A team of engineers working on the UK’s first eco town, North West Bicester (NW Bicester), in Oxfordshire, has been awarded funding to carry out research that could ultimately help reduce electricity bills for residents of the new development.
A2Dominion Group, one of the country’s leading providers of high quality housing and developers at NW Bicester, working with Carnego Systems, Zeta LED Tecnology and sustainability consultants, BioRegional, has been awarded £98,000 from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which invests in research and development to encourage technology-enabled innovation.
The funds will be used to conduct a feasibility study into how and when solar power is used in those homes with high density solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Consisting of 393 homes, the Exemplar first phase of the development, will feature the UK’s largest domestic solar array, with 17,500m² of solar panels - the same size as two and a half football pitches.
The study will focus specifically on how more power can be used when solar PV panels are generating electricity and less when typical peak demand occurs in the early evening.
William Box, managing director at Carnego Systems, said: “The funding secured from the TSB is vital and allows us to conduct the collaborative research required to develop smarter ways in which to use electricity generated from solar PV panels.
“Results from the study will shape the development of NW Bicester and the Exemplar phase, with our recommendations being trialled within a test house at the eco town.”
Steve Hornblow, NW Bicester project director, added: “While NW Bicester is set to feature the UK’s largest domestic solar array, we are conscious that we don’t just install high density solar PV panels, but look at ways in which the technology can optimise energy generation and subsequently reduce energy bills.
“The research we are now able to conduct, facilitated by the TSB funding, will ultimately deliver direct benefits to the residents of NW Bicester.”
For more information about NW Bicester and to sign up to the monthly Friends of NW Bicester e-newsletter, visit www.NWbicester.co.uk