A free information event, brought to you by Avalon Community Energy (ACE) & Bath and West Community Energy (BWCE), will explore the challenge of energy demand and how we can achieve a lower-carbon electricity grid.

More solar and wind power? More homes heated and vehicles powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels? This is all well and good but it leads to a big challenge. The national grid needs to match demand with supply at all times, but we can't control the wind or the sunshine. So what low carbon solutions can we employ for this balancing act?

The Living with Renewables webinar is at 7pm on Thursday 17 June, 2021 via Zoom.

It will give an overview of the context of the energy system and the rising demand for electricity as we move away from carbon intensive fuels and will explore what you can do, as a householder, to support the low carbon energy transition.

ACE and BWCE have chosen to deliver this webinar during Community Energy Fortnight and to officially launch their partnership on a pioneering trial project called "Flex Community" in Glastonbury, Street, Wells, Shepton, Wedmore and surrounding areas.

Together they are recruiting householders, (with heat pumps and EV charge points, or with plans to install them) who are willing to change their patterns of electricity use (known as flexing) to make the most of times when renewable energy is available on the local grid. This will be done through freely installed smart technology which responds to signals from the grid operator (Western Power Distribution).

Ultimately, participating households using this flex approach will earn revenue from Western Power Distribution for supporting them to even out the times of peak demand for electricity, as the grid in this area is close to full capacity. ACE and BWCE will learn the most effective way to roll out this approach on a larger scale and ultimately look to lower dependence on carbon intensive fuels and the environmental impact of intensive electricity grid upgrades.

To book your place on the Living with Renewables webinar on 17th June at 7pm or for more information about the Flex Community project contact Nick Bird at [email protected] or call 07517 100889

Flex Community is part of the innovative European project ReDream: Change your Energy together with other partners in Croatia, Italy and Spain.