The GreenSCIES project aims to deliver low carbon, affordable energy to the local community in the London borough of Islington. The novel integrated heat, power and transport network is a smart system that connects flexible electricity demands (heat pumps and electric vehicles) to intermittent renewable energy (solar power).

The smart network facilitates the transition to electric vehicles and vehicle to grid supply to make the most of intermittent renewable energy and ensure end-users always get the best tariff. Heating and cooling are provided by heat pumps in buildings connected to a local network, which integrates thermal energy storage and waste heat recovered from local datacentres and the London Underground. Artificial intelligence underpins the system optimisation and demand side response.

The scheme will result in an 80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to today’s baseline (with gas boilers, chillers and grid electricity), addressing fuel poverty by reducing energy bills by up to 25%. GreenSCIES is in the detail design stage, once constructed the low carbon integrated whole energy system will serve 33,000 urban residents and 70 local businesses. The GreenSCIES concept is suitable to be replicated throughout the country and has the potential to become a world-leading example.

Session leads: Cat De Almeida Marques, Research Fellow, School of Engineering, LSBU and Graeme Maidment, Professor of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, School of Engineering, LSBU.