HVAC design and installation firm Airzone has joined equiwatt to deliver CoolDown, a £5.5 million Ofgem-funded UK research project designed to manage cooling demand and enable smarter flexible energy system
Working in partnership with climate technology company equiwatt, the initiative aims to better understand how increasing air conditioning usage could impact the UK electrical grid as temperatures continue to rise and electrification accelerates across heating and transport.
The project, led by SP Electricity North West and National Grid, in collaboration with University College London and Guidehouse Europe, centres around demand-response events, where users voluntarily reduce or temporarily pause air conditioning usage during periods of high electricity demand, typically weekday evenings for one or two hours.
CoolDown events are triggered when periods of peak electricity usage are forecast using factors such as weather conditions, renewable energy generation and expected electricity consumption to anticipate when the network could come under pressure.
Customers signed up to the trial will then be notified via the equiwatt app and can choose to reduce their cooling usage by manually switching off their equipment.
Airzone sees gradual increase in demand for air conditioning
Through the new partnership, Airzone will introduce automated control through Airzone Cloud, which can intelligently respond to peak demand periods by adjusting cooling and automating energy-saving actions.
CoolDown is conducting two UK-based summer trials: trial one was completed in September, having initially prioritised the Northwest region, before expanding in size and scope for trial two in 2027 with the integration of National Grid’s licence areas.
Fernando de la Cruz Quintanilla, New Markets EMEA Director at Airzone, adds, “Demand for air conditioning in the UK has gradually increased in recent years until the hottest summer on record this year, when it dramatically skyrocketed to the point where demand overtook supply.
“We therefore anticipate Brits to plan ahead for next year by installing AC in their home or business facilities. As temperatures continue to rise due to the ongoing climate crisis, growing demand for cooling will put increasing pressure on the electricity system during summer peaks. By using intelligent controls to manage when and how cooling systems operate, we can help reduce pressure on the network while keeping customers comfortable.”
Joanne Edwards, Chief Operating Officer at equiwatt, says, “Airzone has been a valuable partner in helping us reach households for the first government-funded CoolDown trial. There has been consistently high engagement from participants, with people receptive to the concept of flexible cooling and many keen to take part in return for rewards.”
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