Energy Systems Catapult

With so many energy announcements this week, Ben Shafran, Head of Markets, Policy, and Regulation, has dug into the detail and asked, “Watts the story”, so you don’t have to. Of course, the electrifying announcement on everyone’s mind is the launch of Great British Energy. But what does this announcement mean for cutting-edge technology innovation and local energy production? Read Ben’s blog to find out the answer to this question and more, including: 👉 How will the National Wealth Fund shape Net Zero? 👉 Are we missing a trick on home decarbonisation? 👉 How do we support society’s most vulnerable? ’Watt’ are you waiting for, click the link: https://orlo.uk/HunXg

Around 23 million UK homes are heated using a natural gas boiler. To get to #NetZero, we need to accelerate the pace and scale of home decarbonisation. #HeatPumps can keep our homes warm without the high carbon emissions, making them an attractive alternative for homeowners. Rebecca Sweeney, Business Leader at the Catapult, gives her take on the transition to clean, green home heating technologies, and the steps we need to take to accelerate Net Zero energy innovation. Read what Rebecca had to say in CIBSE: https://orlo.uk/Tqp3V

There is still time to get the #NetZero transition back on track according to the latest report from the Climate Change Committee. Industry leaders - including Ben Shafran, Head of Markets, Policy, and Regulation - have responded with calls for urgent action and stronger policies to accelerate the green transition. "As evidenced by the CCC's report, urgent action is needed to deliver on the UK's Carbon Budget and ultimately, Net Zero. We have an immediate opportunity to enhance the UK's standing as a leader in clean technology. With the right enabling policies and market mechanisms in place, we can accelerate the Net Zero transition and capture the benefits of green growth." Read more in BusinessGreen [paywall]: https://orlo.uk/wbUTu

Warm Home Prescription® (WHP) is a cutting-edge service designed to keep the UK's most vulnerable warm, well, and out of the hospital. Following the success of earlier trials that saw WHP participants given credit on their energy accounts, in summer 2023, our WHP team went further by offering previous participants energy efficiency retrofit measures that would make a lasting difference to their homes and health. We upgraded the homes of 92 WHP participants in Aberdeen and Teesside. The trial was successful, with 81% of households feeling as though they could achieve a healthy temperature by winter's end; over half maintained temperatures above 18°C, and almost all above 16°C. Working on your own Warm Home Prescription® project or considering a retrofit trial in your area, read the full report to learn more: https://orlo.uk/YqS4W

Calling all #LocalAuthorities! 🚨 Join us in empowering schools across your area with our new Climate Action Plan: #Decarbonisation guide. Created in collaboration with Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ashden, and Local Partnerships, this guide equips schools with practical tools to craft effective #ClimateAction plans to accelerate #NetZero. Share a copy with schools in your community today: https://orlo.uk/9tTdd

Disjointed carbon accounting regulations are complicating the UK's path to #NetZero. In our latest report, ‘Operationalising a Carbon Regulator: Review of existing regulatory landscape’ we’ve identified seven critical gaps in carbon accounting regulations, including inconsistent standards and reporting requirements. These issues contribute to a tangled regulatory environment, placing an added burden on industry. Elle Butterworth, Senior Digital Consultant, said: “The future Net Zero economy must be supported by a robust regulatory framework that acts as an enabler for credible emissions data to be disclosed, shared, and aggregated to meet the needs of industry actors.” Read our proposals for closing the regulatory gap by downloading the full report: https://orlo.uk/UGvnl

Before you wind down for the weekend, why not check out Dr Stephen Haben's latest blog post? The decarbonisation of the electricity network requires the implementation of innovative technologies and data-driven methodologies from transmission and distribution level, to the household level. As we get down to the final feeder which feeds electricity to our homes, the demand data starts to look much more spikey and variable. This presents some unique challenges which do not occur when we look at the national level, or even regionally. One challenge is the 'double penalty effect', which makes it difficult to create forecasts and accurately evaluate them with traditional techniques. Stephen describes this largely overlooked effect, how we can mitigate against it, and what it teaches us about deploying machine learning, especially on relatively new datasets. Read more: https://lnkd.in/etJg8u53

Andrew Clark and Katrina Young share their thoughts in Utility Week on the role GB Energy can play in leveraging investment at the local level by funding and supporting every area to have a Local Area Energy Plan. GB Energy can help de-risk investment and bridge the gap between local ambition and capacity, and accelerate the pace and scale-up of local clean energy projects. "We have an opportunity to make a real difference to communities up and down the UK if only we’re brave and bold enough to take the LAEP." Read more (paywall): https://lnkd.in/exkvevfh

Chris Baraniuk is on the hunt for the world's most efficient heat pump, showing how #innovators are pushing the limits of heat pump performance. On the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, we've also been in pursuit of high performing heat pumps, with one of the 742 heat pumps we installed achieving a 365-day SCOP of around 4.4. Read the full article in WIRED: https://orlo.uk/gppSs

Calling all teachers, estate teams, and school governors! 📣 Do you want to improve energy efficiency and reduce your climate impact? Introducing the free Climate Action Plan guide, designed to assist headteachers, academy leads, teachers, college tutors and school governors in developing effective strategies to safeguard the planet for future generations. This user-friendly resource, features expert insights from Ashden and Local Partnerships LLP, providing practical advice to help you decarbonise. Download your copy here: https://lnkd.in/evqeWC7b