11 June 2026
PNDC is delighted to be a technical partner in the Powering Ohms Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) Discovery project, funded by Ofgem and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
Led by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and delivered in collaboration with the Energy Innovation Centre, Newcastle University, Purewave Form and Densix, the project explores smarter ways to upgrade local electricity networks to accommodate growing demand from electric vehicles, heat pumps and other low-carbon technologies.
As part of the Discovery phase, PNDC will provide engineering assurance and technical feasibility assessment, helping to validate concepts and shape a credible pathway towards Alpha delivery.
Our focus includes:
Exploring compact voltage transformation approaches, including pavement substations and higher-capacity pole-mounted solutions, reducing the need for land acquisition, minimising disruption and supporting more consumer-focused network expansion.
Investigating devices at the customer point of connection to improve voltage control and unlock greater utilisation of existing low-voltage network assets. This could enable capacity to be released more precisely where it is needed, helping networks respond faster to local demand growth without defaulting to large-scale reinforcement.
By providing technical expertise early in the project, PNDC will help ensure emerging solutions are practical, testable and capable of delivering real value for consumers, communities and network operators.
Helping networks grow smarter, faster and with less disruption is essential to enabling the energy transition. We look forward to working closely with SSEN and project partners as the project progresses.
To find out more about the project or discuss future collaboration opportunities, please get in touch or connect with PNDC’s project lead, Edward Corr .