UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has unveiled a £30 million fund to ‘kick-start’ smart energy projects.
The funding will support projects that integrate heat, energy and transport and are scalable across the UK, with organisations having until 7 August to apply. The aim is for projects to be ready to be rolled out across the UK in the 2020s.
Energy minister Claire Perry said smart systems will “transform the way society interacts with the grid” and deliver cheaper and greener energy.
“We are at the start of a smart energy revolution, which will see technology like energy storage, smart appliances and electric vehicles become part of the fabric of everyday life.
“This competition will help to give the UK’s makers and innovators the tools to make this vision a reality, and seize on the business opportunities ahead,” Perry added.
The competition comes as part of a wider Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, the ‘Prospering from the Energy Revolution’ Challenge Fund (PFER).
The PFER is looking to support industry, academia, public bodies and local communities in developing smart local energy systems.
Earlier this month UKRI confirmed that it is to invest £102.5 million in four demonstrator projects located across the UK, investigating the use of new and novel technologies in smart energy systems.
