Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_UKPN0069 | |
| Title | Socially Green | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Demographics) 70%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 30%; |
|
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour) 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given UK Power Networks |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 November 2020 | |
| End Date | 14 July 2023 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £925,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Power | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , UK Power Networks (100.000%) |
| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , UK Power Networks (0.000%) |
|
| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_UKPN0069 |
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| Objectives | Socially Green will focus on qualitatively and quantitatively assessing the needs of our current and future disadvantaged and vulnerable customers. This aims to help UK Power Networks adapt services to support a sustainable, fair and accessible energy system. The main expected output from the project will be a comprehensive understanding of our VCs and disadvantaged customers and a new set of priorities and enhanced services to deliver the most benefits to the wider system. We will then test new services aimed at mitigating identified barriers creating a system that will be more inclusive, fairer and better suited to the needs of our current and future VCs and disadvantaged customers. Our hope is to design and evaluate new services and partnerships that will result in higher levels of inclusion during the net zero transition. In phase 1 we seek to identify the different customer segments to understand what support our VCs and disadvantaged customers need through the net zero transition. We aim to understand this through a comprehensive review of activities in this sector so far while exploring any gaps identified. This could help us in highlighting the key cross sector partnerships required in future. Phase 2 will estimate how and where customers may be impacted, offer insight through localised data while providing guidance to improve and add future services. Phase 2 will also recommend a set of novel services to test feasibility and verify effectiveness. Phase 3 seeks to conduct trials to gather empirical evidence to support the findings from Phases 1 and 2. The project was extended until July 2023 in order to commence Phase Three of the project which will design and implement the “Flexibility for All” concept as per the original Project Scope. There was no additional cost allocated to the project budget in order to complete these activities. The main output from the project will be a comprehensive understanding of future customer vulnerabilities and localised service needs. The implementation of a new range of services and solutions will result in an improved service that will be more inclusive, fairer and better suited to the needs of our future VCs and disadvantaged customers. This will support better access to the benefits associated with the net zero transition. | |
| Abstract | Historically, the distribution network operators (DNOs) role and interaction with customers was mostly led by the need to manage outages. As we transition to a distribution system operator (DSO) and customers choose to interact with the network for other services, it is important to reconfigure our services to address the needs of all our customers. It is fundamental for network services to be inclusive and fair, to make sure that no one is left behind as we transition to a net zero future. The increased uptake of low carbon technologies (LCTs) integrated into our network may result in early need of network reinforcement if flexibility cant be procured from customer side due to exclusion. There is a need to increase our understanding of future vulnerability and disadvantage in a world that is transitioning to net zero. Currently no comprehensive customer segment mapping in this context is available and this gap is a limitation to networks ability to support vulnerable customers (VCs) in an effective way. | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 02/11/22 | |
