In this episode, Dr. Aidan Rhodes, Research Fellow at Imperial College London and Energy Policy Briefing Papers Fellow at Energy Futures Lab, is joined by Tom Luff, Practice Manager at Energy Systems Catapult. Together, they explore the crucial role of consumers in shaping the transition to a net-zero energy system.
Topics covered:
- How consumer participation can drive Net Zero efforts
- The impact of flexibility measures like smart appliances, time-of-use tariffs, and renewable assets on energy costs
- Addressing equity, trust, and the needs of vulnerable consumers in the energy transition
Chapters & Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction and episode overview
01:10 - Meet the guests: Dr. Aidan Rhodes and Tom Luff
02:35 - Mission 2030: The UK’s ambitious Net Zero target
05:55 - Challenges and opportunities in decarbonizing the energy system
09:00 - Balancing supply and demand: Too much vs. not enough electricity
13:28 - Planning challenges: How do we bring communities along?
18:15 - Consumer participation: Why it’s essential for Net Zero
21:48 - Energy flexibility: Smart tariffs, EVs, and demand shifting
29:00 - The role of smart meters in energy transition
34:07 - Energy market reform and locational pricing
38:50 - Emerging business models: Peer-to-peer energy trading and energy-as-a-service
44:06 - Future outlook: The most exciting changes in the next five years
45:20 - Where to learn more
Tom’s links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-luff-aa6aa279/?originalSubdomain=uk
Energy Systems Catapult
https://es.catapult.org.uk/
Aidan’s links
Produced by Jonny Prest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyprest/
Additional links
ESME (Energy System Modelling Environment)
https://es.catapult.org.uk/tools-and-labs/our-national-net-zero-toolkit/energy-system-modelling-environment/
Living Lab
https://es.catapult.org.uk/tools-and-labs/living-lab/
Dunkelflaute
https://www.sunsave.energy/blog/dunkelflaute
Ofgem
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/
Octopus Agile
https://octopus.energy/smart/agile/
