A project is starting in Dublin today, 7 October, to examine how the city can harness, produce and use solar power.

The three-week project is the result of Dublin City Council's successful application to participate in the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge 2014.

The initiative asks cities and regions to identify a strategic challenge. Winning applications get the expertise of a top IBM team to address their challenge.

Dublin's Lord Mayor welcomed the six-member IBM team that includes two executives from HSBC, at 12 noon in the Woodquay Venue, Civic Offices, Dublin 8 today.

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He said: "Advances in technology mean that solar energy is now a real possibility in a city with a climate like Dublin's. Dublin City Council wanted to examine what role buildings and land that it owns could play in generating and using solar energy.

"We also wanted to see if the energy we generate could feed into the energy grid. Our successful application to the Smarter Cities Challenge means we can examine this at no cost to the council."

Dublin is one of 16 cities and regions taking part in this year's Smarter Cities Challenge. IBM chose the successful projects from 100 applicants in March. Over the next three weeks, the Dublin City Council and IBM team will meet with interested parties to examine where solar energy could be produced, how it could be harnessed and what uses it could be put to. The team will present an eagerly anticipated report on 23 October.

(CD/JP)