Awarded through Ofgem’s Low Carbon Networks Fund, the £6.53m funding will see the company working on Flexible Urban Networks – Low Voltage (FUN-LV) project, which will involve first time trial of power electronics devices on the low-voltage distribution networks.
The company also secured an additional £3.32m for the Vulnerable Customers and Energy Efficiency (VCEE) project, which represents part of the total project investment of £5.49m.
UK Power Networks Strategy and Regulation director and chief financial officer Ben Wilson said, ”These projects will benefit our own customers and customers nationally, as we will share what we learn.”
For FUN-LV project, the company will specifically assess the potential to release and transfer existing spare capacity in adjacent networks to the heavier loaded networks in shorter timescales than legacy reinforcement methods, which is expected to reduce costs.
UK Power Networks is collaborating with PPA Energy, IC Consultants, IGE Digital Energy Services (UK), and CGI UK to work on the project.
The VCEE will explore how the collaboration between distribution network operators, an electricity supplier, housing associations, charitable bodies and local communities, can engage with the fuel poor and encourage their increased participation in energy efficiency and time of use tariffs.
Project partners include British Gas, University College London, CAG Consultants, Tower Hamlets Homes, Poplar Housing And Regeneration Community Association (HARCA), Bromley by Bow Centre and the Institute for Sustainability.
