Dublin city to get real-time monitoring of greenhouse gas levels in new project

A project being rolled out in Dublin will measure and monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the city using a network of novel sensors deployed on mobile phone masts.

A total of 20 sensors are being deployed in both residential and commercial areas in the city. They will measure carbon dioxide and methane levels, as well as air quality and weather variables, such as wind.

They will also provide “a real-time visual pulse of the city”, reflecting differences in land use, the seasonal cycle in vegetation growth, weather events and even hourly patterns of traffic moving in and around city streets.

The year-long Urban Sense initiative will also identify emission hotspots, and give an indication of the effectiveness of any measures to curb GHGs.

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“It’s amazing to think that we can monitor greenhouse gas emissions in real time like this across Dublin city,” said Minister for Environment, Climate and Transport Eamon Ryan at a briefing in Dublin’s Mansion House on Friday. “Local government has a vital role to play in helping us to meet Ireland’s national climate targets. Climate action works best when it works locally, improving our environment and improving people’s quality of life,” he added.

Globally, urban areas account for less than 3 per cent of land area, but are estimated to be responsible for consuming 75 per cent of primary energy and to generate up to 80 per cent of emissions. Cities represent the single biggest opportunity to reduce GHGs, which are fuelling the climate crisis.

Dublin city occupies just 1.7 per cent of the area of Ireland but is estimated to contribute to 9.4 per cent of national emissions.

In complex urban landscapes, curbing emissions has to take account of concentration of human activities - land use, energy consumption and transportation. Urban Sense aims to address these challenges by increasing understanding of how urban activities and land management practices influence emissions and air quality – and how these factors vary between locations and over time.

This will provide insights for policy-makers, urban planners, researchers and citizens on how to reduce emissions and improve air quality. It will support Dublin City Council (DCC) and others in realising the objectives of the EU Cities Mission. This is an alliance of 112 European cities, including Dublin and Cork, implementing cutting-edge and creative solutions across energy, transport, waste, infrastructure and buildings to reduce their environmental footprints.

Urban Sense is the latest initiative developed by Terrain-AI, based in Maynooth University, which focuses on understanding emissions in terrestrial environments. It was developed in partnership with Dr Gerald Mills of University College Dublin; Edgeliot, which makes the low-cost climate monitoring sensors with real-time data capture and visualisation; Cellnex, which provides wireless telecommunications infrastructure; and Delmec, specialists in deploying equipment on cell towers. The project was funded by Microsoft Ireland.

Prof Rowan Fealy of Terrain-AI said: “We hope this project will serve as a model for other European cities to follow and to demonstrate the effectiveness of policy decisions on emissions.”

The data will assist DCC in developing policy actions to help reduce emissions and make the city a better place to live, work or visit, with cleaner air, safer transport and less congestion and noise, according to its chief executive Richard Shakespeare. The project “is an example of how Dublin can be leading the way in using technology and creativity to address the climate challenge and become a climate-neutral city by 2030”, he added.

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