Can Glasgow Become the Smartest Energy User in the UK?
Energy supply is a complex business. Fluctuating supply and demand mean it can be difficult for energy companies to produce enough energy during high demand periods without producing wasted energy in low demand periods. As our demand for power increases and new technologies such as electric cars become available, using energy in a smarter way will become an ever more important factor in energy supply.
It’s lucky for us in Glasgow then that a new world class research centre aiming to “accelerate the adoption of new ‘smart’ technologies” is to be opened at the University of Strathclyde. The University is joining forces with energy companies including Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy, as well as the Scottish Enterprise scheme and the Scottish Funding Council to develop the £12.5 million Power Network Demonstration Centre 1
This centre should help support the integration of new renewable sources (such as wind and tidal energy), electric vehicles and so called ‘smart’ household appliances into the grid, ensuring that both the cost of energy and the greenhouse gas emission produced are kept low.
Combining this with the recent ‘Sustainable Glasgow’ initiative 2, plus the investment in the recent Doctoral Training Centre for wind energy 3, it looks like Glasgow could be well on its way to becoming the smartest energy user in the UK.
