EnergyREV

New EnergyREV report released today Unlocking the value of energy-smart places Euan Morris and Rebecca Ford Work undertaken in the Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PfER) programme has demonstrated that energy-smart places, implementing smart local energy systems (SLES), are a critical component for a cost-effective, equitable, and rapid transition to Net Zero, while offering the opportunity for creating and enabling new forms of value. Additionally, there is an opportunity to ensure that the benefits of this decarbonisation are enjoyed by local communities. If delivered well, energy-smart places can help tackle existing injustices, creating a fairer energy system which delivers for everyone. Based on two interactive workshops hosted by EnergyREV, and attended by stakeholders from across the sector, including from PfER design and demonstration projects, local and national governments, academia, and from both SMEs and larger businesses, as well as published outputs from across the PfER programme, this report provides insights on the new forms of value afforded by energy-smart places, including the value to local communities, and sets out the policy and regulatory shifts required to unlock this value. Summaries of the interactive workshops, including contributions from invited speakers, were recorded on Miro boards which can be accessed from our website at : https://lnkd.in/evDb_4Zq #energy #projects #unlockingvalue #smartenergyplaces

Another new @EnergyREV_UK report 'The SLES Pathway Guide: Navigating drivers, barriers and action plans' Damiete Emmanuel-Yusuf and Walter Wehrmeyer #innovateuk #UKRI_News https://lnkd.in/ehRyFZ-j A report for those who wish to establish and upscale their systems #smartenergyplaces #scalingup The upscaling of Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) is regarded as a key avenue to realise the UK’s Net Zero future. This is because increasing the deployment of SLES will significantly contribute to climate change mitigation, enhance energy security, and improve access to local and affordable energy. This guidebook presents the SLES pathway tool, which is designed for stakeholders, as well as present or future SLES actors, who wish to establish and upscale their systems. It accompanies an earlier report, Pathways for the upscaling of smart local energy systems. Developed by WP6.1 of the EnergyREV consortium, the tool explores the pathways in more detail. It highlights underlying drivers and barriers for each pathway and then provides guidance on how to overcome the barriers and enable the drivers through action plans that are categorised according to the various aspects of the system. Finally, it suggests lead actors and collaborators for each action plan to facilitate pathway progress and hence the upscaling SLES. #energy #security

Another new EnergyREV Briefing Report 'Smart local energy finance: is it possible to crowdfund SLES?' Tim Braunholtz-Speight Maria Sharmina and Dr Jeffrey Hardy Innovate UK UKRI https://lnkd.in/egAyhmhz Smart local energy systems (SLES) and citizen finance – e.g. crowdfunding or community shares – share an emphasis on decentralisation and public participation. Could they be used together? We interviewed energy finance professionals, and analysed a Coops UK survey of community shareholders, to better understand what part, if any, citizen finance could play in funding SLES; and what impact it might have on the distribution of financial benefits from the energy transition. We found that citizen finance is well suited to funding less risky elements of SLES, typically renewable electricity generation projects costing less than £5m. Citizen investors may tolerate slower returns than commercial finance, enabling more projects to go ahead. However, more novel and complex projects are less suitable for citizen investors: yet as the financial profiles of SLES projects become better understood, the scope for citizen finance may grow. Notably, one citizen-funded 20MW battery project is already in development. Citizen finance can engage local investors, but is likely to also rely on investors from further afield. People on low incomes have bought community energy shares, but most investment is from those in the middle to upper income bands. Therefore, we suggest that citizen finance has the potential to spread the financial benefits of SLES more widely than commercial finance, but it is not a panacea. #smartenergyplaces #smartlocalenergysystems #roleofcitizens #energytransition #community #energy #development #share #finance #crowdfunding

New REPORT release from EnergyREV Perth West as a Case Study for the value of Greenfield Smart Local Energy System https://lnkd.in/esqbiXbH Chaimaa Essayeh, Daniel Friedrich, Charlotte Bucke, Connor Smith, Laura Bourel, Dan van der Horst and Thomas Morstyn June 2023 Perth West is a £500m mixed-use sustainable expansion to the city of Perth, with 3,500 houses, an industrial hub comprising electric vehicle facilities and a renewable generation park. An interdisciplinary team from the University of Edinburgh composed of members from the School of Engineering and the School of Geosciences conducted a study under the IAA project funding, with close collaboration with the EnergyRev consortium. The project aimed at the assessment of the techno-economic and social feasibility and value offered by different design options for Perth West’s energy system. The results showed that the implementation of a smart local energy system (SLES) composed of a PV farm and utility-scale battery can reduce site emissions by 48%. The deployment of a smart system for home charging (i.e., smart charging or vehicle-to-grid schemes) will alleviate the stress on the network and reduce import costs by up to 17%. The social study found that residents are willing to engage with the net zero agenda, demonstrating an appetite to alter their transport habits and retrofit their homes. Nevertheless, the cost is still the main barrier and the availability of the charging infrastructure would be a significant help in implementing the interest in EV uptake. #sustainable #project #renewables #smartlocalenergy #energysmartplaces #electricvehicle

