GreenSCIES: Smart energy grid could serve 33,000 residents and 70 businesses in Islington
GreenSCIES infographic. Picture: Cullinan Studio - Credit: Archant
Plans for a low carbon smart energy grid that could deliver heat and power to an estimated 33,000 residents and 70 businesses in Islington were announced on February 18.
London South Bank University, Islington Council and Transport for London (TfL) are joint partners behind the GreenSCIES (Green Smart Community Integrated System).
This underground energy grid, which is currently in the design stage, will extract waste heat from ventilator shafts in disused York Road station on the Piccadilly Line and from office buildings and data centres. Construction is due to begin next year.
The system works by sharing heating and cooling between buildings, to ensure a balanced energy supply across the network.
The temperature of the waste heat is then raised or cooled using heat pumps before being distributed to homes, businesses and communities, all year round. GreenSCIES aims to provide power and heat to a total of 12,500 homes in Islington and Sandwell in the West Midlands.
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It's estimated the smart grid will produce 80 per cent less carbon emissions than conventional systems.
Islington Council's transport and environment chief Cllr Rowena Champion said: "We are proud to be part of the GreenSCIES consortium, developing new and innovative ways to tackle a host of issues we face, not only here in Islington, but in cities and urban areas across the world.
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"Harnessing waste heat from data centres and other urban sources is an inspired approach to not only help reduce fuel poverty for thousands of people, but also increase the share of journeys taken using zero-carbon transport, while helping Islington achieve its target of being a net carbon zero borough by 2030."
The science behind GreenSCIES has been developed by the GreenSCIES consortium - a collection of 16 business partners including a number of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), under the umbrella InnovateUK and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Government's industrial strategy challenge fund.
The government has announced £20million will be used to fund nine smart energy systems in the UK, including GreenSCIES.
The smart energy network will generate power from renewable energy sources while connecting to the electricity grid and to electric vehicle charging points.
It will use artificial intelligence controls to connect flexible electricity demands from heat pumps and electric vehicles to intermittent renewable sources, including solar power.
