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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/T00522X/1
Title: Demand Side Renewables for Agricultural Base Load Energy (DeSiRABLE)
Principal Investigator: James, Professor PAB
Other Investigators:
Bahaj, Professor AS
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Engineering
Organisation: University of Southampton
Scheme: Technology Programme
Starts: 31 July 2019 Ends: 11 August 2020 Value (£): 207,470
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Energy Efficiency Sustainable Energy Networks
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
hrough our previous Energy Catalyst Round 4 project, EVERESST DC, we established that DC energy services, centred around an Anchor Base Load can provide better value energy provision than diesel systems. In addition, such provisions also open up large numbers of energy access opportunities to support rural development enhancing growth and eradication poverty. However, in such applications each system is to some degree bespoke, depending on the Anchor Base Load and local community's requirements.

Within this project we aim to develop renewable energy technology platforms to support agricultural loads and provide additional energy services to enhance local enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further, a toolbox that will allow us to quickly and accurately determine cost effective solutions including, system size and additional energy services for rural communities will be developed. Within the toolbox, these platforms will be integrated with a DC micro grid system that can support each of these opportunities, tailoring them to specific needs.

Such integrated systems, designed for high autonomy in order to deliver a reliability of energy services surpassing that provided by diesel, designed to also create spare capacity during times of high renewable energy availability, e.g. solar irradiation. Engaging the local community to make best use of this spare capacity represents a "leapfrogging" adoption of demand side response, an approach to energy management only now being trialled in many developed counties including the UK.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.soton.ac.uk