Glasgow City Council has partnered with Flexitricity as part of its bid to become a carbon-neutral city by 2030.
Nine sites may have the opportunity to access the demand side response (DSR) market in a project known as Quickturn.
The first site will be Pirie Park primary school, which will pilot will provide the opportunity to test the technology in an operational building, before expanding the project across the city estate to offices, depots and leisure centres.
Revenue generated from offering DSR will be ring-fenced by Glasgow City Council to be re-invested in further renewable energy projects.
The Quickturn project is funded by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and aims to provide the first realistic opportunity for smaller commercial energy users across Britain to benefit from DSR. The project will benefit SMEs as well as smaller sites that are part of larger, multi-site estates, using Flexitricity’s expertise in aggregating and dispatching flexible energy-consuming assets such as cold storage, air conditioning and heat pumps.
Andrew Mouat, Glasgow City Council’s principal officer for carbon management, believes the Quickturn partnership will showcase how councils across the country can support the energy needs of the UK, while also generating revenue that can be re-invested into additional energy-saving schemes. He said: “Participating in the Quickturn project and the trial at Pirie Park Primary School marks another milestone for Glasgow City Council as we continue to lead the way in reducing energy consumption across the city.
“We’re committed to deploying innovative technologies to ensure that Glasgow continues to make progress and become a true pioneer among its peers when it comes to lowering our carbon emissions.”
“By working with Flexitricity in delivering the Quickturn project, we are bringing further momentum to our ambitions of being the first city in the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions.”
Flexitricity has spearheaded the demand-response industry, generating over £20million for its energy partners since it started live operations in 2008. It is the first supplier in the UK to provide full, active participation in the Balancing Mechanism for demand response assets.
The Edinburgh-headquartered business now has close to 500 MW under management – a virtual power station helping National Grid meet the energy demands of the UK.
Dr Alastair Martin, founder and CSO at Flexitricity, said: “The ongoing drive towards a low carbon economy and the Government’s net zero 2050 emissions target means that councils across the country will have an important role to play in helping shape the energy infrastructure of the future.
“The market is now open for smart, active energy users. Not only is a smarter energy system essential for tackling climate change, it is also fairer and will allow everyone to benefit – from businesses of all sizes to domestic energy users.
“Glasgow City Council has led the way in aspiring to make Glasgow the first UK city to become carbon neutral. We are excited to be working with them to drive innovation and help them realise greater efficiencies and revenue from their energy assets.”
Further partners of the Quickturn project include Asda, Scottish Water Horizons, Norish, Jones Food Company and Northumberland City Council.