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Energy Revolution Integration Service supporting the development of Smart Local Energy Systems

The Energy Revolution Integration Service (ERIS) was created by Energy Systems Catapult to play a central role in Innovate UK’s £102.5 million Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) programme – running from 2018-2023.

ERIS delivered a legacy of insights, tools, learning and thought leadership to support the development of Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) to help local communities reach Net Zero.

The Challenge

To achieve Net Zero by 2050 will require unprecedented planning and action at local level to drive energy innovation, such as flexibility and demand management driven by digital technologies that help empower local actors, such as UK local authorities, to deliver actions that benefit their communities.

PFER brought together businesses, local stakeholders and the best UK researchers and energy experts to develop and demonstrate approaches to developing different types of SLES – linking low-carbon power, heating and transport systems with clean energy storage and advanced IT to create intelligent, local energy generation systems and services – with the aim of delivering cleaner, cheaper and more resilient energy to consumers.

What is a Smart Local Energy System?

A Smart Local Energy System (SLES) is a way to bring together different energy assets in a local area and make them operate in a smarter way. They could be connected physically (e.g. a solar farm powering a housing development) or digitally (e.g. a virtual energy marketplace). They will help a local area decarbonise more quickly and cost effectively, and can deliver wider social and economic value for communities.

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The Solutions

Drawing on in-depth expertise, knowledge and capability from across Energy Systems Catapult, ERIS delivered significant value to the PfER programme, including:

  • Platforms, Tools, Guidance and Data for local places developing Smart Local Energy Systems, including the delivery of cross-project engagement activities, knowledge and data-sharing platforms, such as:
    • Net Zero Go is a unique, powerful, easy-to-use platform bringing together all the tools and support that local authorities need to develop successful, locally-focused zero carbon projects.
    • Zerocarbon.vote is a unique online consultation tool designed to help local authorities and businesses understand the zero carbon choices of local people.
    • Aspects of Integration is a framework developed to encourage systems thinking that considering eight aspects of systems integration to identify risks, the readiness of solutions and your team’s ability to deliver.
  • Insights for Adopting Smart Local Energy Systems were developed, with a range of reports, webinars, workshops, blogs and articles on topics including: digital & data, people & skills, social housing, finance & investment, procurement and business models for SLES.
  • Working Groups and Policy Briefs were developed on themes including: policy and regulation and innovating with users & communities to support the PfER projects and provide access to key stakeholders (e.g. Ofgem, BEIS, Smart DCC, BSI).
  • Local Area Energy Plans are a data-driven, collaborative and evidence-based approach to identifying a costed route for local areas to achieve Net Zero. ERIS delivered three LAEPs and ‘Guidance on creating a local area energy plan’ which is now being adopted as the industry standard.
  • Digitalisation is an essential part of creating SLES projects and ERIS helped deliver two key projects: Modernising Energy Data Access (MEDA), which created a common data architecture, and Modernising Energy Data Applications (MEDApps), which funded the development of data applications by innovators that address the needs of users and developers of local energy systems.
  • Energy Outcomes Evaluation of 13 PfER projects (three demonstration and 10 detailed design) were delivered to quantify impact on bills and carbon emissions, user acceptance of SLES design and commercial viability. The insights were published in three portfolio reports.
Turn local ambition into action with

Net Zero Go

Capture local buy-in with

ZeroCarbon. Vote

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Aspects of Integration

The Impact

  • Delivery of 27 Local Energy Asset Representations to help optimise project locations within an area and over 10 electives (providing targeted guidance and insights)
  • Net Zero Knowledge Library with over 650 articles, 30 case studies and six tools and guides.
  • Net Zero Projects Guide with seven stages from initial concept through to funding and procurement and on to build and operation.
  • Net Zero Go success can be demonstrated by the high engagement figures and positive feedback from over 300 users.
  • Greenhouse gas savings from 2% to 108% and user bill savings ranging from 0% to 57% were evidenced across PFER projects, with key examples of effective community engagement and “investable, scalable local business models”.
  • Delivery of three Local Area Energy Plans helped stimulate the supply chain including one each by Arup and Buro Happold.

