Member Article

Yorkshire firm to play role in £21m smart energy fund

Saltaire-based heat network specialist Switch2 Energy will help design a smart local energy system in Cheshire, following a £21m funding announcement from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Switch2 Energy has been selected as a partner in Project Rewire-NW, which is one of ten ground-breaking UK clean energy projects to share in the funding.

Rewire- NW, which is led by community energy and sustainability charity Pure Leapfrog, will design a Smart Local Energy System for Warrington, which has the future potential to be rolled out beyond Cheshire to other parts of the UK.

The £2.8m, two-year project will be jointly funded by UKRI and 12 project partners, including Switch2 and organisations from the energy industry, local government and academia. Together, they will assess ways of optimising the current energy infrastructure in Warrington, and bring forward proposals to adapt it to be able to deliver average cost savings of 25% and create a pathway to net-zero.

Switch2 will be part of the team that explores feasibility and design of a local heat network. This will be a key component of Rewire-NW, which will address the whole energy system across the entire Warrington borough, including energy heat and transport.

By using 5G and data-centric intelligence, the project will drive the local energy systems towards lower costs and lower carbon outcomes.

Richard Slee, CEO of Switch2 Energy, said: “We are excited to be involved in creating tomorrow’s smart local energy system. This is an exciting opportunity to design a future-proofed heat network that can deliver affordable, reliable, low carbon heating and hot water to businesses and residents across Warrington.”

Claire Hanratty, CEO Pure Leapfrog, said: “Project Rewire gives us a unique opportunity to secure a seat at the table for community energy, when designing the next generation of low carbon energy systems.”

Switch2 Energy is a heat network specialist – supplying 80,000 residents and 180 clients across 500 heat networks.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Switch2 Energy Ltd .