Energy innovation
Leading the way on energy-system change
Our energy system must change – to be more Green, democratic and decentralised. How we use our energy will also have to change as we move away from fossil fuels to address the climate emergency. We’ll all need to be more flexible and adapt to the variable availability of renewably-generated supply. Repowering London is committed to leading the charge, while ensuring this evolution creates quality jobs, improves energy services and reduces fuel poverty, leaving no-one behind.
Main image: Ashden
GreenSCIES – A new life for energy waste
We are a partner in GreenSCIES, an initiative that is engaging with the community to co-design a smart, local energy system in Islington. The system will use local waste heat and renewable energy to deliver heating, cooling, power and electric-vehicle charging to residents and businesses. Our main job was to involve all parts of the Islington community in the project, and make sure the diversity of its members and their opinions were reflected in the design of the network. A trial of the GreenSCIES concept is now going forward, and hopes are to bring this model to communities across the UK in the future.
Home Response – Playing it smart
Home Response tested new, smart energy technologies in homes as part of The Mayor of London’s Energy for Londoners programme. The aim was to cut energy bills and encourage people to be more flexible in how they use electricity. Repowering London took the lead in recruiting participants, keeping the project community-centred, and making sure participants got the most benefit from the trial.
CommUNITY – Peer to peer possibilities
In 2012, Brixton residents came together to deliver the UK’s first urban community energy project on the Loughborough estate in Brixton, with the solar electricity generated powering the communal areas of Elmore House. The CommUNITY project took this a big step further, enabling residents to access the electricity from the panels and see a saving on their electricity costs. Through a peer-to-peer trading platform developed by EDF Energy R&D, participants could choose whether to share with or sell their energy to other residents. With the installation of a communal battery in November 2020, participants in the CommUNITY project were also be able to use stored solar energy in the evenings.
Urban Energy Club – Flexible power in practice
Urban Energy Club moved the CommUNITY project even further by testing how residents could support the local electricity grid run by UK Power Networks. The scheme offered flexible power services from the communal battery to respond to supply and demand in the area. This concept has the potential to be part of the energy system of the future – allowing local residents to share in the value created by providing network services, and reducing the cost of integrating renewable generation into the electricity grid.
Energy Local Roupell Park – Smart partnership
On the Roupell Part Estate in South London, Repowering London is working with Energy Local, Bioregional and Octopus Energy on a smart partnership that gives people real control over their energy choices. Through an Energy Local Club, households are able to use clean, local power and also reduce their energy bills. Residents are able to benefit directly from energy being generated by communal solar panels, make decisions together about how to price the electricity and take charge of their energy choices. With the business model proven, we have our eyes on setting up a similar project on another site.
