The University of Westminster has been awarded a grant of £507,000 from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) to support research into smart grids.
“The framework, in line with UKERC’s aims, will provide key strategic insights which will help steer the development and implementation of smart grids and understand and manage the relevant risks and barriers,” said Nazmiye Ozkan, senior research fellow at the university’s policy studies institute. “In particular, we will seek to uncover critical decision points (whether from a regulatory or a policy perspective) and spatial differences in the functionality and capabilities of smart grids.
“This project will bring new knowledge regarding possible UK energy system transitions, which will help to provide a more complete and accurate understanding of the implications for people and society, and provide valuable support for government decisions on UK policy.”
Researchers at Brunel University, Cardiff University, University of Exeter and the University of Nottingham are all contributing to this two-year project, which is bringing together some of the UK’s leading researchers in energy policy, behavioural psychology, energy networks engineering, and energy regulation and economics.
“Smart grids promise to transform the way that all users of electricity systems – produces and consumers – interact with each other,” said Jim Skea, research director of the UKERC.
“However, there is no shared vision as to where the smart grid concept might take us. This project will make an important contribution in terms of exploring the possibilities”
