Overview

• DSIT has allocated £4 million to the Clean Energy: 2GW Peak Time Flexibility challenge to shift two gigawatts of evening and weekend peak demand away from fossil-fuel generation.
• The five-year mission, led by UK Research and Innovation in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is the inaugural challenge in a £500 million Spending Review-backed R&D Missions Accelerator Programme.
• Applicants are invited to develop AI-driven solutions using forecasting models, smart meter data, automated building climate control and vehicle-to-grid integration to optimise grid load.
• Ofgem deputy director Marzia Zafar and industry leaders have publicly endorsed the initiative as a critical step to bolster energy security and reduce household energy bills.
• DSIT plans to announce four more focused R&D challenges over the coming months to drive further clean energy innovations across other sectors.