Case Studies
PICLO FLEX
How Pico Flex Unlocks Value for Communities and the Grid
Background
Pico Flex began as a pilot project to demonstrate how distributed energy resources (DERs) like small batteries and flexible demand can participate in the UK electricity market. Many small-scale energy assets were historically excluded from revenue opportunities due to technical barriers, such as metering constraints and minimum size requirements. The challenge was to create a scalable, market-compliant solution that allowed even modest assets to contribute to grid balancing, while providing tangible value to local communities.
Solution and Implementation
The Pico Flex team developed an aggregation and settlement platform that combines multiple small assets into a single, BM-compliant portfolio. This enables batteries, flexible loads, and solar PV to trade in the Balancing Mechanism and provide ancillary services, unlocking new revenue streams. The platform also integrates real-time tracking and settlement, ensuring that households and community participants are remunerated fairly for their contributions, creating both economic and social value.
Results and Impact
Pico Flex proved that even small-scale, community-based assets can make a measurable impact on grid stability and participant income. Participating homes and micro-batteries earned revenue from frequency response, peak shifting, and other ancillary services, while grid operators benefited from reliable, flexible capacity.
ENERGY LOCAL
Community Driven Energy Trading
Background and Challenge
Energy Local was launched to explore how community-driven energy trading could improve the uptake of local renewable generation and reduce carbon emissions. Traditional grid structures often fail to reward households or small generators for locally consuming their own solar energy, leading to energy waste and missed economic opportunities.
Solution and Implementation
Households and small-scale renewable generators as members form an Energy Local Club (ELC) -legally a Coop. Households have smart energy meters installed to show when and how much power they were using. Members (households and generators) agree a price (“match tariff”) that will be paid to the generator when they match their electricity use to when electricity is generated locally. The Club chooses a partner energy supplier) that sells the extra power they need when there is not enough local electricity generated. The supplier sends each household the bill for their total power use.
Results and Impact
Communities participating in Energy Local experience increased self-consumption of solar energy, reduced energy bills, and lower carbon footprints. Local traders, including households and community energy groups, gain direct economic benefit from the energy they generate, while grid operators see smoother demand profiles and less congestion.
KARBON HOMES FIELD TRIAL
Demonstrating the Power of Community Energy in Social Housing
Fuel Poverty Context
Many residents in social housing face persistent fuel poverty, limited access to affordable energy, and reliance on expensive grid electricity during peak times. This situation creates financial stress and reduces quality of life, while housing associations like Karbon Homes are under pressure to deliver sustainable, cost-effective energy solutions that support tenants and reduce carbon emissions.
Trial Objectives, PSMM in Action
The Fawdon trial focused on testing our PSMM technology, which tracks and allocates energy flows between batteries and households. While small in scale, the trial demonstrated how electricity can be passed between batteries, optimising usage and laying the groundwork for transparent tenant remuneration. Importantly, it validated the technical feasibility of a system that could track contributions from tenants’ solar generation.
Symbiotic Benefits of Tenants and Karbon Homes
The trial illustrates a win-win model with Tenants benefiting from fair crediting for energy contributions, potential bill reductions, and increased control over local energy resources. Karbon Homes benefits by exploring a replicable solution that could reduce operational costs, strengthen ESG credentials, and enhance tenant engagement.
By demonstrating how distributed energy and PSMM technology can function in a real-world social housing environment, the trial sets the stage for scaling communal battery solutions that tackle fuel poverty while creating a sustainable, resilient energy network.
3T TRAINING SERVICES FIELD TRIAL
Unlocking Peer-to-Peer Energy Value in Industrial Estates
Rising Business Energy Costs Context
UK businesses face some of the highest electricity costs in Europe, which can erode competitiveness, especially for small and medium enterprises in industrial estates. Many local companies struggle to manage peak-time charges and lack flexibility in sourcing cheaper, low-carbon energy.
Trial Objectives, PSMM-Powered Peer-to-Peer Trading
The field trial at Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate, at the premises of 3T Training Services, tested our PSMM platform in a real-world industrial context. 3T’s virtual battery assets were used to demonstrate peer-to-peer energy trading with nearby independent businesses. The trial showcased how electricity can flow between business-owned batteries in a local network with the potential to optimise local energy usage and reduce reliance on high-cost grid electricity.
Potential Impact - Industrial Symbiosis and Competitiveness
By enabling peer-to-peer energy trading, local industrial estates could lower operational electricity costs for participating businesses while Increasing the valuation of local assets by monetising otherwise wasted solar or stored energy.
This process helps to create a resilient, community-driven energy ecosystem that enhances competitiveness and supports decarbonisation goals.
The trial demonstrates that even small-scale industrial networks can benefit from local flexibility markets, positioning PSMM as a tool to unlock financial and environmental value while paving the way for broader adoption across UK industrial estates.
