Pioneering research to make the future energy system a reality.

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We ground our work in real-world data

Our access to Octopus Energy’s dataset gives us a unique insight into human behaviours. We use these insights, field trials, experimentation and models to design a people-centred future energy system.

We translate research and analysis into action

We work with governments, policy-makers, academics and urban leaders from around the world to deliver systemic change.

Many projects, one goal

system-level change

Our research is deliberately diverse to advance progress across the entire energy ecosystem – rather than championing individual components

We deliver end-to-end research, from undertaking deep technical analysis through to designing and running trials and publishing results in peer-reviewed journals.

Our key outputs

General purpose models & tools

We deliver end-to-end research, from undertaking deep technical analysis through to designing and running trials and publishing results in peer-reviewed journals.

Simulations

We run bottom-up, agent-based simulations to explore the impact of interventions, informing decision making and policy design.

Behavioural insights

We provide detailed understanding of real world behaviours and motivations to unlock responsible automation and deliver for people and the planet.

Roadmaps

We design data-driven frameworks that city leaders and investors can adopt to accelerate local energy transitions.

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9 November 2023

Centre for Net Zero launches trial with eminent global research centre J-PAL, testing consumer preferences for automated EV charging and grid impacts

Centre for Net Zero is launching a new field trial, EV-Flex, designed to understand consumer price sensitivity to automated EV charging tariffs, and the corresponding benefits to consumers and the grid.

smart meter energy flexibility

1 November 2023

The Impact of Demand Response on Energy Consumption and Economic Welfare

Centre for Net Zero releases a working academic paper which estimates the impact of last winter's Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) on energy demand and economic welfare. It also measures the impact of changing notification period and incentive level on demand reduction.

The ‘Smart Building Rating’: a digital tool to scale demand flexibility

Centre for Net Zero and Energy Systems Catapult are calling upon the Government to introduce a ‘Smart Building Rating’, designed to incentivise demand flexibility at scale across the UK.

25 September 2023

Centre for Net Zero present at British Institute for Energy Economics (BIEE) 2023 Annual Conference

Centre for Net Zero was invited to present a snippet of our upcoming academic paper, 'The welfare effects of demanding short-term energy ﬂexibility', at BIEE's annual conference.

14 September 2023

Automating heat pump flexibility: results from a pilot

HeatFlex UK is a collaboration between CNZ and Nesta, designed to investigate heat pump flexibility, consumer preferences and how these are affected by third-party automation and pre-heating. This report shares early findings from our pilot.

12 September 2023

The genius of the US Inflation Reduction Act? Demand-side electrification and whole-systems thinking

A year on, there's no doubting the reach or gravity of the Inflation Reduction Act. A comprehensive review of the UK's green strengths can break the current net zero policy stasis, writes our CEO Lucy Yu for BusinessGreen.

A local funding formula can help address the UK's net zero postcode lottery

The haphazard way funding is distributed across the UK is making its energy transition lopsided. A public funding formula would help bring the advantages of the green transition to more areas of the UK, argues CNZ Policy Manager Andy Hackett

CrowdFlex secures funding for its beta phase

Centre for Net Zero is excited to continuing supporting National Grid ESO on this multi-year trial, which explores large-scale consumer participation in energy network flexibility services. We are leading on trial design, planning and scheduling.