batteries — from multiple vendors, the project is testing interoperability and optimisation in a live setting. Arden Energy supports this integration by trialling smart tariffs and demand response schemes, allowing local users to better understand, manage, and benefit from their energy use. The expected impact is increased energy awareness, greater participation in energy flexibility programmes, and tangible cost savings for consumers.
Irish digitalisation supporting a more resilient and flexible grid
Digitalisation plays a critical role in building a more resilient and flexible grid by enabling real-time visibility, control, and optimisation of energy use at both the individual and community level. Through smart metering, dynamic tariffs, and demand response programmes, consumers become active participants in the energy system, helping to balance supply and demand. The DIGITISE project showcases how this can work in practice, starting with the Ringsend Energy Community. The solutions being tested — from technology integration to consumer engagement models — are designed to be scalable and replicable, offering a pathway for Ireland’s 400+ energy communities to contribute to national renewable energy targets while enhancing local energy resilience and self-sufficiency.
Lessons from the Irish energy market which can be applied across Europe to enhance consumer participation in energy transition efforts
Ireland’s experience offers several key insights that can inform energy transition strategies across Europe, particularly in the realm of consumer empowerment and digital innovation:
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Community-Led Engagement Is Key: Ireland’s model of Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs), such as the Ringsend Energy Community involved in DIGITISE, demonstrates the power of local engagement. These communities play a crucial role in building awareness, trust, and participation by fostering grassroots involvement in clean energy initiatives. Other European regions can benefit from replicating this model to localise energy transition efforts and make them more inclusive and relatable.
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Value Beyond Tariffs: The Irish approach, particularly through Arden Energy’s offerings, highlights that empowering consumers goes beyond competitive pricing. Layered services — such as smart metering, personalised analytics, and behavioural insights — allow users to understand and influence their energy usage in real-time. This demonstrates that combining data-driven tools with user-friendly interfaces can greatly improve engagement and energy literacy.
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Integration and Interoperability in Real-World Settings: Ireland’s pilot projects illustrate the importance of testing a wide array of technologies — from EVs and heat pumps to solar PV and batteries — in a heterogeneous and interoperable environment. This hands-on approach to integration and optimisation provides valuable technical and behavioural insights that are transferable to diverse European energy contexts, especially as legacy systems are upgraded.
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Smart Tariffs and Demand Response as Incentives: By trialling smart tariffs and flexible demand response programs, Irish pilots show that financial incentives tied to real-time energy behaviour can catalyse participation and system efficiency. This approach could be scaled across Europe to better align consumer incentives with grid needs, especially as renewable penetration increases.
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