The Energy Systems Catapult, alongside advisory firm CEPA, is to carry out a new study on energy price signals.
Interested parties are being invited to offer their views on the barriers to current demand-side flexibility to take part in a survey, with responses to the survey to help shape the initial stages of this study.
The two have been appointed by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for the study, which comes as part of BEIS’ Alternative Energy Markets (AEM) programme.
This is exploring what an alternative system of network and policy price signals to better enable cost-effective decarbonisation might look like. Following this, the AEM will also look at whether those signals could be trialled in a real-world environment and how to undertake any potential trial.
On social media site Twitter, Laura Sandys, non-executive director of the Energy Systems Catapult, said it is “crucial that the flex markets are informed, driven by innovators and new entrants”.
Sandys is to chair the newly launched Energy Digitalisation Taskforce, which is to follow on from the Energy Data Taskforce and concentrate on areas such as market design, digital architecture and governance of modern digitalised energy systems.
The Energy Data Taskforce’s 2019 report released a series of recommendations, including that the energy sector should adopt the principle that energy system data should be presumed open, there should be an asset registration strategy and the creation of a unified digital system map of the energy system.
Since then, measures such as a standardised register for distributed energy resources have been introduced, all Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) data is now presumed open and the Energy Networks Association (ENA) is developing an in-depth digital system map of the UK’s energy system.
Meanwhile, the Energy Systems Catapult proposed a variety of new electricity market reforms in March, warning that the current government-directed system risks stifling new smart technologies.
Specifically, it called for the government to immediately adapt the Contracts for Difference to end what it said were market distorting impacts, with other asks including evolving policy to support financial market development and contracts for investment, aligning sector strategy and policy mandates with carbon budgets and an overhaul of governance for industry codes, system operation and energy data.
More information on the Energy Systems Catapult’s survey can be found here. It is to close to responses on 18 July.
