In collaboration with ESC, BEIS, Q-zeta, Lightsource bp
The BEIS Longer Duration Energy Storage (LODES) innovation competition aims to accelerate commercialisation of innovative longer duration energy storage projects. The LODES competition has two phases. In Phase 1, projects deliver a feasibility study for the proposed technology and contribute to knowledge dissemination and sector capacity-building. In Phase 2 of the programme, the successful technology will receive funding to be built, trialled, and commissioned.
The Project INHERENT partners, Energy Systems Catapult (ESC), PNDC, Lightsource Labs Ltd and Q-zeta Limited, received funding to take part in Phase 1 of the programme. The technology being developed offers the opportunity to attempt to solve two of the critical challenges to net zero with a single technical solution and investment:
Maximising penetration of low-cost variable renewable electricity generation by providing responsive, large-scale, long duration storage capacity.
Enabling decarbonisation of domestic space and hot water heating.
Outcomes
Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) has created a unique facility known as the Living Lab, which enables new energy system technology to be trialled and monitored with real consumer homes. ESC has partnered with the PNDC, part of the University of Strathclyde, to create the Whole Energy System Accelerator (WESA). This combines the real-time data feed from the Living Lab with the network simulation and test facility at PNDC. The WESA collaboration will allow the interaction of the real control hardware in the Living Lab with real and simulated network conditions. This collaboration forms a power hardware in the loop between the Living Lab and PNDC.
This project implements the first step toward the development of the WESA trial. Future potential scenarios that can be trailed on WESA have been identified. The purpose of the future scenario identification is to:
Demonstrate the capability of the Q-zeta long duration heat storage.
Assess the impact and benefit of national deployment of the Q-zeta units.
Impact
WESA will enable the capabilities of connecting real hardware installed within individual households to PNDC real and/or simulated network. This will provide real usage data from trial households and will allow households and PNDC test network to be combined. Testing, therefore, can be conducted without relying solely on simulated consumer usage models.
Assuming the project successfully receives funding for Phase 2 of the LODES programme, a comprehensive development plan has already been put in place as part of Phase 1. PNDC has identified a suitable testing regime for connecting to the WESA platform and for demonstrating the capability of the Q-zeta units.
What’s next?
PNDC worked with project partners and submitted the Phase 2 proposal to BEIS. The aim of the proposed Phase 2 work is centred around an integrated demonstration with real in-home units and virtual deployments on the WESA platform, which allows the characterisation of grid flexibility benefits and costs to the consumer for a large-scale deployment of the Q-zeta system.
Get in touch
For further information on this case study or to discuss collaborative opportunities, please get in touch.
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