UK Power Networks has confirmed plans for a wider roll-out of its Smart Heat and Intelligent Energy in Low-income Districts, or SHIELD, scheme. 

For those of you who are checking to see why you’re reading about this on Data Centre Review, don’t fret – there is a point. That’s because SHIELD pairs rooftop solar and home batteries with mini data centres that recover waste heat for space heating – something the company won an award for at the recent Data Centre Review Awards. 

UK Power Networks has been trialling SHIELD across the East and South East of England, but is now ready for a wider roll-out over the next four years. Under the roll-out it plans to install and manage technologies in up to 300 social homes. 

Every participating property will receive solar and battery storage, while about a third will add Thermify’s ‘HeatHub’ – a unit roughly the size of a large heat pump that runs compute locally and captures the heat for domestic use. Following feasibility work supported by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, this phase will gather operational evidence for even wider deployment.

How the SHIELD scheme works

Thermify told The Register that each HeatHub houses a cluster of about 500 Raspberry Pi Compute Modules (CM4 or CM5) immersed in oil, with a dedicated network connection installed so household broadband is unaffected. The waste heat is transferred to domestic space and hot-water systems, effectively substituting a boiler while running customer workloads on a distributed cloud. 

A new social heating tariff underpins affordability: low-income tenants pay a flat standing charge of £5.60 a month including VAT, with no per-kWh unit rate. Combined with the on-site technologies, SHIELD estimates participating tenants could reduce energy bills by 20-40%. Where rooftop solar is not feasible, SHIELD will provide access to a local energy market so households can benefit from lower tariffs by using excess power generated by other homes on the network. 

Luca Grella, Head of Innovation at UK Power Networks, noted, “SHIELD is a transformative initiative that empowers households to control their energy costs and support the country’s climate goals. By providing innovative technologies at no cost, we are making a real difference for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Charlie Edgar, who has overseen the SHIELD work on behalf of Eastlight Community Homes, added, “The pilot results for this innovative solution are very encouraging and we’re excited to see it being trialled in hundreds more homes.

“We can see the potential to provide reliable heating at a predictable low cost, empowering families to maintain a comfortable living environment without the stress of rising energy bills.

“Our commitment is not only to improve the quality of life for Eastlight residents but also to support our collective net zero ambitions. It’s been a pleasure working with UK Power Networks. Together, we’re creating a sustainable future for our communities.”

Jon Cape, Managing Director at Power Circle Projects Ltd, added, “In the words of one of our early customers, SHIELD has been life changing. By providing all the heat a home needs at a very low fixed cost, households no longer need to underheat their homes to keep bills down. People can live healthier, more comfortable lives; landlords are helped to meet their net zero goals; whilst SHIELD also helps Britain meet its burgeoning data processing needs in a clean low-cost manner.”