Speed Dating the Future Grid: Meet the Technologies Fighting for Your Heart
Ah, Valentine’s Day. The day of love, candlelit dinners, and red roses sold with a ‘love tax’ at double the price. Whether you’ve been married so long you forgot it was Valentine’s Day, have happily deleted the apps after finding your soulmate, you’re a proud ‘single pringle’ ready to mingle, or you’re embracing a bit of well-deserved self-care… this year, you’ve still got a date.
Actually, scratch that – you’ve got several.
Because this Valentine’s Day, a whole host of emerging clean-energy technologies are lining up, vying for your attention, affection, and long-term commitment. Here at Energised Futures – powered by Centrica, we spend our days exploring how people adopt, use, and interact with new energy. So, consider us your maître d' for tonight’s clean-energy speed-dating event, introducing you to some of the innovations we believe will power the net-zero energy future.
Why are these technologies looking for love?
In the effort to reduce carbon emissions and create a greener, fairer future, one thing is certain: our energy system needs to evolve.
At Energised Futures, much of our research focuses on what this transition means in practice – for both the grid, and for people. As we move towards a decarbonised, electrified energy system, renewable power brings huge opportunities: it’s cleaner, increasingly affordable, and opens the door to a more diverse and democratised energy system where communities can generate, store, and share their own power. This shift creates more resilient neighbourhoods, fairer access, and greater independence from market shocks. But unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy is not available on demand. So, to make this transition work, and unlock real control for households, we are building a more flexible and resilient energy system – one where a mix of technologies work together.
To understand how best to build that flexibility, the first step is to meet the technologies designed to deliver it…
Let the dates begin!
Eligible Tech #1: Solar Panels
“I’m an optimist and you’ll always find me enjoying the outdoors. I’m a morning lark – definitely not a night owl 😎"
Solar is the golden retriever of the energy tech world – sunny, eager and always happy to help. But fair warning, they can be somewhat unpredictable… If there’s no lighty, then no likey.
Solar panels represent one of the most mature and widely adopted renewable technologies. Their main advantage lies in generating clean electricity directly for your home, reducing how much you need to draw from the grid and helping to lower overall energy bills. Of course, they work best in areas with strong solar resource – meaning UK performance varies significantly by season. In winter, generation dips, which can limit total savings unless paired with complementary technologies like battery storage. But you’ll meet battery storage later…
Eligible Tech #2: Heat Pumps
“I’m gentle, consistent, and emotionally intelligent. I’m looking for a long-term partner who’s open to change 🥰"
Heat pumps are the dependable partner who brings calm and steady warmth into your life. They’re not casual flings though, they want commitment.
Here at Energised Futures, we believe heat pumps will play a pivotal role in reducing emissions from home heating. With the UK government investing heavily in scaling up installations nationwide, more than a million homes will transition to low-carbon heating by 2030, using much less energy than traditional gas boilers. As our CEO, Ben Krikler, highlighted in Installer Magazine last year, the real power of heat pumps lies in their ability to be truly ‘smart’. When integrated with digital control, heat pumps can optimise comfort while minimising energy usage, responding dynamically to grid signals to help balance demand. For example, they can pre-heat homes when electricity is at its cheapest and greenest, reducing strain on the grid during peak periods.
However, despite their advantages, heat pumps are not suitable for every property. Installation can be challenging in certain homes, particularly smaller or older buildings common across the UK. So, we can’t put all our eggs into one basket…
Eligible Tech #3: Electric Vehicles (EVs)
“I’m sexy, adventurous, and flexible 😉”
EVs are the charismatic heartthrobs of the clean energy tech scene. They wheel in with style, confidence, and a mysterious smile that says, “After me, you’ll never go back.”
Electric vehicles are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the transition to low-carbon transport. They offer substantially lower emissions, lower operating costs, and with more than half a million UK EV registrations forecast for 2026, they are on track to make up almost a third of all new car sales nationwide.
But the real transformation goes far beyond cleaner driving. Emerging ‘vehicle-to-everything’ (V2X) technology is turning EVs into flexible, mobile energy assets capable of supplying power to homes, businesses, and the wider grid. Picture this… a system where, during periods of peak demand, your parked EV releases stored energy into your home, reducing the need to draw electricity from the grid when it’s at its most expensive and carbon intensive. Then, when electricity is cheaper and greener, the vehicle recharges itself ready for when you need it next.
At Energised Futures, this bidirectional charging is one of the areas we are most excited about – and we’re shaping how it evolves. Our team is leading research into how V2X can be built around real consumer needs: understanding what people value and what would give them confidence in adopting this technology. The potential is huge, from strengthening grid flexibility to lowering household bills, it will allow people to play a more active role in the energy system.
Eligible Tech #4: Battery Storage
“I am reliable, loyal, and fiercely protective. When I’m ‘on’, I’m on, but I always need solo time to recharge 😴”
Battery storage is the strong, silent type, supporting you through the hardest times and giving you power exactly when you need it. But like all good introverts can’t run on empty – they need downtime to regain their spark.
Battery storage systems are becoming an indispensable part of a modern low-carbon energy system. As renewable generation increases, the grid needs to cope with the natural variability of wind and solar power. Batteries allow us to capture renewable electricity when supply is high and release it precisely when it is needed, turning intermittent resources into dependable energy. This can happen on a national scale but also a local one, empowering individual homes to use more of their own clean energy surplus at the most valuable times. Even in homes without solar panels, batteries enable strategic energy use: they can charge when electricity prices are low or when the grid is greener, and discharge during peak periods when energy is most expensive and the grid is under pressure. This helps households to reduce bills, reduce reliance on the grid, and improve resilience during outages. That’s some very endearing qualities…
"The future of energy begins the moment you step in and shape it. Make your move."
A polyamorous energy system
After meeting our eligible techs, have any stolen your heart this Valetine’s Day? Or have you decided that, just as no one person can be everything and everyone to someone, no one tech can do everything either?
We agree… the future of energy isn’t monogamous or homogeneous. The healthiest, happiest, most resilient energy systems are unapologetically polyamorous (please do not apply this wisdom into your personal life however – I take no responsibility for heartbreak, arguments, or ruined relationships). Put simply, diversity is key to cleaner, greener, cheaper energy for all.
Taking control of your energy isn’t about selecting a single soulmate, instead it is about building the combination that works best for you, your home, and your community. For example, on sunny days, your solar panels could generate more electricity than you need. That excess then charges your home battery and tops up your EV. Your heat pump uses the stored energy to warm your home during peak hours. And your EV can feed electricity back to support your neighbourhood during periods of peak strain. Across the street, your neighbours do the same. When everyone participates and collectively invests, we can build local renewable energy communities that share energy, stores excess, smooth out peaks, and support each other – by sharing cleaner and more affordable energy with households who may not have financial access to purchasing their own renewable tech.
Suddenly the grid is cleaner, collaborative, decentralised, and powered by people. This is the future that our team at Energised Futures is shaping – one where these clean energy technologies, alongside local energy networks, AI-enabled optimisation, digital infrastructure, and flexible tariffs, enable more people to be active participants in the energy transition.
So, while tonight’s speed-dating has introduced you to a few of the main characters, the ‘happily ever after’ is yours to write. This isn’t a distant vision. The future of energy begins the moment you step in and shape it. Make your move.
