International Call for Energy Innovators 2011 Is Launched

Are you developing a technology or service with the potential to revolutionise electricity transmission, distribution and efficiency of use by customers?
Are you looking to trial new smart grid or network technologies on the UK power networks?
Perhaps you are looking for innovation finance for power network products?

If so, find out more about the Energy Innovation Centre’s ‘International Call for Energy Innovators 2011’ initiative.
This scheme helps suitable technology providers to enter the UK power market by offering a range of support services including access to funding for product development, opportunities to test innovations on high and low voltage UK power networks and establish relationships with potential customers.

The Energy Innovation Centre is the UK’s leading facility dedicated to supporting businesses or individuals with a bright idea in the energy sector and is the only facility in the UK that partners with five of the UK’s leading electricity distribution companies CE Electric UK, Electricity North West, ScottishPower Energy Networks, Scottish & Southern Energy and UK Power Networks, who work closely with innovators across the world to take concepts to the stage of commercialisation.

Denise Massey, Director of the Energy Innovation Centre, said: “We estimate that up to £500m of development finance could be available for energy innovation in the UK over the next five years, which presents a huge opportunity for energy innovators across the globe.

“We want to hear from innovators with early stage or existing technologies with the potential to revolutionise UK energy transmission and distribution, such as those which can improve the energy supply process, manage demand, encourage more efficient use of energy in the home and workplaces and increase the take up of renewables.”

The UK power industries operate power networks with a replacement value of £150bn and invest £1.5bn per annum on maintaining and growing their power networks.
The Energy Innovation Centre team is already working with innovators in the UK, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand and has recently received enquiries from the USA, UAE, India, France, Sweden and Russia.

Award-winning Irish company FMC-Tech – acquired by General Electric in July 2011- is one such company receiving support from the Energy Innovation Centre. The team at the Centre have been working with FMC-Tech in the development of its innovative smart grid compatible real-time power line monitoring technology since November 2008 and has had an instrumental role in the growth of the business culminating in its acquisition by a world leader in energy products and technologies.

The ‘International Call for Energy Innovators 2011’ is open to both early stage development and existing technologies with the potential for deployment within the energy industry. It could even be a technology that is already operational in another industry, such as telecoms or retail.

The Centre is particularly interested in innovations which encourage efficient energy use by customers.

Electricity distribution companies, referred to in the UK as distribution network operators or DNOs, have a number of roles including maintaining the performance and safe condition of the networks, restoring supply quickly should a fault occur, operating telephone systems in relation to network faults and providing new connections to the network.

Mark Drye, Director of Asset Management, for CE Electric UK1, said: “We are delighted to launch the ‘International Call for Energy Innovators 2011’ in conjunction with the Energy Innovation Centre. CE Electric UK’s network covers 25,000 square kilometres and consists of more than 67,000 substations, 29,000 km of overhead line and 62,000 km of underground cable. We would be particularly interested to learn of innovations which address demand management and encourage the smarter use of power.”

Mike Kay, Network Strategy Director at Electricity North West,2 added: “We hope the ‘International Call for Energy Innovators 2011 will result in the discovery of some truly industry-changing technologies. As an organisation responsible for supplying electricity to over 2.4 million homes and businesses in the Northwest of England, we are always looking for improved methods of monitoring the performance of energy networks, detecting and identifying the location of faults, and more generally, increasing the lifespan of our assets.”

Mark Mathieson, Managing Director of Networks at Scottish & Southern Energy,3 said: “Scottish and Southern Energy has plans to invest between £1.5bn and £1.7bn in each of the next four years in areas including electricity networks. The International Call for Energy Innovators initiative gives innovators around the world the chance to shape future of energy distribution here in the UK. We would like to see innovations which encourage community engagement in local energy generation and more effective energy use and storage.”

ScottishPower Energy Networks4 is responsible for transporting electricity from the major power stations to around 3.5 million homes and business in the southern Scotland and northern England.

Jim Sutherland, Network Development Director at ScottishPower Energy Networks, added: “We are pleased to support the International Call for Energy Innovators campaign and would be very interested in finding applications which enable renewables to be integrated more seamlessly and allow existing infrastructure to carry additional power. The Energy Innovation Centre offers a wide range of services including product development, funding assistance, business support and access to power experts, and is committed to turning energy saving ideas into commercial reality.”

Steve Mockford, Head of Engineering Standards at UK Power Networks,5 said: “We are delighted to be part of the International Call for Energy Innovators initiative and look forward to seeing further projects being developed through the Energy Innovation Centre.”

For more information about the ‘International Call for Energy Innovators 2011’ or to get an innovators application pack call +44 (0)151 347 2252, email jane.blackwell@energyinnovationcentre.com or visit www.energyinnovationcentre.com

The first call for International Energy Innovators deadline is Friday 18th November 2011. UK innovators are welcome to apply.