Developing "The GenGame" domestic smart grid platform to endure and thrive over the long term

If the UK is to achieve its carbon reduction targets then radical changes are needed to the electricity markets to accommodate the forecast increase in electrical load due to the electrification of heat and transport and the intermittency of supply caused by the closure of traditional power stations and the increase in renewable generation such as wind and solar.

One possible solutions to address the issues that this may cause this is to utilise any flexibility that customers have in how they use electricity. This 3 year project will explore the long term opportunity for domestic householders to trade appliance load curtailments in an online game. It will trial gaming options with 2000 customers to test ease of recruitment, the size of load response available and whether this can be reliably sustained to be of use to distribution network operators and other potential users of demand-side reduction services.