Current Projects

Energy Systems Catapult works on a range of projects with innovators, industry, academia and Government to help transform the UK energy system to support a low carbon economy and achieve our clean growth ambitions.

We utilise our permanent Service Platforms, Capabilities and Assets – informed by a Whole Systems view – to deliver meaningful impact on short and long-term projects; working with single customers, in partnership or as part of a consortium.

Current Projects

International: Innovating for Clean Air (India)

The UK and India have launched a two-year joint initiative – Innovating for Clean Air – providing opportunities for businesses to drive innovation in air quality monitoring and electric vehicle integration to tackle air pollution in urban areas.

Business Model Innovation: qbots energy

Manchester firm qbots:energy has been awarded funding from the Government innovation competition “Boosting Access for SMEs to Energy Efficiency” to developing a Digital Energy Efficiency Platform. aimed at developing digital solutions that encourage low carbon and energy efficiency improvements for SMEs. Energy Systems Catapult is providing qbots:energy with Business Model Innovation and Consumer Insight support for their innovations that aim to lower a businesses energy costs by optimising a buildings energy assets.

Consumer Insight: Unlocking the ‘prosumer’ using AI-led hot water tanks

As part of the government’s latest drive for energy innovation, hot water cylinder manufacturer Heatrae Sadia has joined forces with smart energy company Levelise to understand the potential for domestic hot water cylinders to offer DSR services. Energy Systems Catapult is working with both companies to provide feedback on the technology from real consumers and help them refine their proposition to maximise its appeal.

Business Model Innovation: arbnco

Scottish proptech firm arbnco has been awarded funding for the Government innovation competition “Boosting Access for SMEs to Energy Efficiency” to developing a Digital Energy Efficiency Platform. Energy Systems Catapult will be providing arbnco with Business Model Innovation support to find a sustainable model that facilitates investment in energy efficiency retrofit/refurbishment projects by SMEs in the UK.

Innovator Support: Ventive

Using technology to provide heating and hot water in a more intelligent, efficient way will be crucial for reaching a net-zero carbon energy system. Following a rigorous application process, Ventive was invited to take part in the Catapult's Innovator Support Platform for the potential of its natural ventilation technology to transform the way we heat buildings, delivering greater comfort without the carbon.

Innovator Support: Logicor

Logicor, an energy-focused R&D business, have developed an infrared heating system specially designed for use in homes that delivers comfort more efficiently and doesn’t need a gas boiler. Following a successful application process, the Innovator Support Platform is working with Logicor to assess the current market landscape, assess the value for customers, and understand and refine their pitch.

Innovator Support: Senergy

Senergy are hoping to capitalise on the pressing need for greener technologies with its competitively priced, lightweight solar panels. The Innovator Support Platform is now helping the firm to validate its product with state-of-the-art modelling and other Catapult services.

Innovator Support: Sunamp

Sunamp is a developer of chemical ‘heat batteries’ that can absorb and store thermal energy when it’s cheaper or cleaner to produce and release it again when it’s needed. Energy Systems Catapult is working with Sunamp via the Innovator Support Platform to help take their business to the next level.

Innovator Support: iPower

iPower is a social enterprise using smart digital control systems to monitor and manage energy in homes and businesses, onsite energy generation and storage systems to help create a more stable, greener energy economy. Energy Systems Catapult is working with iPower via the Innovator Support Platform to assess the current market landscape, assess the value for customers, and understand and refine their customer proposition.

Consumer Insight: Exploring routes-to-market for DSR technology

The Flexibly-Responsive Energy Delivery (FRED) project is trialing Evergreen’s Virtual Power Plant with 250 consumers to adjust when their electric vehicles are charged and their water is heated, based on real-time pricing and grid information. Energy Systems Catapult is exploring how consumers respond to such technology and how to maximise its appeal.

Innovator Support: Extreme Low Energy

Extreme Low Energy (ELe®) has developed low voltage power infrastructure systems that eliminate the waste of AC/DC conversion to run DC-powered electronic devices directly from DC renewable generation and storage.

Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration

The Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration project was launched in 2016 to deliver unique and detailed insight on mainstream consumer behaviour when using and charging battery and hybrid electric vehicles, to understand the changes that will be required of existing infrastructure with the growth in low carbon transport.

Man charging electric car in domestic garden, boy looking at man and smiling.

Innovator Support: Airex

AirEx has created a smart ventilation control – or put more simply - an intelligent airbrick, that uses sensors to monitor temperature, humidity and air quality in the home. Energy Systems Catapult is working with AirEx to support product validation and accelerate to market, including exploiting data from a trial in our Living Lab to support product development, business planning, and a larger scale trial.

Smart Systems and Heat

Energy Systems Catapult is delivering the UK’s largest smart, consumer-focused project aimed at overcoming the barriers to the decarbonisation of residential heat - the Smart Systems and Heat programme. Taking a whole systems approach, the Catapult has developed capabilities, assets, tools and insights that tackle the challenge from national scale down to individual building level, including – Modelling, Digital and Data, and Consumer Insight – and the establishment of a ‘Living Lab’ in over 100 homes.

cheerful senior man resting on the chair with smartphone at home

Living Lab: Bristol Energy heat plan trial

Bristol Energy has become the first energy supplier in the UK to trial selling ‘heat as a service’, rather than kilowatt hours, tailored to consumers individual home and lifestyle.Energy Systems Catapult is testing consumer-focused ‘smart energy services’ (i.e. tailored service propositions enabled by digital controls and sensors) in a ‘Living Lab’ of 100 real-world homes.

DTOceanPlus

DTOceanPlus is an ambitious EU project – funded by the Horizon 2020 – to develop and demonstrate an open source suite of design tools to accelerate innovation and commercialisation in the ocean energy sector. Energy Systems Catapult is providing Offshore Renewables, Systems Integration, Modelling and Infrastructure and Engineering expertise to develop a structured innovation design tool for concept selection of ocean energy systems.

Rethinking Decarbonisation Incentives

Rethinking Decarbonisation Incentives is exploring how UK policies can promote clean growth by taking a ‘whole systems’ perspective on carbon policy.Through the project, Energy Systems Catapult aims to promote broader strategic debate about how the UK could improve carbon policy to stimulate innovation and clean growth.

Innovator Support: Neuville Grid Data

Neuville Grid Data was chosen as the collaboration partner for the Power Systems Challenge in a programme set up by Energy Systems Catapult together with the Power Networks Demonstration Centre. The challenge aims to test the capability and network behaviour of innovative SME solutions to Future Power Systems Architecture-identified challenges.

Integrating Tidal Energy into the European Grid

Energy Systems Catapult is partnering on the €11 million Interreg North-West Europe project launched in Orkney to develop an all-in-one solution for the generation of clean predictable energy, grid management, and the production of hydrogen from excess capacity.