Paul Leahy

Dr. Paul Leahy is a Lecturer in Wind Energy Engineering at University College Cork (UCC) and a funded investigator in the SFI MaREI Centre for Energy, Climate, and Marine Research. He leads research on wind energy, circular economy applications for decommissioned turbine blades, and climate change impacts. His work includes the Re-Wind project, a transdisciplinary initiative funded by SFI, NSF, and Northern Ireland's Department for the Economy. He co-supervises six PhD students and has examined over 20 theses globally.

Education: BE Electrical Engineering (1995), PhD Electrical Engineering (2001), Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education (2018).

Research & Awards: Research focuses on wind energy forecasting, energy storage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Notable awards include the Environmental Research Letters' 2013 Highlight and an ISI Highly Cited Paper (2012). He contributed to IPCC Special Reports on climate change mitigation and co-edits Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews.

Grants & Projects: Secured €320,000 for Re-Wind and led multiple EU, EPA, and industry-funded projects. Current research includes lifecycle assessments of repurposed turbine blades and hydrogen production via offshore wind.

Teaching & Outreach: Coordinates modules like NE6003 Wind Energy Engineering and contributes to energy systems education. Engages in public lectures and policy initiatives like Energy Cork Cluster leadership.

Labs & Teams: Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on infrastructure repurposing (e.g., BladeBridges) and climate adaptation strategies for agriculture and peatlands.