• Have you installed a heat pump or electric vehicle charge point?

  • Are you interested in how you could use this technology more effectively to support the transition to a low carbon energy system?

Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) working with Avalon Community Energy (ACE) are looking for heat pump or electric vehicle charge point owners in part of the Mendip area to participate in an exciting action research project to help the move towards a low carbon electricity grid.

The research will take place over five months from 1st March to 31st July 2021.

You could earn up to £5 – £75 per year (pro rata over the five months) for your participation.

Interested? Then please read on…..

What’s it all about?

BWCE are a community owned renewable energy organisation. Through BWCE’s  Flex Community programme, which we are running with smart energy developers Stemy Energy, we are exploring how domestic customers can help the electricity grid better manage supply and demand (especially at peak time). We are doing this by creating more ‘flexibility’, enabling householders to automatically switch their electricity use to a different time of day when there is less congestion on the electricity grid. Householders will always remain in control and be able to set system limits so they still receive the level of energy services they need.

Ultimately, we will be helping householders to install heat pumps and ev charge points as part of a European-wide project. Initially, though, we are looking for a small group of participants who already have one of these technologies installed to take part in the research.

What are we looking for?

In order to join the project you must fulfil the following criteria:

  • Live in a constraint management zone (see map below). This is an area where flexibility is required to balance demand and supply. If you are not sure whether you are eligible or not please apply and we can check against your post code.
  • Have a heat pump or ev charge point which is ‘flex ready’. What we mean by this is that it can connect to Stemy Energy’s smart technology, which in turn, ‘talks’ to the local electricity grid and offers flexibility. Once you apply to join we will check your device’s compatibility with the Stemy Energy smart technology.

To participate in the action research project you must be willing to:

  • Allow Stemy Energy’s smart technology to control your electricity consumption from your heat pump or ev charge point (within limits set by you in advance) between 8am to 12noon and/or 4pm to 8pm (Monday to Friday only) between 1st March – 31st July 2021.
  • Share your electricity consumption data with Stemy Energy. To avoid burdening you this will be done automatically by us installing a small monitoring device at no cost to you.

Why are we doing this?

  • To support the transition to a low carbon energy grid through supporting demand management / flexibility. For more information see www.bwce.coop/energy-demand
  • To address barriers to domestic customers participating in flexibility services by making services simpler and more accessible.
  • To investigate the potential for householders to earn income from providing flexibility.
  • To investigate the impact of flexibility services on carbon emissions.

Who is involved in this project?

Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE): clean local energy, community-owned for the common good.

Stemy Energy: maximizing consumers’ energy efficiency while streamlining the energy flexibility of the grid.

Avalon Community Energy (ACE): bringing community supported renewable energy to the area around Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury and Street.

Western Power Distribution (WPD): the electricity distribution network operator for the Midlands, South Wales and the South West.

Everoze: an employee-owned consultancy, specialising in renewables, storage and wider energy flexibility.

How do I apply?

Complete the Expression of Interest by 15th December. We are only looking for a small number of participants at this stage so please apply as early as possible.

Installation of the monitoring device and testing will take place in January/February with the project starting on 1st March.