Strategic Innovation Fund
Past Projects
Power Block
Commercial buildings have high energy demands predicted to increase through further electrification as they move towards decarbonisation. Power Block
View project
Welcome
Welcome to the home of innovation
We’re fostering a culture of innovation that serves our customers and stakeholders well, delivered by people who are passionate about innovation.
Numbers that add up to positive change
£0 million
of NIA funding going to third party innovators (75%)
0+
innovation projects brought into business as usual, more than any other network
£0m+
of smart savings between 2015 and 2023
How are we doing it?
Innovation is a driving force behind our performance, ensuring that we are the safest, most reliable and cost-efficient electricity network in the UK, leading the way in tackling Net Zero and the Energy System Transition challenges, whilst protecting vulnerable customers. To help turn this vision into a reality, our innovation strategy has focused on six fundamental themes.
Consumer vulnerability
Delivering best value and excellent service for all our customers, both in our normal operations and in the transition to Net Zero.
Outcomes
- Understanding vulnerability through innovative data analytics
- Digital inclusion
- Making Net Zero inclusive
- Policy
Net zero and energy system transition
Facilitate the timely and cost-effective roll-out of low carbon technologies (LCT) and removing barriers impeding the Net Zero transition.
Outcomes
- A network prepared for an uptake in LCTs.
- Simplifying the LCT connections process for customers and their installers
- A fair and just transition for all
Whole energy system
Looking beyond our own networks and developing our understanding of how we interact with and impact on the wider energy system.
Outcomes
- Supporting local and national planning
- Benefiting customers through improved interactions across the electricity system
- Finding innovative ways to decarbonise transport
- Finding innovative ways to decarbonise heat
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Our DSO philosophy is flexibility first, delivering affordable capacity through competition and choice; and maximising the utilisation of the network through the use of service solutions.
Outcomes
- Driving forward market platform development
- Innovating new flexibility product design
- Testing and proving the case for real-time and Net Zero operations
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Improved asset understanding to optimise the operation of our network.
Outcomes
- Improve resilience
- Improve maintenance activities
- Maintain asset health
- Increase capacity / maximise utilisation
Data and digitalisation
Using data to leverage value and optimise our network
Outcomes
- Harnessing the power of emerging technologies
- Optimise the use of our existing assets
- Facilitating the sharing of our data
Our Innovation Projects
OVERVIEW
The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
Learn more about Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Proactive optimised assets and practices
CommsConnect
Electricity networks require resilient communications to operate safely and efficiently. To provide this level of resilience typically comes at a high
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation (CLEO)
Project CLEO is helping local authorities in London, the east and south east of England establish Local Energy Area Plans, and accelerating their Net
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Community Led Integrated Planning (CLIP)
CLIP is pioneering a community-led Net Zero planning approach for multiple clusters of communities. By using an innovative circular digital planning p
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser (CREDO+)
CReDo+ is a novel enhancement of the original Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo) climate change adaptation decision support tool, with a primary
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Lightspeed
The Lightspeed project has two main use cases for deployment on-street: retrofitting lampposts and new lampposts. These face different challenges due
View project
OVERVIEW
The Consumer vulnerability is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
Consumer vulnerability
Net zero and energy system transition
Green Home Support Service
The Green Home Support Service is a new, accessible service designed to provide customers of all budgets and backgrounds with the information and supp
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Consumer vulnerability
Net zero and energy system transition
SHIELD
SHIELD aims to help low-income and vulnerable customers reduce their energy bills and emissions by providing innovative low-carbon technologies for fr
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Consumer vulnerability
Spotlight
This project will deliver substantial societal advantages for vulnerable customers, including reduced stress during outages, relief from financial deb
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Strategic Innovation Fund
Consumer vulnerability
Guidelight
Guidelight enhances understanding of Low Carbon Technology (LCT) usage, reducing adoption barriers and supporting smart energy practices. The project
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All Live Projects
Consumer vulnerability
Power Protect
Power Protect is developing and trialling a new service to offer portable battery packs to customers who are medically dependent on electricity and ex
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Past Projects
Consumer vulnerability
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Socially Green
Socially Green identified how we can serve the needs of customers from all backgrounds and support those in vulnerable circumstances as we transition
View project
OVERVIEW
The Net zero and energy system transition is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Proactive optimised assets and practices
CommsConnect
Electricity networks require resilient communications to operate safely and efficiently. To provide this level of resilience typically comes at a high
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation (CLEO)
Project CLEO is helping local authorities in London, the east and south east of England establish Local Energy Area Plans, and accelerating their Net
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Community Led Integrated Planning (CLIP)
CLIP is pioneering a community-led Net Zero planning approach for multiple clusters of communities. By using an innovative circular digital planning p
