Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the Distribution Network Operator for the north of Scotland and central southern England, has won £600,000 from Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to move forward with work on four pioneering innovation projects, which will better support customers and communities, and benefit the environment.

The four projects receiving this funding are:

• UN:LOCK which seeks to open up network capacity on the Isle of Wight, helping low carbon technologies be connected.

• MAXFLEX which will help to create flexibility opportunities for industrial and commercial properties.

• NATURE4NETWORKS (N4N) which protects electricity networks from climate change, using nature-based solutions.

• SEACHANGE which focuses on the decarbonisation of harbours and ports.

UN:LOCK – UNBLOCKING NETWORKS Local Optimisation, Consumers and Knowledge

The Isle of Wight is one of the sunniest parts of the UK, making it popular for solar power generation. There is a limit to how much of this renewable electricity can be exported off the island due to the available capacity of the cables that connect the Isle of Wight to the mainland.

While a project is in development to install another cable and increase the available capacity, UN:LOCK will look at ways in which the connection of new generation can be accelerated, within existing network capacity limits to help facilitate the Isle of Wight's Net Zero aspirations.

SSEN is working with Regen and Environmental Project Support, who both have significant understanding of the issues facing consumers and generators in this area. Together, the aim is to demonstrate the opportunity to connect additional generation and deliver benefits for both generators and consumers on the island.

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MAXFLEX

There's great potential for Local Authorities and the occupants of industrial and commercial properties to become involved in flexibility markets; they often only use electricity at certain times of the day, and can have plenty of space for solar panels, or battery storage. But many businesses don't know much about the benefits, or indeed how to get involved in flexibility markets.

MAXFLEX involves the creation of Energy Flexibility Certificates, which will help firms, and Local Authorities, better understand the potential opportunities for them. Our partners for this project are Baringa, the University of Reading, and the Greater London Authority.

NATURE4NETWORKS

Electricity networks, like all infrastructure, are increasingly susceptible to the effects of climate change. Hitherto, the solution has often been to put in place what are known as hard engineering solutions, to create a concrete barrier against flooding for example. These may be effective but building them is very carbon intensive.

This project looks at the challenges posed by climate change differently, studying nature for the solutions it could offer, while also providing benefits when it comes to climate, biodiversity, and societal well-being. Our partners for this project are Frontier Economics, and GHD.

SEACHANGE

Shipping, like every other sector, has a target of net zero emissions by the middle of the century. In practice, this means there will be a big increase in demand for electricity at ports and harbours. By their very nature, these are located at the edges of the electricity grid.

The shipping sector is an entirely new, large electricity consumer.  This project will carry out fundamental work to model what the ports and harbours in this new net-zero world will look like, with a focus on ensuring they support both internal trade, and their local communities. Our partners for this project are EMEC, PNDC, and Ricardo.

Stewart Reid, Head of Future Networks, SSEN Distribution, said: "These four projects are diverse in their goals, and they're all focused on solving real issues, and improving things for our customers, communities, and our environment. This funding will allow us to do further meaningful work to move us closer to deployment of this meaningful work.

"Community is at the heart of what we're about here at SSEN, and we're also doing a power of work right now to develop fit-for-purpose flexibility services, which can be procured and dispatched as demand requires.

"I'd like to thank all our project partners for their work on these projects, which has been invaluable in getting them to this stage and giving them the best possible chance of securing this innovation funding."

These projects are funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund, which is a programme from the UK's independent energy regulator Ofgem and managed in partnership with Innovate UK. The purpose of the fund is to help achieve net zero quickly and at the lowest cost. This funding means the potential of these projects can be further explored and bring them closer to becoming a commercial reality.