Welcome to ESC: Unleashing Innovation - Energy Systems Catapult

Electricity market reform: Government must stop the drift to central planning and let innovators drive net zero, says new report

Energy Systems Catapult calls for a “big bang” moment for the energy sector akin to finance in the 80s and telecoms in the 90s – incentivising innovators to create new low carbon products and services that people want, and decarbonising the grid by 2035. Government-led contracting for the mass roll-out of low-carbon electricity risks stifling the potential of new digital and smart technologies, making the transition to net zero by 2050 much harder, according to a new report. - Rethinking Electricity Markets.

Energy Systems Catapult appointed to deliver Local Area Energy Plans across 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is developing a Local Energy Market and Energy Systems Catapult has been appointed to support development of Local Area Energy Plans across the 10 boroughs of the city.

The India Electric Vehicle Opportunity: Market Entry Toolkit

Transport accounts for >10% of carbon emissions in India and the Electric Vehicle market will be worth £5billion by 2025. Along with Connected Places Catapult we've produce a EV Market Entry Toolkit to highlight the opportunity and provide companies with practical guidance on how to enter the Indian market.

Living Lab now open for testing smart products and services for electric vehicles

Innovative companies developing smart home products or services that incorporate electric vehicle charging will benefit from a new offering in Energy Systems Catapult’s real-world test environment – the Living Lab. ev.energy will be integrating their smart, cloud-based platform, which automatically optimises EV charging by filling the battery when the price is lowest – delivering lower carbon and cost to the consumer.

Innovators invited to join new Energy Launchpad digital platform

Energy Launchpad has introduced an exciting new digital platform with a host of offerings to help SME innovators to take-off. The platform offers unique energy system insights, expert business support within collaboration spaces – and importantly - provides direct links to investors and international markets.

Devolving power: strategic choices for the future Net Zero energy system

The UK has made great progress in decarbonising electricity over the past decade. Tackling transport and heat will be next, where the potential of digitalisation will be crucial. Policymakers face a raft of challenges. Energy Systems Catapult believes the architecture of the energy system requires a rethink. Strategy and Performance Director Guy Newey explains.

UK energy sector landscapes – have your say

Energy Systems Catapult has selected three energy sectors landscapes to explore and showcase the exciting UK innovation and supply chains in these areas - Electric Vehicles, Hydrogen and Smart Heating & Cooling. We are calling on UK businesses to review the relevant infographic to confirm if they have been classified correctly or identified at all, before engaging with our Energy Launchpad team to suggest any changes or omissions.

If the UK is to achieve Net Zero, a carbon tax is not the silver bullet

The Prime Minister has asked all departments to produce plans to “price” carbon across all areas of the economy. This could be a defining step on the UK’s journey to cut carbon emissions. But moves to simply apply a blanket carbon tax across the economy are unlikely to unlock the innovations we need to meet our ambitious targets, and risk backfiring if not handled with care.

Lack of data access and skills will impact local authorities’ response to climate emergency

Three-quarters of UK local authorities have now declared a climate emergency but a snap poll has suggested the majority (60%) have difficulty accessing the data they need to make informed and effective decisions that will support the development of local energy projects that are key to achieving Net Zero.

Ambitious policies can prevent carbon leakage as UK industry tackles Net Zero

A new independent report produced for the Climate Change Committee suggests the right Government policy can minimise the impact of Net Zero on the competitiveness of UK industry and reduce the offshoring of carbon emissions. There is no silver bullet and a wide package of policy measures will be needed, including a market for negative emissions and transitioning from initial subsidies to a set of standards - including at the border - that tighten over time in line with carbon budgets.