Opportunities and challenges for Implementing Smart Local Energy Systems in Cities and Towns, demonstrated through case studies

Smart local energy systems (SLES) that integrate heat, power and mobility vectors are part of the UK strategy to reach net zero carbon by 2050. This paper investigates the opportunities and challenges for implementing SLES in cities and towns through case studies in two very different locations in the UK: London and the West Midlands. The blueprint for the GreenSCIES SLES was developed in Islington, London, and consists of a 5th generation ambient loop district heat network with electric vehicles, storage and solar PV. This network allows for heat sharing between buildings and applications for heat recovery from local sources.
A second case study explored the opportunities and challenges for improving a previously proposed conventional 3rd generation district heat network, which connects new developments and existing local authority high-rise apartments in the West Midlands, using the GreenSCIES blueprint. The initial design was expanded to include more existing domestic and non-domestic properties. The study evaluated heat recovery from industrial processes, interseasonal thermal storage in the aquifer and considered the opportunity for adding electric vehicle charging points along the network route. The results show a way to decarbonise heat across the whole area and provide a path to enable the electrification of transport