Utility Week

14 | 12TH - 18TH APRIL 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Analysis T he drive to create smart local energy systems got a major boost on 3 April with the awarding of £51 million from the government's Industrial Strategy Chal- lenge Fund to four ambitious pilot projects in Oxfordshire, Orkney and West Sussex. The grants were made as part of the £102.5 million Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge. In total, the projects will cost nearly £150 million. Announcing the funding, energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry said: "We are at the start of a green revolution, as we move to more digital, data-driven smart sys- tems that will bring us cleaner and cheaper energy. "These projects, backed by government funding, are set to spark a transformation and change the way we interact with energy for the better as part of our modern industrial strategy. "We're excited to see how these busi- nesses and project partners reveal how inno- vative tech, such as energy storage, heat networks and electric vehicles [EVs], can set us on the path to a smarter energy future. "This is tomorrow's world, today." Local Energy Oxfordshire Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO) will explore how the growth of decentralised renewables, battery storage, electric vehicles and demand-side response can be supported by a smarter and more flexible power grid. Project leader Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) described it as "one of the most wide-ranging and holistic smart grid trials ever conducted in the UK". The three-year scheme will cost £40 million, of which the government will contribute £13.8 million. Oxfordshire was chosen as the location because of the significant constraints on the electricity network in the area as well as the progressive attitude of the local authorities and the thriving community energy scene. The project will allow SSEN to test multi- ple aspects of the distribution system opera- tor (DSO) model as it attempts to balance local supply and demand in a real-world environment. The company has enlisted the help of numerous partners. The Low Carbon Hub will develop and manage a portfolio of local generation and demand projects and academics from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University will collect and analyse data to create a new model for mapping and plan- ning the local energy system. Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council will provide key infrastruc- ture including intelligent street lighting, EV chargers and heat networks. Origami and Piclo will trial innovative business models while delivering energy trading, aggregation and flexibility services through their respective platforms. Nuvve will provide vehicle-to-grid and smart EV chargers and EDF Energy will offer innovative energy services to customers. SSEN head of future networks Stewart Reid said: "We are delighted that the UK gov- ernment has provided the final piece of fund- ing for Project LEO. This will provide crucial research and learnings, accelerating the transition to new local energy systems and the move to a smart, flexible, low-carbon future. "The electrical network and communities of Oxfordshire create the perfect environ- ment for all the project partners to under- stand the value of new markets, technologies and solutions. "Importantly for SSEN, it will allow us to understand how we will need to change to facilitate these new markets and solutions while still delivering energy in an economic, reliable, fair and sustainable manner." Reflex Reflex – short for responsive flexibility – will attempt to create a "smart energy island" in Orkney by combining the provision of electricity, transport and heat within a single system. The aim is to use flexible energy resources to maximise the "significant potential" for renewable generation on the archipelago and reduce its reliance on imported electri- city from mainland Scotland. The scheme is being led by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), which has partnered with Solo Energy, Aquatera, Com- munity Energy Scotland, Heriot-Watt Uni- versity, Orkney Islands Council and Doosan Babcock. The government will contribute £14.3 million to the £28.5 million project. As many as 600 batteries will be deployed on the islands – 500 of them in homes – as well as up to 600 new electric vehicles (EVs), 200 vehicle-to-grid chargers and 100 flexible heating systems. Funding for flexible four The government has awarded £51 million from its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to four ambitious pilot projects aimed at creating smart local energy systems. Tom Grimwood reports. Doosan Babcock will install a grid-scale hydrogen fuel cell as part of the Reflex project in Orkney

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