Smart Energy Research Lab

The Smart Energy Research Lab seeks to harness the power of energy consumption data made available via the GB smart meter roll out to enable innovative research that addresses major societal challenges.

The lab provides a technical and data governance infrastructure that allows accredited UK researchers to access gas and electricity smart meter readings for ~13,000 consenting GB households. This data is combined with Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), weather, demographic and building information to create a unique, fine-grained data resource for researchers to better understand domestic energy use. This in turn enables research that can make recommendations about how to make the UK’s energy use more sustainable, affordable and reliable.

As well as managing this resource on behalf of the UK research community, the Smart Energy Research Lab also has its own research consortium made up of seven universities (led by UCL) and the Energy Saving Trust looking at a range of themes where better domestic energy use data can play a part in tackling societal challenges. The team produce statistical reports and aggregated datasets to allow a wider range of researchers, policymakers and NGOs to benefit from the insights afforded by linked smart meter data.

Our research interests

The Smart Energy Research Labs’s research covers a numbers of different areas all linked by the common thread of innovative use of smart meter data. Any UK accredited researcher can apply to access Smart Energy Research Lab so we expect the range of research areas covered using Smart Energy Research Lab to continue to grow.

Identifying fuel poverty

Smart meter data can help us understand the challenge of fuel poverty better and thus alleviate it. Identifying patterns in energy use that suggest households are fuel poor could lead to energy efficiency or financial advice or tariffs tailored to their needs.

UCL's Smart Energy Research Lab works with partners in academia, government and industry on a number of projects designed to use cutting edge techniques such as Artificial Intelligence to help identify fuel poverty, evaluate interventions and gather data to tackle this major societal challenge.

Assessing the impacts of Covid-19 on energy use

Photo of a man in an online meeting wearing a face mask

The unprecedented change in living and working patterns caused by the CV19 lockdowns created an opportunity to research how such major shifts would affect domestic energy use. The Smart Energy Research Lab ran its own CV19 project which surveyed 1000 GB homes on their experience of the lockdowns. The Smart Energy Research Lab dataset (which contains energy data as well as demographic, building and weather data) is being used by numerous projects to gain insights into how working from home affects domestic energy demand.

Ethics and governance of using smart meter data for research

Image of a computer screen containing data

Enabling UK researchers access to domestic smart meter data protected by GDPR and the Smart Energy Code has entailed the team learning a great deal about smart meter data governance. The team have developed an extensive data governance framework; an application procedure for gaining access to smart meter data via a secure lab; convened an independent Data Governance Board; recruited and managed a cohort of 13,000 households.

Smart meters and health

Photo of a person holding a smart meter and a mug of tea

Smart meter data could inform health interventions such as prescribing boiler upgrades to people living in cold or damp homes, which might be cheaper and more effective than medical alternatives. It could also allow vulnerable people to stay independent if carers are enabled to monitor their energy use to check their routine is normal. Smart Energy Research Lab data is contributing to a number of projects and initiatives looking at the link between domestic energy use and health.

Evaluating government interventions

Photo of someone installing loft insulation

The Smart Energy Research Lab has worked closely with the Department on Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to provide energy data to evaluate the impact of energy-saving interventions. We were an integral part of the Smart Energy Savings (SENS) trials and are working on evaluations of the Green Homes Grant scheme’s interventions. The existing SERL dataset can be used a control group for such projects and we also advise on and run participant recruitment for our ‘laboratory’ projects.

Measuring energy efficiency

The Smart Energy Research Lab plans to produce a series of publicly available reports, statistical analyses and data tables that enable maximum value to the research community for the unique dataset of energy, demographic, building, weather and EPC data that has been assembled with our funding. The first SERL stats report was published in April 2022 and is expected to be produced annually along with background data tables. The report shows how residential energy use in GB varies over time.

Research with impact

Smart Energy Research Lab Statistics Report

The first Smart Energy Research Lab Statistics Reportt was published in April 2022 and is expected to be produced annually along with background data tables. The report shows how residential energy use in GB varies over time. The Smart Energy Research Lab plans to produce a series of publicly available reports, statistical analyses and data tables for the energy research community.

Read on the Smart Energy Research Lab website ►

Smart Energy Research Lab highlighted in government Digitalisation Strategy

The UK Government's Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy's ‘Digitalising our energy system for net zero: Strategy and Action Plan 2021’ described the Smart Energy Research Lab as ‘a secure virtual facility to access granular smart meter data, with consumer consent, to conduct research. This is allowing energy researchers to carry out valuable public interest work.’

Read on the Smart Energy Research Lab website ►

Photo of a smart meter with a person using a kettle in the background

Facilitating government evaluations

The UK Government's Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy runs the Smart Energy Savings (SENS) project which works with energy suppliers to test innovative energy feedback products and services to help households reduce energy consumption. Smart Energy Research Lab works with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and their independent Trial Design and Evaluation Leads to provide energy consumption data from participating households.

Read about on the Smart Energy Research Lab website ►

Photo of a woman using a computer wearing a face mask

Learning from lockdown

The UCL Bartlett Review 2021 features findings from the Smart Energy Research Labs’s research into domestic energy usage during lockdown and demand variation across the day, and what this could mean for the drive to Net Zero.

Read about the the Bartlett Review website ►

Energy data for 13,000 homes

In October 2021 the 3rd edition of the Smart Energy Research Lab dataset gave accredited UK researchers access to a dataset comprising daily and half-hourly electricity and gas smart meter data - linked to Energy Performance Certificate; weather, building and demographic survey data – for the full Smart Energy Research Lab cohort of 13,000 GB homes.

Read out news item ►

Tackling fuel poverty

SERL is collaborating with UrbanTide and other partners on a project aimed at supporting fuel poor households through data integration and AI. The SERL dataset being used to help test the accuracy of Urban Tide’s artificial intelligence model for identifying fuel poverty.

Watch video on YouTube ►

Smart Energy Research Lab in teaching

Members of the Smart Energy Research lab contribute to teaching across UCL Energy Institute including:

Smart Energy and the Built Environment MSc

Smart Energy Research Lab members teach the following modules available to Smart Energy and the Built Environment MSc students:

Fundamentals of Smart Energy and the Built Environment
Energy Systems in Society
Introduction to Smart Energy Data and Statistics
Data Analytics in the Smart Built Environment
Social Value and New Energy Business Models

Members of the team also supervise Energy Systems and Data Analytics MSc dissertation research.

View Smart Energy and the Built Environment MSc in the UCL Prospectus ►

Energy Systems and Data Analytics MSc

Smart Energy Research Lab members teach the following modules available to Energy Systems and Data Analytics MSc students:

Energy Data Analytics in the Built Environment

Members of the team also supervise Energy Systems and Data Analytics MSc dissertation research.

View Energy Systems and Data Analytics MSc in the UCL Prospectus ►

Our researchers

Simon Elam
Principal Research Associate
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Tadj Oreszczyn
Professor of Energy & Environment
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David Shipworth
Professor of Energy and the Built Environment
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Eoghan McKenna
Senior Research Associate in Data Science and End Use Energy Demand
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Ellen Webborn
Research Associate in Data Science and End Use Energy Demand
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Jessica Few
Research Fellow in Data Science and End Use Energy Demand
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Martin Pullinger
Senior Research Fellow in Data Science and End Use Energy Demand
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Despina Manouseli
Lecturer (Teaching) in Energy Demand
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