The government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is about to launch a £4 million funding competition to look at advanced energy management solutions for existing buildings – and it is looking for participants amongst the energy management community.
Due to open in October, the competition will award between £300,000 and £1 million in grant funding to a number of consortiums willing to carry out R&D work into energy management solutions to their buildings, with the twin aims of stimulating innovation in energy efficiency and offering UK firms the opportunity to develop cutting edge technology and solutions.
Each consortium must be collaborative and led by a business, and should include at least one business that provides solutions for energy management, such as an energy management consultancy or a technology provider. The TSB is also encouraging consortia to include a potential customer for their energy management innovation as well as researchers from relevant academic or research organisations.
According to the TSB, most of the funding will be allocated to industrial research, which will attract funding of up to 60% of project costs, while some experimental development will attract funding of up to 35%.
Consortium brokering
The Energy Managers Association (EMA) is collaborating with TSB to host a consortium brokering workshop in London on 20 September, while TSB will also be hosting a briefing event online on 23 October.
The competition opens to applicants on October 14, 2013, with a closing date for expressions of interest of 27 November. Successful applicants will then be asked to submit a more detailed proposal by 23 January.
EMA member Whitbread is currently taking part in a similar TSB study to measure the energy performance of new-build projects against the original designs. Due to conclude in April 2014, the two-year study will see TSB publish a detailed report which will be made available to the wider energy management community.
Chris George, head of energy and environment at Whitbread, said that the study had already yielded significant results for the company, for example flagging up inefficiencies in the use of fryers at one of its Beefeater sites.
“I would really encourage members to take it up,” he told Energy Demand. “It does take some resource time and meetings, of course, but some of the benefits, even those early on, have been really substantial.”