SHINE is Now with SEAI: Empowering Citizens for a Just Clean Energy Transition
18 August 2026
We are delighted to share the official launch page for Project SHINE at the SEAI Research Database:
Participatory Outcomes for Well-being and Energy Resilience: Empowering Citizens for a Just Transition
The research project has been funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2025, Grant number 25/RDD/1266, for the next four years.
This project addresses the critical need for sustainable, inclusive energy solutions in Ireland by investigating how national clean energy, air quality and climate ambitions interface with the social housing sector. Given the need to engage citizens, protect vulnerable households, and advance a Just Transition, it is essential to focus on intelligent solutions that help address energy poverty through emerging techno-social innovations.
SHINE uses an innovative socio-technical approach. By combining public policy research with advanced electronic engineering, the project deploys smart environmental sensor kits across social housing properties in collaboration with Clúid Housing. These systems track indoor environmental indicators, such as temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide, alongside real-time household energy metrics.
Crucially, the project positions tenants as active participants via a structured citizen science framework. Residents will receive accurate real-time data loops regarding their living environments, encouraging energy literacy and co-designed behavioural strategies. Ultimately, the project examines the political, institutional, and human-data factors influencing the clean energy transition. By tracing how community feedback feeds into institutional designs, SHINE provides a clear pathway to translate granular grassroots evidence directly into national housing strategies and climate action plans, ensuring that vulnerable populations are neither left behind nor burdened by decarbonization targets.
This project is jointly led by Dr Valesca Lima (DCU School of Law and Government) and Prof Stephen Daniels (DCU School of Electronic Engineering), in partnership with Clúid Housing, and is also supported by an interdisciplinary team, including the project’s postdoctoral researcher Dr Tracy Mae Ildefonso and PhD researcher Daniela Montero.
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