Integrated Utility Services powers groundbreaking NeRV (Net Zero Research Village)

IUS are proud to be involved with an innovative and ambitious project aimed at shaping the future of household decarbonisation.

Based near Gateshead, NeRV’s unique street of nine testbed homes was specially constructed to represent different types of UK property. The homes were built by NGN and partners and supported by a £1.86 million grant from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership through the Getting Building Fund. This makes it a perfect testbed for retrofit net zero technology and data-driven answers on the energy solutions best suited to different types of home.

NGN and electricity distributor Northern Powergrid are working in collaboration to provide essential evidence at NeRV to enable transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy system.

A crucial component of NeRV is the integration of renewable energy sources to create an inter-operable research capability. The facility features a state-of-the-art solar farm that generates electricity, which is then stored using advanced battery storage technology deployed by Northern Powergrid. This stored energy will be used to explore innovative opportunities across multiple vectors to enable a green and sustainable energy cycle for the site and beyond.

As part of the project, Northern Powergrid is also exploring, through a whole energy system approach, how additional capacity on its electricity network could be released to support customers and help enable the connection of more low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels, heat pumps, and hydrogen production in the future.

After 15 months of intensive design collaboration with Northern Powergrid and NGN, IUS is set to commence the electrical infrastructure works that will bring this vision to life. Our scope of work includes the installation of the electrical infrastructure and a Wilson e4 Ultimate Low Loss Amorphous® transformer, which is needed to facilitate the energy transfer and hydrogen production process while maintaining efficiency in execution.

NeRV is not just a multi-vector research and development facility; it is also an important demonstration site for policymakers, industry leaders, and energy stakeholders. NeRV regularly hosts stakeholder engagement visits from government and energy experts to showcase the potential of new retrofit technology and renewable energy solutions.

Its success could serve as a blueprint for future housing developments that operate without traditional network connections, relying instead on renewables and innovative storage solutions.

The implications of this project extend far beyond a single research site. It paves the way for the development of new-build housing estates that operate independently of the traditional energy networks.

With a combination of solar energy, advanced battery storage, and hydrogen production, communities could achieve energy self-sufficiency while significantly reducing their carbon footprint.

At IUS, we are committed to driving progress in sustainable energy solutions. Our involvement in this project aligns perfectly with our mission to support cutting-edge infrastructure that helps the UK meet its ambitious net-zero targets.

We are excited to contribute to this transformative initiative and look forward to seeing its impact on the future of energy and housing.

Richard Hynes-Cooper, Head of Innovation at NeRV said: ‘The UK needs to decarbonise around 25 million homes to hit net zero by 2050; that’s around 20,000 a week for the next 25 years. We’re nowhere near that at the moment.

‘At NeRV, we’re taking a ‘whole house’ approach, so that we understand everything that goes into a home, from its very building fabric to its heating and water systems, to understand what technology will work best to decarbonise that type of home.

‘Our test homes represent around 2.25 million UK properties, so we can test and interrogate all kinds of different retrofit technologies, to deliver the answers for customers on the right solutions for them.

‘Being able to power the site with clean electricity and flex that into energy storage is extremely exciting, as it could unlock so many answers for communities, not just on how they adapt their homes, but also how they can produce and generate their own energy in the future.’

Andy McGuckin, Project Manager at IUS, said ‘IUS are proud to be involved in the NeRVproject. We are delivering critical electrical infrastructure for the UK’s first combined whole-systems research facility.

‘With a focus on renewable energy, including a state-of-the-art solar farm and advanced battery storage technology, NeRV is setting the stage for a green and sustainable energy future. With this in mind, we were able to procure and install a Wilson e4 Ultimate Low Loss Amorphous® transformer. This facilitated the energy transfer and hydrogen production process efficiently.

‘We’re excited to contribute our expertise to this collaboration, helping to provide valuable insights that will enable the transition to a zero-carbon future.’