£10m awarded to local ‘smart energy’ projects in Wales
32 schemes bringing together ‘energy generation, storage, demand and infrastructure’ solutions will share the finance package.
Defined by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as systems that connect energy services in a localised area through smart technologies, each project is tailored on the exact needs of specific places. The delivery of these solutions is reliant on digital technologies, including AI.
Up to £1million is available for each project, with applications opening late-2024. Community energy groups, social enterprises, SMEs, and public sector bodies have all submitted proposals, with decarbonisation and schemes that can be rapidly deployed prioritised. All projects must be live by March 2025.
Solar PV and heat pumps, battery storage facilities and systems development, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure are among the winning projects. Meanwhile, successful organisations include Aberystwyth University, Anglesey County Council, and Swansea Mosque and Islamic Community Centre.
‘Whilst ground-breaking technology and the development of national infrastructure continues apace across strategic sites in Wales, it’s equally important that we continue to support the growth of smarter, locally driven innovative projects,’ said Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.
‘There was a huge amount of interest in this support, which goes to show the enormous appetite for clean, smarter energy systems keeping benefits within our communities and reducing the need for large-scale infrastructure,’ she continued. ‘I’m delighted to be able to support so many quality projects which will each have a positive impact on the many who use them.’
More public sector technology news:
New digital platform will improve sharing of medical information
2024 in public sector tech: AI, small cells and digital twins
Image: Ricardo Gomez Angel via Unsplash
Leave a Reply