In an innovative knowledge exchange meeting held in July, the Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems (ITES) initiative and IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) came together to share and exchange their experience and in-depth knowledge. This was an example of two organisations at the cutting edge of energy storage and energy management systems development sharing knowledge and insights for mutual benefit.
The closed-door knowledge exchange session brought together experts from IITMRP and Energy Systems Catapult to explore the latest innovations in energy storage and energy management systems. The key presenters were:
- Mr Anson Sando, Ms Faheera S, and Dr Kaushal Jha, from IITMRP
- Dr Daniel Murrant (Practice Manager – Networks and Energy Storage) and Dr Corentin Jankowiak (Systems Engineer – Networks & Energy Storage) from Energy Systems Catapult
ITES was especially keen to learn from the experiences of IITMRP. As India’s first university-based research park, IITMRP brings together the knowledge of academia and top student talent to unleash innovations based on the industry’s market needs. Indeed, IITMRP is home to:
- 200 R&D companies in different disciplines
- 400 different startups
- 200+ lab and test facilities
- Over 1500 patents filed
IITMRP’s primary focus is on Net Zero technological developments and collaborations, both essential for the future. India is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and a growth in energy demand is one of the biggest challenges for India. 75% of electricity is consumed by commercial companies, industries and High-Income Group (HIG) housing.
In his presentation, Anson Sando, Head of Energy Programs at IITMRP, stated that innovation and R&D can provide a pathway to decouple the creation of greenhouse gases from India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. Research suggests that typically growing a country’s GDP per capita can lead to a rise in carbon dioxide emissions.
Eager to lead by example, IITMRP has undertaken a rapid green journey at their complex in Chennai. The complex has changed from using just 5% renewable energy in October 2022 to using a remarkable 80% renewable energy in June 2024. Initiatives implemented to achieve this impressive figure included:
- Deployment of energy storage technologies including thermal storage, battery storage (Li-ion) and long-duration storage.
- A recycling centre for end-of-life batteries that is able to recover 95% of materials used.
- IITMRP’s energy management system, which collects data from electrical energy and cooling energy meters and triggers the storage of energy during hours of excess renewable generation.
Daniel Murrant from the Catapult outlined how the Catapult and ITES could assist with modelling, analysis and insights into the role of energy storage, flexible technologies, energy networks and associated infrastructure within future low-carbon energy systems.
He shared how the Catapult was focussed on techno-economic analysis and whole system strategies based on understanding the unique challenges in India as they increase levels of renewable energy deployed. These include the key challenges of energy consumption and energy demand management, as investigated by IITMRP.
Daniel Murrant said:
“We were both excited and humbled to be part of such a passionate and energetic knowledge exchange. Reading the data and reports is one thing, experiencing the passion and enthusiasm from this dynamic business community first hand is quite another. IITMRP is not just a research park, it is a deep-tech hub that has the goal of Net Zero emission firmly in its sights.”
The Catapult is also playing a key role in accelerating high potential technologies by supporting SMEs in the flexibility sector. This high-level support can include techno-economic evaluation of technologies including energy storage, assessing new market structures, exploring the role of demand side flexibility, and modelling future energy systems including the role and impact of specific technologies and associated infrastructure challenges.
The Catapult has a range of modelling/simulation tools that can help explore questions about the future energy system. The ESME Flex model provides a detailed assessment around whole system operational storage and flexibility needs.
Discover more about the Energy Systems Catapult’s work on energy flexibility by clicking here.
