Blog: GreenSCIES – the big picture

GreenSCIES is an innovative project, coordinated by London South Bank University and the London Borough of Islington, and partly funded by InnovateUK. GreenSCIES is finding ways of heating homes and businesses in Islington from waste heat through a low temperature, fifth generation heat network. This network will be integrated with the supply of power and mobility, to make the best use low cost, low carbon energy.

Our vision is that we can provide clean, cost-effective heat to over 50,000 consumers across Islington, feeding into the Borough’s Vision 2030 for net zero, and can then replicate this across other parts of the UK, including Sheffield and the West Midlands. Sources of waste heat can be diverse, ranging from the London Underground to data centres in Islington, and from industrial processes to mine water in disused collieries further afield.

GreenSCIES builds on the existing heat and power networks in Bunhill that heat over 700 homes and four office buildings, saving over 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. It makes use of one vent shaft on the Underground, but we have identified another 55 that could be used across London.

Our first heat network will be in the South of the Borough, linking 7 energy centres to three housing estates, a university, a data centre, a school and 50 new EV charging posts. This should save a further 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. We are also looking at new funding and delivery models, potentially offering the community a chance to invest in clean rooftop electricity generation (PV).

Once proven by the first network, we can expand it across Islington and repeat elsewhere, providing low cost, low carbon energy for many more people.