SERL highlighted in government Digitalisation Strategy

The Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) has been name-checked in a key government strategy paper released on 20th July 2021. The paper, entitled ‘Digitalising our energy system for net zero: Strategy and Action Plan 2021’ is published by the Department of for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Ofgem and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

‘Harnessing the power of data’

The document lays out the UK’s strategy for ‘harnessing the power of data and digitalisation’ to reach the UK’s climate change targets.

SERL’s work is highlighted under a section entitled ‘Consumer data (including smart meter data) and its wider benefits’. The project is described as ‘a secure virtual facility to access granular smart meter data, with consumer consent, to conduct research. This is allowing energy researchers to carry out valuable public interest work.’

The Smart Meter Data Public Interest Advisory Group (PIAG) which SERL initially funded and has played a key role in, is also highlighted as a key player in the government’s energy digitisation planning. Ensuring consumer privacy and appropriate use of smart-meter data is noted as a main priority in the use of the data.

Working with government

SERL Director Simon Elam said: ‘Being highlighted as a good example of the crucial work being done around smart energy data in this paper is a testament to the SERL consortium’s hard work developing the resource over the past four years. We are working with BEIS and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on a number of projects and we are delighted that our resource – created with UKRI funding –  is proving useful in tackling some of the big challenges around achieving the UK’s climate change targets’.

SERL project leader Professor Tadj Oreszczyn said “The intention from the outset with SERL was to allow researchers to harness the power of smart meter data to allow a quantum leap in our knowledge of how energy is used in GB homes. We are pleased to be mentioned in the government’s strategy for digitalising the energy system, and we hope to provide a useful resource for government and researchers for many years to come.”

Access to data

The strategy was released alongside another paper entitled ‘Transitioning to a net zero energy system – Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan’.  This looks at how a smart and flexible energy system can be developed in the UK. In an accompanying press release to the two papers, Rob Saunders, Challenge Director – Prospering from the Energy Revolution, UKRI said: ‘easy access to data, and digitalisation of the system will be at the heart of the transformation to net zero energy’.