Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has launched an updated website for its ground breaking Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO) project, which is one of most ambitious, wide-ranging, innovative and holistic smart grid trials ever conducted in the UK.
The £40m project will test electricity market flexibility models and markets across Oxfordshire. It will explore how the growth in local renewables, electric vehicles, battery storage, vehicle-to-grid technology and demand side response can be supported by a local, flexible and responsive electricity grid to ensure value for consumers and opportunities for communities and market providers.
Project LEO is an important step in testing how new markets can work and improving the customer engagement journey. Importantly for SSEN, Project LEO will demonstrate how network businesses need to change to facilitate these new markets and solutions while still delivering energy in an economic, reliable, fair and sustainable manner.
In recognition of the speed of change in the energy market, SSEN has already committed to change from being a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to become a Distribution System Operator (DSO), which among other commitments, will include the requirement to act as a neutral market facilitator.
Project LEO is supported by SSEN's TRANSITION project which is exploring the most effective system architecture for electricity network companies to support the smarter, flexible network of the future.
The Project LEO website will include information on how customers and communities can get involved with the project and find out about stakeholder events and activities.
Melanie Bryce, Project LEO Director, said: "Project LEO is a hugely exciting project that will effectively build and test a prototype of the future energy grid, in Oxfordshire. We have excellent partners working alongside us and are engaging with local businesses and community groups. This website will be a central tool in communicating what we learn and building a dialogue with local customers and communities. We will be running stakeholder events and activities and I would encourage people to get in touch via the website to let us know of their interest."
Project LEO is a three year project, supported by £26m of private funding from the project partners, alongside £13.8m of funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge fund, which is managed by Innovate UK.
Project LEO is a partnership between SSEN, Low Carbon Hub, the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Piclo, Nuvve Corporation and EDF Energy.
To visit the Project LEO website, please click here.
To find out how TRANSITION is helping us move to a smarter future, please click here.