A new competition has been announced which will distribute funding to organisations developing innovative, sustainable UK smart energy systems.
The Detailed Designs of Smart, Local Energy Systems competition, which will open on 7 May, will allocate a total of £30 million (€34.8 million) to organisations based in the UK aiming to develop reproducible smart energy systems, prioritising renewable energy sources, with the potential to deploy across the UK market.
Rob Saunders, director of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, said: “Smart local energy systems can intelligently link supply, storage and use of power, heat and transport in new ways that dramatically improve efficiency and work better for people. This competition will seek the very best ideas in British innovation to show how the energy sector of the future will be cleaner and greener and support the jobs and industries of the future.”
All UK-based organisations will be eligible to apply for funding through the competition, which will close on 7 August. Projects will be expected to meet the following criteria:
- Devising novel approaches to implementing UK smart energy systems;
- Promoting the integration of new technology solutions for the energy needs posed by heating, power and transport in ways which can be replicated nationwide;
- Developing cost-effective and sustainable systems;
- Providing economic and environmental benefits to the UK as a whole; and
- Creating financial models for the full-scale UK deployment of low-emission technologies.
Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth Claire Perry said: “We are at the start of a smart energy revolution, which will see technology like energy storage, smart appliances and electric vehicles become part of the fabric of everyday life. A future built on digital, data-driven smart systems will transform the way society interacts with the grid – delivering cheaper, greener and more flexible access to energy for everyone. This competition will help to give the UK’s makers and innovators the tools to make this vision a reality and seize on the business opportunities ahead.”
