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

Smarter and More Flexible European Energy Systems

The Smarter and More Flexible European Energy Systems project is delivering a high-level assessment on 27+4 EU and EFTA countries providing breadth across all countries and a deep dive on seven countries identified as key markets for UK SMEs under the context of demand-side flexibility.

Hydro Genie testing in the Living Lab

Scottish innovator Biskit Controls is testing a patented technology called the Hydro Genie – that is designed to improve the performance of central heating systems - by removing dissolved oxygen from the circulating water.

Innovator Support: Digital Engineering

Digital Engineering has developed technology that helps utility companies understand the effect weather has on their networks, this is crucial for net zero systems as weather will play an increasing role in demand forecasting, renewable generation, and asset management and optimisation. Services such as asset health assessments monitors the impact of weather and corrosion enabling the optimisation of an assets through life costs.Energy Systems Catapult is supporting Digital Engineering through our Innovator Support Platform to help maximise its growth and impact on the energy system.

Innovator Support: Energeo

Energeo harness the power of geospatial big data, alongside advances in machine learning to deliver intelligence that identifies the most beneficial locations to deploy low carbon technologies, reducing the costs and timescales associated with traditional manual methods. Our Innovator Support Platform is providing specialist business support to accelerate growth, drawing on our range of advanced capabilities as well as those of their wide network of partners.

Innovator Support: Equiwatt

Equiwatt incentivises consumers to save energy at peak times through an app-based rewards scheme. Their digital platform monitors periods of peak demand on the grid, tracks home’s energy use via smart meters and helps households to automatically turn-off appliances during peak time events. The company’s consumer engagement will unlock the potential of residential demand side response supporting energy suppliers and network operators to create an energy system that is cleaner, flexible and more efficient. Equiwatt has been selected by our Innovator Support Platform to receive support in preparing for further investment and scale up.

Innovator Support: OrxaGrid

OrxaGrid has developed software which can process electricity grid data to produce insights on how to reduce energy losses and increase overall efficiency to inform energy management decision making. The company has also developed a range of devices for building a smarter grid, including sensors that monitor the performance of transformers and overhead lines to continuously measure and detect outages and disturbances. Our Innovator Support Platform is helping to prepare their business for scaling, supporting them in the development of their business model and digital platform and ensuring they are investment-ready.

Innovator Support: Scene Connect

Scene Connect has developed a digital platform which lets suppliers sell power and heat ‘as a service’ – instead of in kilowatt hours – by calculating bespoke tariffs for their customers. The technology can also be used for trading energy with other local homes and businesses and providing automated grid management services for network operators, allowing them to increase efficiency and reward local generation, supply and flexibility. Our Innovator Support Platform will support Scene Connect by providing systems integration, consumer insight and digital and data expertise.

Innovator Support: Smart Power Networks

Smart Power Networks have developed the Smart Network Controller, an all-in-a-box solution for creating a flexible and secure electricity grid. They allow users to monitor the system, enables real-time control and protection of energy assets. It can help lower the carbon footprint of energy systems, increase revenue for network operators and allow homes and businesses to sell their own renewable energy to the grid or others in the market. Our Innovator Support Platform is providing incubation support through the Innovator Support Platform including benchmarking of technical standards, financial assessments and preparing for further investment.

Rethinking Electricity Markets

Rethinking Electricity Markets is an Energy Systems Catapult initiative to develop proposals to reform electricity markets so that they best enable innovative, efficient, whole energy system decarbonisation. We need to reform electricity markets and market mechanisms so that they bring forward innovation and investment in a more efficient mix of low carbon generation, network enhancements and flexibility.

Business Model Innovation: Active Building Centre

Energy Systems Catapult is working with the Active Building Centre to explore the value of active buildings to different stakeholders, as part of a wider work package focused on business models and economic analysis.

Electrification of Heat Demonstration

Energy Systems Catapult has been appointed as Management Contractor for the £16.5 million Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project on behalf of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy .The Project aims to overcome barriers to deployment and demonstrate the feasibility of a large-scale roll-out of heat pumps in Great Britain by installing the low carbon technology in 750 homes.

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

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 Demand Side Response 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 project is trialing Evergreen Smart Power’s innovative Virtual Power Plant with 250 consumers. The aim is to shift demand for electricity for charging electric vehicles and heating water, away from peak times, using 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.

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.

Person holding phone with smart energy app

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.

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.