As announced earlier this year, Piclo secured funding from the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to develop an online exchange for multiple flexibility markets. The project is in collaboration with UK Distribution Network Operators, National Grid ESO and Flex Providers registered on the Piclo platform.
The project aims to provide Flex Providers with a common platform to access multiple flexibility markets, lowering barriers to participation. The platform would enable access to “primary markets” such as DSO flexibility competitions and create “secondary markets” for local (DSO) and national (ESO) flexibility services, whereby flex providers could transfer their flexibility contract obligations to another suitable flex provider on a temporary or permanent basis.
In doing so, the Piclo Exchange project aims to show how an open, transparent and neutral flexibility marketplace can play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of Great Britain’s economy.
To assist with the project, Piclo has assembled a new advisory panel with a mix of experts from across the industry. This advisory panel will provide guidance and critical feedback on the project’s progress, discuss opportunities and challenges and ensure the goals and objectives of the project are aligned with the wider policy and regulatory landscape.
The advisory panel’s first meeting was held in October and we are delighted to have input from such an esteemed group of individuals in the energy sector.
Panel Members - who’s who?
Government
BEIS - Chris Galpin, Senior Policy Advisor
Chris Galpin is a Senior Policy Advisor for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Chris is the policy lead for Distribution System Operation in the Smart Energy team. The UK is developing a world-leading policy and regulatory environment for smart technologies, as set out in the Smart Systems & Flexibility Plan. The development of Distribution System Operation in GB is creating new revenue streams for smart technologies such as energy storage and demand-side response, as well as ensuring efficient operation of the electricity system. Prior to joining BEIS, Chris worked as an engineer. He has experience in low carbon technologies, building services and software development.
Ofgem - Chiara Redaelli, Senior Economist
Chiara leads the work in Ofgem on flexibility markets, focusing on electricity storage, local flexibility and DNO/ESO coordination. For the past 10 years she has been working on a broad range of flexibility issues, having contributed to Ofgem’s first flexibility strategy, as well as participating in European experts groups on flexibility, including storage and demand-side response. Before joining Ofgem, Chiara worked as economic consultant on international projects in the power, water and sanitation sector.
Market representatives
National Grid ESO - Kayte O’Neill, Head of Markets
Kayte is Head of Markets for the ESO, accountable for developing markets to enable future operation of Great Britain’s electricity system on the path to net zero. She has 20 years of experience in the energy sector in the UK and US, most recently with a focus on designing business models, policy and regulatory frameworks for the rapidly evolving energy landscape.
Social Energy - Stephen Day, CTO
Steve is CTO of Social Energy, the UKs largest and fasted growing residential energy supply and DSR platform. Steve has 20 years’ experience of technology and product development in the consumer electronics and energy sectors, including at Sharp Electronics. For the last 10 years he has lead highly multidisciplinary R&D teams to develop to renewable and home energy management solutions that deliver flexibility services to the grid. In 2017 Steve co-founded Levelise, a technology start-up that creates AI-led controls for domestic assets to optimise their flexibility. He is a passionate advocate of the contribution domestic energy flexibility can make to the continuing decarbonisation of the grid.
Specialists
Ignis Markets - Andrew Claxton, Director
Andrew is a consultant with nearly 25 years’ experience developing liberalised electricity markets. As CEO, he led the Electricity Pool of England and Wales’s implementation of supply competition to all customers (“1998 Project”). He was the lead architect in the development of “market coupling” which now integrates the day-ahead wholesale electricity market across nearly all of Europe.
Energy Networks Association - Randolph Brazier, Head of Innovation
Randolph is the Head of Innovation & Development at the Energy Networks Association, and has over eight years of experience in the electricity and energy sector in the UK, Europe and Australia. Randolph is responsible for co-ordinating and delivering a broad range of strategic innovation initiatives, including the development of Smart Grids, DSO Transition, Electricity Networks Innovation Strategy, roll-out of Renewables, Battery Storage and other Low Carbon Technologies and the decarbonisation of heat and transport via Heat Pumps and Electric Vehicles. He has previous experience in the design and management of multi-disciplinary power projects in the Transmission & Distribution and renewable generation sectors. Randolph has an M.Phil in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge and has presented a number of conference papers on electrical systems and protection and automation design.
The Association for Decentralised Energy - Rick Parfett, Policy Manager
Rick is a Policy Manager at the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE). He focuses primarily on opening up markets and enabling greater penetration of Demand Side Response (DSR) and storage solutions. As we move away from a model based around centralised, fossil fuel-based generation, allowing these innovative business models and disruptive technology to flourish will be key to achieving a flexible, decarbonised system. Before joining the ADE, Rick worked in environmental policy in India and Vietnam, before studying an MSc. at LSE.
Piclo
James Johnston, CEO and Cofounder
James Johnston is the CEO and Co-founder of Piclo, the UK’s leading online marketplace for local flexibility trading. Prior to Piclo, James spent 3 years researching microgrids at University of Strathclyde. James is also the founder of Solar Sketch, a design company for the solar industry and worked at international engineering firm Arup. James is a published author contributing chapters to Academic Press books on peer-to-peer energy and local flexibility trading.
Alice Tyler, CPO and Cofounder
Alice is the CPO and a Co-founder of Piclo, responsible for product vision, strategy and execution. Her experience as a designer, specifically in user experience design, brings a fresh response to the challenges of achieving net zero in the energy industry.
Kelsey Devine, Innovation Manager
Kelsey is a project manager at Piclo and responsible for the delivery of innovation projects. She has 5 years of experience in the renewable energy industry in Canada and the UK.
Project observers
BEIS - Iliana Cardenes, Energy Systems Flexibility Innovation Lead
Dr Iliana Cardenes leads on energy system flexibility innovation for net zero, in the Science & Innovation for Climate & Energy Directorate within BEIS. She holds a PhD from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, with a focus on water and energy systems engineering, a Masters in Climate Science and Policy from Columbia University’s Earth Institute in New York City, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton. Before joining BEIS, Iliana worked as an energy and climate change specialist at Oxford Policy Management. Previous roles include working on Climate Change Policy for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mexico City, on Environmental Statistics at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in New York City, and at the European Commission in Brussels on Environmental Policy.
Mott Macdonald - Douglas Ramsay
Douglas is a chartered electrical engineer with fourteen years’ experience as a consultant for Mott MacDonald. He has a technical focus on distribution networks, storage and renewables. Relevant experience includes: Specialist work on battery energy storage projects considering a number of applications including: frequency support, peak lopping, ramp control on renewable generation, peak shifting on solar generation and islanded operation. Extensive experience working in the planning and design of distribution networks. Developing tools to optimise distribution system network configurations to limit electrical losses and hence carbon emissions.