Smart Local Energy Systems: Tools, Guides & Data

Report

Smart Local Energy Systems: Guidance for Local Actors

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Report

Smart Local Energy Systems: Investing in Local Energy

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Guide

Systems thinking in the energy system

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Guide

Guidance on creating a Local Area Energy Plan

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Smart Local Energy Systems: Insights for Adoption

Report

Smart Local Energy System Composition: A Portfolio Review of PFER Concept Projects

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Report

Enabling Smart Local Energy Systems: Social housing opportunities

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Report

Enabling Smart Local Energy Systems: Finance and Investment

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Report

Enabling Smart Local Energy Systems: The value of digitalisation and data best practice

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Report

Emerging business models for smart local energy systems

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Insight

Better procurement for a brighter (local) net zero future

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Smart Local Energy Systems: Policy Briefs

Report

The policy and regulatory context for new Local Energy Markets

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Report

Energy White Paper: What it means for Smart Local Energy Systems

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Report

Place-based Innovation: How can Smart Local Energy Projects and Innovative Planning Support Net Zero?

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Report

Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan (2021): What it means for Smart Local Energy Systems

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Policy Brief

Active Network Management (ANM): Opportunities and risks for Smart Local Energy Systems

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Policy Brief

Local Energy Markets and Fairness: Insights for Smart Local Energy Systems

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Smart Local Energy Systems: People and Skills

Report

User Acceptance of Smart Local Energy Systems: Key insights on public opinion

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Report

Benchmarking User Experience: Innovative energy products and services

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Guide

Smart Consumer Protection Manual

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Impact Case Studies

Local Area Energy Plan

Peterborough City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has made tackling climate change a priority. In response, Peterborough City Council worked with Energy Systems Catapult to develop a Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) – our pioneering, data-driven, collaborative and cost-effective approach to planning for decarbonisation of local places.

The LAEP – which covers 70% of all emissions generated in Peterborough – evaluates the current and future energy demands of the city, considering electricity demand, heating demand, retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency and electric vehicle charging demand to produce a plan to get to Net Zero carbon.

Energy Systems Catapult helps local places explore potential pathways to Net Zero that considers a range of technologies and scenarios, and when combined with stakeholder engagement leads to the identification of the most cost-effective preferred pathway and a sequenced plan of proposed actions to achieving an area’s Net Zero goal.

Peterborough was divided into ten zones based on areas served by primary electricity substations, rather than any political or geographical boundary. Dividing Peterborough into ten zones was necessary owing to the distinctions between urban/rural and commercial/residential areas that require different decarbonisation solutions.

The LAEP demonstrated that meeting a Net Zero target of 2040 would require investment of £8.8 billion into Peterborough. The forecast investment required is the total capital costs of the whole energy system (including domestic heating, insulation, networks etc.). Investment would most likely come from a combination of private investment, residential home upgrades, and government grants.

The LAEP has supported Peterborough City Council by:

  • Identifying potential projects that inform the Council’s decisions on where to focus public and private investment to best meet their decarbonisation efforts.
  • Providing an open and transparent approach for engaging with local stakeholders on findings, barriers and solutions.
  • Creating a stakeholder group to lead the delivery of LAEP projects through the development of viable business cases to unlock investment.
  • Supporting development of its City-Wide Climate Change Action Plan.

Smart Local Energy Systems: Evaluation

Evaluation of 10 detailed designs and three demonstrator Smart Local Energy System projects

Report

Why Smart Local Energy Systems?

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Report

Public awareness and appeal of Smart Local Energy Systems

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Report

Bills and carbon impact of Smart Local Energy Systems

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Net Zero Places

We empower and advise Local Authorities, Network Operators, and Central & Devolved Governments to take Net Zero action

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