Our Insight papers offer detailed and evidence-based thought leadership on key market characteristics. They are designed to provide thought-provoking perspectives and recommendations as well as contribute to industry debates. Through a combination of in-depth industry knowledge and practical experience, our Insight papers will help you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the market.
Low carbon generation
In light of delayed RESS-2 auctions in Ireland, and the prospect of buying constraints in the next CfD auction (for established technologies) leading to many disappointed developers, the question of whether “merchant” project development is viable will soon be occupying the minds of our customers in both Ireland and Great...
Heat networks
The costs of decarbonising the power system have mainly been funded through consumers’ electricity bills. In 2020-21 these costs amounted to £10bn with the expectation that support for low carbon generation will continue to be necessary. If we are to maintain a trajectory to net zero carbon emissions at 2050,...
Power and gas networks
We have compiled this research note on the UK hydrogen economy as a primer for an upcoming series of hydrogen insight papers. We discuss past and current hydrogen support schemes in the UK as well as the bodies that have been established to stimulate a hydrogen economy. We explain various...
Low carbon generation
The scale and speed of the net zero targets require a refocus of the traditional goals of electricity market design to ensure efficient dispatch, adequate capacity and optimal investment. Electricity markets need to support the investment and dispatch to meet low carbon objectives, but the fundamental drivers of the electricity...
Energy storage and flexibility
WSP, Cornwall Insight and Complete Strategy are undertaking a Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) funded project on behalf of National Grid Electricity System Operator (NG ESO) and Western Power Distribution (WPD). The project is investigating the optimal coordination of Active Network Management (ANM) schemes on both the distribution and transmission networks...
E-mobility and low carbon
PwC & Cornwall Insight have partnered to better understand and explain the rapidly evolving market for fleet electrification. Fleet charging has the potential to revolutionise EVs. It has the scale to accelerate the adoption of EVs across the UK, improve air quality, lower noise pollution and ultimately play a critical...
Regulation and policy
This is the third research paper in a series exploring the evolution of regional flexibility markets and how they can support the development of an efficient, low carbon energy system. The series is prepared by Cornwall Insight, Complete Strategy and Shakespeare Martineau. This paper has been led by Complete Strategy...
Regulation and policy
This is the second in our series of “Future Networks” discussion papers. It builds on the background laid out in our recent “Setting the Scene” publication. The focus of this paper is on how the future roles of Distribution System Operators (DSOs) may evolve if flexibility exchange platforms became widespread,...
Regulation and policy
This is the inaugural research paper in a series that will explore the evolution of regional flexibility markets and how they can support the development of an efficient, low carbon energy system. Entitled “Future Networks”, the series will be jointly prepared by Cornwall Insight, Complete Strategy and Shakespeare Martineau. This...
Low carbon generation
Increasing levels of intermittent generation around the world are prompting debates for market participants and operators about how to optimise network design and ensure appropriate regulatory and commercial arrangements. This includes the most appropriate methods for charging for networks, managing access to them and dealing with issues such as network...
Low carbon generation
With the recent activity in the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) market in Ireland, one can be forgiven for thinking that the landscape for energy purchasing by large Corporate entities is shifting drastically and quickly. Amazon has signed direct agreements with two wind farms and the government has set stretch...
Heat networks
The UK faces a variety of challenges in terms of tackling heat decarbonisation and implementing effective, low-risk options to serve toward meeting 2050 targets. Carbon produced from heat is the single largest contributor to overall emissions in the UK, at 37% of the total per year. Heat networks may have...
Low carbon generation
A wind turbine is the same piece of engineering no matter where on earth it is located, yet assuming largely similar natural wind resources, the variety of risks and value wind turbines create is very much driven by the market characteristics in which they operate. As a pre-eminent energy research,...
E-mobility and low carbon
Road transport is a significant source of carbon emissions, likely contributing to accelerated climate change. The Road to Zero has been put in place to decarbonise road transport, setting out the broad direction for a zero-emission vehicle transition. Battery electric vehicles are viewed as the main solution to clean-up transport,...
Low carbon generation
In this Rationalising Micro-generation Exports insight paper, we set out a four-part solution to ensure the continuation of a guaranteed route to market for micro-generation exports as the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme closes to new investment on 1 April 2019. This paper builds on the September 2018 UnFiT for Purpose...
E-mobility and low carbon
The electrification of road transport is rising swiftly up the policy agenda. It will have profound impacts across the electricity value chain. This paper explains and evaluates the electricity supplier offerings emerging for electric vehicles (EVs), driven largely by consumer demand, and how policy and regulatory frameworks need to adapt...
Low carbon generation
We argue that changes to the CfD regime should be closely examined to address several limitations in the targets, timings and integration of the auctions with the wider energy system and market landscape: The current approach does not ensure that CfD procurement meets the UK’s decarbonisation trajectory;Investors do not have...
Low carbon generation
The Irish energy industry faces fundamental changes, making this research a timely and important call to action. Ireland has only 25MW of installed offshore wind capacity but has some of Europe’s best wind resource. Large-scale deployment has strayed behind other markets due to lack of strong policy support. However, evolving...
Low carbon generation
This insight paper from Pixie Energy, sister company of Cornwall Insight, recommends a Transitional Offtake Tariff to support continued support of deployment of small generators from April 2019 until new local markets can be shown to work. This could be achieved at no cost to consumers by tying export rates to...
Low carbon generation
With the withdrawal of government subsidies for new investment, such as the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and Renewables Obligation (RO), and the limited spend remaining for the Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme, the value earned from wholesale power is going to become increasingly important for renewables. However, a complicating factor will...
Low carbon generation
On 20 December 2017 EirGrid and SONI published the provisional Capacity Auction results for the 2018-19 Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) T-1 auction, held on the 15th December 2017. Subject to approval the Regulatory Authorities, the final results at a Capacity Market Unit level will be published on the 25th Jan...
