West Midlands Regional Energy System Operator (RESO)

This innovative project will create a cleaner, lower cost energy system for Coventry and the West Midlands region which maximises economic opportunities in clean growth and future mobility, and is driven by customers. It will deliver local policy objectives, particularly energy cost and carbon targets set out by local authorities in response to the increasingly urgent climate emergencies recently declared across the country.

Our smart energy system detailed design is a revolutionary local market-making model which will effectively integrate new energy technologies (including low carbon vehicles and transport models, energy storage, locally-acceptable renewable energy technologies, carbon offsetting and energy efficiency) into the existing energy, transport and economic infrastructure of the region. We will work in partnership with the energy infrastructure providers (gas, heat, electricity, and transport), customers, and all local authorities and strategic planning authorities across the region. Customers will benefit from lower energy costs and increased local investment and jobs.

The project builds on existing working groups established in multiple Energy Innovation Zones (EIZs) across the region, and is led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) through the established Energy Capital Partnership. Energy Innovation Zones encourage local ownership and engagement with this new business and operating model and effective access to highly location-specific opportunities. They provide an integrated context and engaged stakeholders and customers to support strategic network investment planning. The project will detail a smart design for Coventry and demonstrate the relevance of the approach to the wider region by replicating the approach for East Birmingham and North Solihull.

The focus of the project is on facilitating targeted smart energy system investment through a combination of strategic whole system design (investment planning) and close to real-time system optimisation. Citizens and customers will be able to explore the novel technologies and business models proposed as part of the design in a real-world demonstrator established on University of Warwick campus, a community of over 30,000 people.

The design will aim to use local price and value signals covering electricity, gas, and heat distribution network assets and work through an innovative capacity and flexibility trading mechanism (readily accessible to both demand and supply side market participants, including EVs and energy efficiency in buildings).