UK govt seeks views on smart energy system

The UK government and energy regulator Ofgem today invited views on developing a smarter and more flexible energy system.

The call for evidence will run until January 12, 2017. A response that will set out planned specific measures is expected to be published in the spring of 2017.

There are many innovative technologies that could create savings, improve the reliability of electricity supply and support the move to a low-carbon energy system, Ofgem said in a statement. This includes increasing the use of energy storage technologies in homes, businesses and networks, it added.

The exercise is also looking at what can be done to make it easier for businesses to provide voluntary demand side response.

Nina Skorupska, chief executive at the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said the government is asking the right questions and added it is now about the speed in which policy change can take place. "Storage and DSR [demand-side response] technologies are evolving very rapidly and the Government risks being in a position where it is not leading but playing catch up or worse, by standing in the way," she said.

A number of existing policy barriers have been identified in the call for evidence, including how storage systems connect to the grid, the need for a definition of energy storage in legislation, the double counting of storage, and the role of the capacity market in aiding deployment of these new systems, REA said.

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