GECCO project to boost community energy
National Grid launches GECCO to make local energy connections cheaper and smarter, helping communities keep benefits and cut bills.
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UK, England, Hook Norton: National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has launched GECCO (Geoprint for Energy Club Connections and Operations), a project to make grid connections for community energy groups fairer, smarter, and more affordable.
The initiative will trial a “Geoprint” method to identify the best points to link local generation and demand. This will lower connection costs and support “energy clubs” that match local electricity production with local use, allowing communities to retain more financial benefits.
GECCO builds on Innovate UK’s $187 M (£104 M) Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme, which funded 80 smart local energy system (SLES) projects. By connecting SLES rather than individual generators, local customers can save on bills while producers earn more. The project also offers benefits for NGED’s distribution system operator, including greater flexibility and demand-side response.
There are 170 community energy groups within NGED’s region, with growth expected as the government’s Local Power Plan targets over 1,000 community-owned projects by 2030, adding about 2 GW of capacity.
NGED is working with TNEI, Regen, Energy Local, and three community groups, including Hook Norton in Oxfordshire, to test the Geoprint approach. Energy Local North Oxfordshire currently serves 30 homes and two businesses, aiming to expand to 120 homes and six businesses while increasing local matching with a nearby solar farm by 44 %.
Rois Smith, NGED Innovation Engineer, said: “GECCO aims to make connections viable and financially stable for community energy groups, supporting net-zero goals and the Local Power Plan.”
Source: National Grid
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