Coming thick and fast now - New EnergyREV report released today Smart energy engagement tools in local energy initiatives by Rajat Gupta, Sahar Zahiri and Johanna Morey https://lnkd.in/e8yA93ds A review of smart local energy engagement tools (SLEETs) in local energy projects that can enable users to better control energy, and potentially become active participants in local energy management. The study shows over half of SLEETs were information-driven and only 12% offered users opportunities to control energy use, and 30% offered interaction. Despite a key role of inclusive SLEETs in scalability of smart local energy system (SLES) initiatives, it deployed in one-fifth of the projects. Information-driven tools (e.g. In-home-Display) were most popular in community energy groups, while digital energy platforms (DEPs) - or interaction tools - were dominant in SLES initiatives. In contrast, gamification and digital voice assistants, despite having visual and aural interfaces and energy management systems offering control were less popular. The findings revealed SLEETs were mostly deployed in areas with grid constraints (technology), active community energy groups (people) and engaged local authorities (policy). The acceptance and implementation of SLES initiatives in local areas can be enhanced by effective and inclusive SLEETs that align with local users’ requirements and are supported by local stakeholders to foster trust. #technology #energy #management #community #people #engagement #projects #energysmartplaces #properingfromenergyrevolution

New EnergyREV Report Cooperatives as bottom-up energy system actors for increasing renewables adoption Sumit Kothari and Neil Strachan This report highlights the potential role of energy cooperatives as intermediaries for renewable energy adoption and as prominent actors in future renewable energy systems. Energy cooperatives can channel the sizable resources within communities and act as intermediaries by linking potential adopters with a wide range of actors. By enabling social learning for renewables using their social linkages they can transform the technological, social, cultural, and political spaces around renewables. Cooperatives have proven to be competitive, efficient, scalable, and adaptable organisations in numerous sectors of the economy while creating both social and economic value. In the energy sector, cooperatives have emerged around the world, driven by policy incentives and market protections as well as the desire of communities to achieve energy self-sufficiency and pursue an eco-social agenda. Adaptation to changing conditions and generating economies of scale however requires cooperatives to evolve their organisation and capital structure so that they can become more efficient and access larger amounts of external capital. Energy cooperatives need a supportive policy environment that empowers them to effectively organise, grow, diversify, and evolve. Policy makers can establish simplified institutional processes, improve access to finance, reduce technical barriers and integrate them better in future low-carbon energy systems. #smartenergyplaces #smartlocalenergysystems #copoperatives #renewables #energy #environment https://lnkd.in/ezhRMi6g

Schools Toolkit - Cyberphysical Advances in Smart Local Energy Systems available https://lnkd.in/e7SHvjn9 Despite young people being the generation most threatened by climate change, youth voices continue to be underrepresented in consultation on the challenges and solutions when delivering a sustainable, affordable and cleaner energy future. Having an informed younger generation with the necessary understanding around Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES), energy digitisation and digitalisation is critical to generating a workforce and communities that aid UK’s transition to fair and just energy systems. Drawing upon EnergyREV outputs on the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation of energy systems and SLES, researchers at Coventry University have created a toolkit to address a gap in school resources. Accompanied by a practical workshop and aimed at young people (16-19 years old), this toolkit offers: · A simple overview of the current energy system and how SLES might provide solutions to shortfalls. · An age-appropriate explanation of how Cyberphysical systems, Machine Learning and digital architectures support the delivery and integration of SLES. · Explores energy ethics, including an insight into an ‘energy utopia’ – an idealised description of a just, fair energy system drawn from interviews with energy stakeholders. · Signposting to EnergyREV resources generated from other insights and tools. Workshops were held at three schools throughout January and March, reaching out to approximately 140 students. Here is what some of the students thought of their experiences: “This workshop about energy was really interesting to me. In computer science, we learn to 'dissect' a problem and solve it. In this workshop we were shown an actual problem in society and were given a chance to come up with ideas as to how we would have a clean green energy system. In the workshop we were also shown how new technologies such as AI are being used to fix modern problems in society.” (Year 11 Student, West Midlands) “This workshop really helped me improve my understanding on energy and how companies are trying to create technology that distributes energy efficiently between houses. It also helped me understand what ethical issues are, the different types of ethical issues and how it could be linked to a real-life situation.” (Year 11 Student, West Midlands) If you would like more information regarding this resource, or would like to hold this workshop in your school, please get in touch with Charlie Ingram on charles.ingram@coventry.ac.uk.

After a brief period to regroup @energyrev reports will be coming thick and fast over the coming weeks. Please keep an eye on our website https://lnkd.in/dH_mrYy5 , listen out for our Local Zero podcasts or get in touch info@energyrev.org.uk