How EnergyREV made a unique impact
More than 60 researchers from 22 Universities worked together to tackle the challenges around Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) from an interdisciplinary and whole-systems viewpoint. This provided an unprecedented breadth of expertise and depth of knowledge on the subject.
This combination of expertise and strong links to the wider local energy community, made EnergyREV one of the most significant international academic programmes delivering research to accelerate the uptake, value and impact of SLES. We delivered a range of reports and resources that highlighted the importance of place-based energy systems to a broad range of stakeholders.
EnergyREV was one of the three key components of the UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) programme.
Over £100 million has been invested by the UK Government in the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) programme. The PFER programme ran from 2018 to 2023 and was designed to provide investable, scalable local business models using integrated approaches to deliver cleaner, cheaper energy services. This is leading to prosperous and resilient communities and benefits the energy system as a whole.
EnergyREV’s broad expertise provided coordinated research and innovation support across the PFER programme. It delivered innovations to support the various projects, while independently reviewing and synthesising the knowledge and evidence of how SLES can be successful. EnergyREV worked with the demonstration and design projects funded through the PFER programme through their lifetime; undertaking analysis and evaluation, building and driving best practice and, leading knowledge exchange through national and international engagement with policy, academic, industrial and public communities. Our novel research, detailed evaluation of other PFER activities and synthesis of knowledge and data helped accelerate and deliver PFER goals and enhance UK competitiveness.
PFER Demonstration and Design Projects
A significant proportion of this funding has been invested in four large scale local energy system demonstrators across the UK: Project Leo; ReFLEXOrkney; Energy Superhub Oxford and SmartHubsSLES. Eleven whole-system design projects have also been funded that develop novel concepts for energy provision and create a pipeline for future projects. These demonstrator and design projects have helped to prove the value of investable, scalable local business models that use integrated approaches to deliver cleaner, cheaper energy services.
Energy Revolution Integration Service (ERIS)
The EnergyREV consortium collaborated closely with Energy Revolution Integration Service (ERIS) led by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC). ERIS provided project integration, innovation services and technical expertise across the programme.
