Energy is a community asset

Project LEO underlines importance of whole systems approach

A ‘whole systems’ approach informed by the priorities of communities is the best way to develop local energy plans, a fouryear innovation project undertaken in Oxford suggests. Project Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO) was run by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution to replicate the energy system of the future.

Project LEO tested how flexibility at the ‘grid edge’ can help the UK achieve its decarbonisation commitments, whilst bringing value to people, communities and the wider energy system.

With increasing value being placed on flexible resources, such as battery storage, local energy generation and shiftable electricity demand connected to the electricity network, Project LEO trials have looked into how small-scale electricity system users can play a role in providing flexibility to the network. The project has also studied the infrastructure, markets and regulations that should be put in place to make this flexibility commercially and technically viable.

LEO is one of three smart local energy system demonstrator projects in the UK, using Oxfordshire to replicate the electricity system of the future, taking a ‘whole systems’ approach. Through collaborative, cross-sector working, LEO demonstrated some of the ways changes to the energy system can accelerate transition to net zero, bringing about social, economic, and environmental benefits for all.

The UK government has committed to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035 and new sources of clean generation are connecting to the distribution network. Simultaneously, electricity demand is increasing as people adopt cleaner technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps. To meet these joint challenges and enable the transition to net zero, SSEN established Project LEO in collaboration with nine partners from business, academia, social enterprise and local government, to understand how