An innovation and propositions pipeline will allow the SEP to test new activities to see if they work in the city. Some examples could include residential affordability trails, thermal heat loss pilot projects and testing low carbon alternative technologies - there will be lots of other initiatives which will be developed and they will be detailed here as they progress. The SEP will test schemes to help households reduce their energy consumption and take action to reduce their utility bills.
Kestrix drone pilot project - home energy efficiency surveys
The Strategic Energy Partnership is working in partnership with Kestrix, a technology company that analyses thermal images of buildings, to assess how much heat is lost from homes. This technology can assess energy efficiency in a quick and simple way without the need to enter homes.
Affordability trial
E.ON Next has launched a pilot programme for eligible customers in Coventry to provide support to help reduce energy costs. The pilot aims to support residents to improve energy efficiency and permanently lower energy bills for an improved quality of life in their homes. The resident must be an E.ON Next customer in Coventry - E.ON is trying to reach customers who have existing energy debt (may be struggling to pay their bills) and live in an energy-inefficient home. You can read the E.ON press release and Coventry Live PR for further information.
Some learnings from the affordability trial have started to be collated with plenty of learnings to be reflected on. Post-battery installation, a new pilot aimed at transforming energy efficiency and affordability for its most vulnerable customers, has completely shifted their energy consumption - without any inconvenience to their day. Households are able to consume energy at cheaper times of the day and their consumption from the grid drops to nearly zero at more expensive times. Energy savings in excess of £300 could be achieved for some higher usage customers.
17 batteries have been installed as part of this project which included extra energy efficiency measures (loft insulation, wall insulation, solar pv, etc) - this will ensure the household is as energy efficient as possible and will work alongside the battery. E.ON are reviewing the findings and will report back to DESNZ on the success of the scheme with a view to securing future grants to expand this type of work. Read more about the plans for batteries.
Other initiatives
Other activity within this programme could include investigating grid capacities, heat demands, heat technology alternatives, investigating retrofit electrification of heat - all of these potential pipeline projects and more will be investigated as part of the SEP and will be detailed in this programme as they progress.