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NETWORK / 12 / MARCH 2018 S ince the 2011 publica- tion of the coalition Government's vision for our energy future, Planning our electric future: A white paper for secure, a• ordable and low carbon electricity, policy mak- ers, regulators and the supply chain have been developing trial solutions to turn that vision into reality. Our 'electric future' is leading us to replace fossil fuels with electricity on a wide scale, including for transport (private and public, passenger and freight, road and rail and, eventually, aviation) and heat in buildings. We are rapidly decar- bonising electricity generation, replacing old carbon intense plant with distributed energy and centralised renewable plant that allow our energy-related carbon emissions to approach zero. This greater reliance on renewable electricity generation is the driver for the develop- ment of a … exible and opti- mised energy system; but that system must incorporate a mix of energy eˆ ciency, response engagement and behavioural change at the building level in order to cope with shi‰ s in sup- ply and demand. There has been no shortage of policy initiatives to drive us towards electriŠ cation, from the all-important smart meter rollout through to regulated investment via the Low Carbon Network Fund, other Govern- ment initiatives to promote localised electricity generation, renewable heat and energy eˆ ciency, and sustained grant support for electric vehicles. As well as decarbonisation, the Government has identiŠ ed other The path to electrifi cation ENERGY SYSTEMS trial the potential of … exibility and grid management solutions to support the transition to a low carbon economy. Finally, arguably despite the absence of policy or widespread natural market levers, we are seeing strong penetration of electricity storage technology in networks and buildings. Engaging with consumers However, as a body represent- ing the lifeblood of electrical technology innovation, BEAMA understands that the next phase of market transformation for wide scale electriŠ cation by 2050 will only occur if we apply innovation to the design of our markets and the way we engage with consumers as well as to new devices. We currently have plenty of pilot studies and knowledge across the UK, but regulatory and policy constraints are slowing down our progress towards the mass rollout of these solutions. This is BEAMA's deputy CEO Kelly Butler discusses their recently published Electrifi cation by Design report and the imperatives for success in market design. reasons to increase the propor- tion of electricity in our energy mix. For example, there is now a commitment to address air qual- ity by switching high emission vehicles to electric equivalents and phasing out new petrol and diesel vehicles. Much progress has been made: in June 2017 we gener- ated a record 19.3GW from connected wind and photovol- taic sources, and the installed base for electric heat pumps has grown from the low tens of thousands in 2010 to an es- timated 200,000 units by 2020. We install more than 50,000 Smart Electric Thermal Storage (SETS) units each year, and in the year to March 2017, 43,819 new ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) were registered, an increase of 34 per cent on one year before and 91 per cent on two years previously. More than £600 million has been invested by distribution network opera- tors (DNOs) to demonstrate and compounded by poorly coordi- nated market design which fails to bring 'the actors' and 'the enablers' together within a func- tional structure to optimise our energy system through Š nanced measures, energy services, data management and investment planning. Four years a‰ er BEAMA Š rst published its Renewable Heat Zones discussion paper, the appetite for a zone solution (by regional authority, county or municipality) to the broader energy challenge has grown. This is due not least to sig- niŠ cant market developments outside of the single dimen- sion of heat and centred on the intrinsic value of energy system … exibility. In ElectriŠ cation by Design, BEAMA has identi- Š ed the key technology sectors and their status today, looking ahead to consider how we can grow markets sustainably. The report also looks at the wider value chain: the rise of energy service providers and distribu- tion system operators, clustering deployment, Š nance and how consumers can beneŠ t, the role of regulation in encouraging distributed energy and storage, and the impacts all these may have on the supply chain. We have identiŠ ed six key market design imperatives. All are crucial to success, and each needs to be considered in the context of a critical path to electriŠ cation: 1. ElectriŠ cation is a national need, but optimised, … exible energy systems will be de- livered by regions and zones empowered to identify the most appropriate paths. 2. Integrated and innovative Š - Growth in distributed energy and storage solutions Bringing power to life. Development of a exible and optimised energy network Smart meters and consumer access devices change behaviour Smart appliances, electric heat and hot water coping with shifts in supply and demand Progressive switch to low or zero carbon plant Wide scale switch to electric vehicles + _ OUR ELECTRIC FUTURE ELECTRIFICATION BY DESIGN December 2017 Building based fl exible energy system mix