Project REACH – Rural Energy and Community Heat – was awarded funding through Round 3 of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) and was delivered by National Grid Electricty Distribution, Regen, Smart Grid Consultancy, Kensa Utilities and VEPod.
Project duration: March 2024 – May 2024
Project leads: Rebecca Ford, Head of demand and felxibility, and George Middlemiss, Net Zero Project Manager
Rural areas face unique challenges on their journey to decarbonization. One of those challenges is the difficulty in installing the required low carbon technologies such as heat pumps and EV chargers. The low voltage cables in many rural areas may be unable to handle the additional loads placed on them by increased electrification and therefore require costly upgrades before these communities are able to connect these technologies.
The aim of REACH was to explore whether novel and modular solutions could provide a way for rural communities to achieve their decarbonization objectives.
Regens role:
Regen was primarily responsible for the community engagement aspect of this project. We supported the project partners to learn more about the rural communities and ultimately seek to identify a handful of communities that could be suitable trial locations.
The outcome:
Overall we engaged with over 70 community stakeholders in National Grids electricity distribution region through our launch event and had over 80 expressions of interest. Following a more detailed expression of interest and selection process, we were able to select seven communities that could be suitable trial locations.
What next:
In the Alpha phase we would look to conduct feasibility studies for the novel and modular solutions to decarbonization in the selected rural communities. In addition, we would look to create an options assessment that would make it easier for a community to self-identify that the REACH solution is the best option for them to achieve their decarbonization objectives.
