Keele University’s boundary breaking SMART Energy Network Demonstration project has been highlighted as a leading example of energy climate change action in the UK.

Funded by the ERDF and the Uk Government, and delivered by international  tech-giant Siemens, the project is the European leader in at-scale town sized intelligent low-carbon energy grid management.

It is demonstrating how the digitisation of local energy systems and resources can accelerate carbon reductions and tackle climate change head on.

Professor Chris Fogwill, Director of Keele’s Institute of Sustainable Futures and the SEND Professor in Practice Professor David Healey were invited to join top industry and government leaders at an “urban energy” summit in Manchester.

Organised by Centrica Business Solutions and energy experts WSP, the round table meeting was called to generate new ideas for action to help the UK go carbon free by 2050.

Professor Fogwill said Britain has reached a tipping point in energy  generation.

“During the first five months of 2019, we generated more power from zero-carbon sources than fossil fuels - the first time since the Industrial Revolution. Things are changing fast. But the route to a carbon free future is blocked by our ancient energy systems and regulations. We urgently need change - but we need models for action. Keele’s revolutionary SMART energy network project is setting the standards.”

Professor Healey said Keele was at the forefront of research to break through the barriers.

“It’s the first time that a host of renewable energy generation and storage technologies have been brought together on a town-sized grid, and the energy data from thousands of energy use sensors automatically analysed and energy managed by a super- digital brain. Knowledge is most definitely power,” he said.

For Centrica's blog on the issue go to: https://www.centricabusinesssolutions.com/blogpost/opportunity-decarbonisation

The SEND programme (Ref 32R16P00706) is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (as part of the England 2014 to 2020 European Structural  and Inverstment Funds (ESIF) Growth Programme) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).