Centrica launches new research and innovation startup

Centrica has launched ‘Energised Futures’ as a new research and innovation initiative for the energy sector.

Energised Futures is aimed to focus on the future of retail energy, including helping to make energy simpler and more affordable for consumers.

In particular Energised Futures will focus on bringing new innovations to market that boost customers’ control over their energy, enhance grid security and help to accelerate the decarbonisation of UK homes, with projects ranging from technical proofs of concept to longer-term executions.

“The energy landscape is rapidly evolving and we are committed to helping our customers navigate this while making energy simple and affordable. Through this new venture, we will be investing in research and innovation that will help everyone on the road to net zero,” commented Dan Rosenfield, managing director at Centrica New Business & Net Zero.

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“Transformation of the energy market can’t happen in isolation. It’s crucial that we collaborate as an industry to implement best practices, learnings and technology. In doing this, we will develop solutions to achieve a more connected and flexible future of energy in the UK.”

The Energised Futures team brings together research, innovation and development experts with expertise across flexibility, connectivity and AI and drawn from across Centrica brands, including British Gas and smart technology provider Hive.

The team will be led by Ben Krikler, who is director of Research and Innovation within Centrica. A particle physicist by training, he previously served as quantitative development manager for Centrica’s Net Zero Ventures and head of research innovation and data science.

Overseeing Energised Ventures is an advisory board of academic and industry partners including the incoming Executive Engineering Consultant for Andretti Cadillac, Pat Symonds, and co-director of the Energy Futures Lab, Professor Peter Childs.

Centrica reports the Energised Futures team having hit the ground running as the lead organisation working with the GB Department for Energy Security & Net Zero on the interoperable residential energy flexibility project testing and feeding back on a proposed standard for demand side response.

The team also is participating in the EC-supported Big Data for Next Generation Energy (BD4NRG) consortium investigating data management challenges for the energy sector.