UK home energy storage system firm Moixa has announced a project on the Isles of Scilly that aims to drive adoption of electric vehicle use and renewable energy generation by 2025.
The firm’s lithium iron phosphate battery allows buildings with solar panels to use more of the power they generate during the Smart Energy Island (SEI) project.
Moixa’s ESS will also be able to import or export energy to the grid.
The project aims to cut electricity bills by 40%, meet 40% of energy demand from renewables, and see 40% of vehicles being electric or low-carbon by 2025.
The project is expected to provide a model for how using electric vehicles and smart home batteries can help balance supply and demand within the islands’ energy system for more rural residential areas.
An Internet of Things (IoT) platform developed by Hitachi Europe will be integrated with the SEI project. It will use home batteries, electric vehicles and smart heating technologies to balance supply and demand of electricity.
PassivSystems, a home energy services company, will supply the management systems for domestic buildings to engage with the IoT platform.
The European Regional Development Fund has given £8.6 million ($10.4 million) to the SEI project and £1.4 million ($1.7 million) will be contributed by Hitachi Europe Ltd.
The project is located on the Isles of Scilly, which is 28 miles away from the UK mainland. Without gas supply, residents rely heavily on imported fossil fuels and electricity.
Chris Wright, Moixa chief technology officer said: “Our systems will support the reduction of fuel poverty on the Scilly Isles and support their path to full energy independence.
“They will be scalable and flexible so they can be replicated easily to allow communities all over the world to cut carbon and benefit from the smart power revolution.”
However, an associated report said that the International Energy Agency had found the UK still underinvests in energy innovation compared to the USA, Japan and Germany.
UK turnover in the low-carbon sector, including low emission vehicles, stood at around £121.7 billion ($150.8 billion) in 2013.