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser (CREDO+)
CReDo+ is a novel enhancement of the original Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo) climate change adaptation decision support tool, with a primary
View project
Past Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Powercast
Powercast is an innovative solution, including a data sharing and notification solution with delivery partner ev.energy. Powercast provides real-time
View project
Consumer vulnerability
Net zero and energy system transition
Green Home Support Service
The Green Home Support Service is a new, accessible service designed to provide customers of all budgets and backgrounds with the information and supp
View project
OVERVIEW
The Whole energy system is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Proactive optimised assets and practices
CommsConnect
Electricity networks require resilient communications to operate safely and efficiently. To provide this level of resilience typically comes at a high
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation (CLEO)
Project CLEO is helping local authorities in London, the east and south east of England establish Local Energy Area Plans, and accelerating their Net
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Indus
Indus aims to create a framework to develop zero carbon industrial parks, enhancing the decarbonisation of small and medium-sized dispersed industrial
View project
Whole energy system
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Trading Connections
This project is investigating a novel approach to increase the speed of connections to the network. It aims to enable appropriate visibility of the UK
View project
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Full Circle
This project is developing a new industry-leading framework to use waste heat from electricity transformers to provide heating to nearby customers.
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Heatropolis
Heatropolis will develop a first-of-its-kind commercial and technical solution to create a smarter, more flexible electricity and heat network. Using
View project
OVERVIEW
The Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO) is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Park and Flex
Park and Flex aims to explore using EVs in carparks to access flexibility services, facilitating the efficient connection of low carbon demand and gen
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Lightspeed
The Lightspeed project has two main use cases for deployment on-street: retrofitting lampposts and new lampposts. These face different challenges due
View project
Whole energy system
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Trading Connections
This project is investigating a novel approach to increase the speed of connections to the network. It aims to enable appropriate visibility of the UK
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Watt Heat
Watt Heat aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of heat and reduce costs by stimulating the market for flexibility through heat storage technologies.
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Heatropolis
Heatropolis will develop a first-of-its-kind commercial and technical solution to create a smarter, more flexible electricity and heat network. Using
View project
Past Projects
Consumer vulnerability
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Socially Green
Socially Green identified how we can serve the needs of customers from all backgrounds and support those in vulnerable circumstances as we transition
View project
OVERVIEW
The Proactive optimised assets and practices is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Proactive optimised assets and practices
CommsConnect
Electricity networks require resilient communications to operate safely and efficiently. To provide this level of resilience typically comes at a high
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser (CREDO+)
CReDo+ is a novel enhancement of the original Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo) climate change adaptation decision support tool, with a primary
View project
All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Automatic Tunnel and Shaft Inspections
An innovative new trial alongside engineering and built environment consultancy, Arup is seeing a 4-legged robot deployed in confined spaces during re
View project
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Line Search
The data generated by this project will tell us where, who, when, and what has been done near our network helping to identify fault locations, prevent
View project
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Trinity
Distribution networks are becoming increasingly complex during the Net Zero transition as new systems and equipment are rolled-out. Trinity aims to re
View project
Net zero and energy system transition
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Satelline
Satelline is a Satellite and AI vegetation management solution that can be used as faster and more cost-effective alternative to the current LiDAR-inf
View project
OVERVIEW
The Data and digitalisation is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Community Led Integrated Planning (CLIP)
CLIP is pioneering a community-led Net Zero planning approach for multiple clusters of communities. By using an innovative circular digital planning p
View project
Past Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Powercast
Powercast is an innovative solution, including a data sharing and notification solution with delivery partner ev.energy. Powercast provides real-time
View project
Whole energy system
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Trading Connections
This project is investigating a novel approach to increase the speed of connections to the network. It aims to enable appropriate visibility of the UK
View project
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation (CLEO) will develop a self-service digital tool that enables local authorities to make the best choices for th
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Skyline
Skyline is making coordinated electric vehicle data from car dealerships, charge point operators and electricity networks available for the first time
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift 2.0
The rapid uptake of LCTs means there will be increased demand in certain parts of the network as well as challenges like secondary peaks and herding b
View project
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