Heat Networks Demonstration Competition

The Heat Networks Demonstration SBRI competition aims to stimulate innovation that will help address cost and performance efficiency challenges related to heat networks.

This call will support proposals that can develop, demonstrate and trial innovative heat network technologies within the timescales indicated.

As such, DECC would expect to fund technologies that are close to deployment, although projects at an earlier stage of development will be considered if they demonstrate particularly strong innovation or benefit and a clear route to demonstration and deployment.

The competition will be managed in two phases.

The first phase will support feasibility studies with an expected value between £20,000 and £50,000 and the second phase will support trials and demonstration activities with an expected value between £100,000 and £1m per project.

Only successful Phase 1 applicants can proceed to Phase 2.

Funding is available for pre-commercial development activities, including solution exploration design, prototyping, field testing, trials and demonstrations.

Funding is not available for commercial development activities such as quantity production.

Innovation can include new technologies (components, materials, techniques etc), integration of new technologies into existing networks, application of existing technologies into the heat networks area, and efficiency improvements to existing technologies.

The competition is intended to have a relatively broad scope to encourage innovative ideas.

As a guide, technologies and techniques might include (but are not limited to): • the integration of innovative low carbon heat sources to heat networks, e.g. technologies for recovering waste heat from industry and power stations or river-source heat pumps; • Novel large-scale thermal storage, i.e. beyond conventional hot water storage; • Novel heat transport technology that may have lower installation or operating costs; • Improved controls that deliver greater system cost-effectiveness, e.g. in terms of switching efficiently between different heat sources (depending on heat load and availability); • Low temperature system technology; • Innovative technologies that can be applied to cooling networks, e.g. more efficient absorption chillers that use heat to produce cold air/ water, or more efficient trigeneration of heating/ electricity/ cooling.

As a network scheme, projects will only be funded where connectivity / interface with the network can be demonstrated.

Heat generation technologies in isolation will not be considered.

Deliverables It should be noted that SBRI contracts require that project outputs are shared publicly.

See ‘further information’ on page 16 of ITT.

DECC will supply guidance for report writing prior to projects commencing.

Phase 1 projects will be expected to deliver a feasibility report containing a detailed description of the design, operation and benefits deriving from the technology or new techniques when connected to a heat network.