WP1 incorporates a co-evolutionary approach and brings the other work packages together in a structured way. The aim of this work package is to explicitly provide a framework for interfaces between work packages, and to apply the developed understanding to address the overarching research question “What is the value of a whole systems energy networks approach?”.

WP2 is the backbone of the research, dealing with the physical infrastructure in a multi-vector manner from the outset. Whilst the UK research community has started to investigate energy network infrastructure using whole energy system approaches, they are not well connected or coherent. There is no holistic method developed to study multi-vector energy network infrastructure. This work package will build upon leading research in energy networks, applying innovative theoretical study, software simulation and hardware experiments via shared test facilities in partner institutions.

An integrated multi-vector energy network infrastructure will continuously generate data with large volume, high velocity and diverse variety and veracity (4V). There is a need for new big data applications suitable for the whole energy system with analysis of offline data sets for planning as well as real-time data analysis for control. A greater understanding of the quality, robustness, architecture and cybersecurity of the applied ICT network, as well as approaches for data-driven modelling, could significantly contribute to multi-vector energy network characterisation, resilience and flexibility. This WP will address these aspects as well as investigating practical demonstration and validation of approaches for integration of data from

Existing energy policy research has largely focused on specific areas, e.g. electricity networks and energy storage, and to a lesser extent gas, district heating and hydrogen. There is much less research with an explicit multi-vector energy networks focus, which this WP will champion through the Hub’s core research and in collaboration with the wider research community. This will require a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches combining interviews, workshops, techno-economic and socio-economic analysis framed around a novel integration of co-evolutionary transitions theory and dynamic adaptive policy pathways (DAPP). This WP will target the creation of a flexible policy that can meet the long-term challenges of energy networks. 

This WP will bring together the Hub’s core research with the wider academic community, industry, businesses and policymakers to develop holistic and enduring commercial and regulatory solutions that are fit for the future. This will ensure that we have more intelligent, efficient, adaptive and open energy networks within which both existing and new energy players can profit. This WP will develop these holistic techno-economic tools, develop commercial and regulatory innovations that promote whole-system efficiency and resilience and establish methods to future-proof these regulatory frameworks.

Future multi-vector energy networks will consist of huge numbers of active system components with distinct characteristics, regulated by vast numbers of controllers, connected through highly reconfigurable networks. This WP will develop the new techniques needed to adequately model and analyse the impact of the various sources of uncertainty in energy networks. We will quantify the resulting risks within these interdependent multi-vector energy networks and exploit new opportunities for mitigation. We will establish how uncertainties propagate through interconnected and interdependent energy networks, look at methods to quantify uncertainty on across different timescales and locations, and establish the best methods for communication uncertainty and risk to different stakeholders.