SP Energy Networks has secured nearly £1m of funding from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, managed in partnership with Innovate UK, to move two of its project, Equiflex and LVOE, into their next stage.

The two projects look to address key challenges facing the electricity network and its customers as the UK moves to electrification and a sustainable future; removing barriers to flexibility services and helping to balance voltage differences on the network to enable the uptake of low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps.

This is the second round of funding secured for the project through the Strategic Innovation Fund and will move the projects into the next phase of trials.

Equiflex, awarded £424,011 from the fund, aims to promote equal access to flexibility services for everyone. A way of balancing supply and demand on the electricity network, flexibility services work with users to change the way they use, store or generate electricity as required by the network operator. This can provide a financial benefit for the electricity users alongside overall cost savings by reducing the need for some network reinforcements.

However, access to the flexibility market can be limited. Equiflex, in partnership with Frazer-Nash Consulting Ltd, Energy Action Scotland, East Ayrshire Council, University of the West of Scotland, and ScottishPower customer business will investigate flexibility options, barriers to access these services, and build a toolkit to advise stakeholders, such as local authorities, on how they can harness opportunities and overcome barriers to participate in the flexibility market. This will help ensure all customers have an equal opportunity to access the potential savings associated with participating in the flexibility market.

Also, with a focus on potential future savings is the LVOE project. Awarded £490,119 of funding, the project aims to address the low voltage imbalance experienced on the network as more households adopt low carbon technologies like EVs, solar panels and heat pumps.

The number of customers adopting these technologies is increasing exponentially, and will continue to grow, requiring substantial network upgrades to ensure everyone who wants to can install these technologies.

LVOE intends to explore the use of a low voltage power electronic device, known as the LV Optimiser, can help reduce the need for some of these upgrades, potentially offering multi-million pounds worth of savings. The project is part of SP Energy Networks’ continued commitment to power electronics in line with its RIIO-2 innovation strategy and demonstrating their pioneering approach to using power electronics as an enabler for Net Zero.

Eddie Mulholland, Director of Processes and Technology of SP Energy Networks, said:“Being able to move these projects forward, thanks to the Strategic Innovation Fund, will help us explore the feasibility of rolling these projects out, not just across our own network, but the wider electricity network.

LVOE is another example of our innovative adoption of power electronics to improve the resilience and efficiency of our network to enable our customers to adopt low carbon technologies at the scale and pace necessary to reach Net Zero. While Equiflex is part of our pioneering approach to flexibility as we move towards becoming a DSO.

Securing this funding is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team as we continue to use innovation in the best interests of our customers and wider stakeholders.”