Power Circle is on a mission to support communities through the energy transition – helping to cut costs, lower emissions, and decentralise energy systems for a fairer, greener future. Their work focuses on the ‘4 Ds’ of the new energy world: Decarbonise, Decentralise, Digitalise, and Democratise. By building long term partnerships and embracing innovative technologies, Power Circle is transforming energy from a burden to an opportunity.

At the heart of their approach is a social Energy Service Company (ESCo) and Virtual Power Plant (VPP), designed to deliver affordable, low carbon power to the communities who need it most. These models are built to support future energy systems, including heat and energy as a service and peer-to-peer trading.

The innovation: SHIELD

SHIELD (Smart Heat and Intelligent Energy in Low-income Districts) is Power Circle’s ambitious new project designed to deliver low cost, low carbon heat and power to lower-income households.

By combining trusted technologies like solar PV and heat pumps with innovative systems such as intelligent batteries, distributed data centres, and ridgetop wind turbines, SHIELD aims to drive down energy bills while cutting emissions. The project also explores integration with EV charging and will be piloted in partnership with Eastlight Community Homes.

It was fantastic to learn more about SHIELD at Futurebuild and the real-world impact it could have on communities. Power Circle’s approach of blending tech innovation with social equity has the potential to redefine what local, low carbon energy looks like. Their commitment to inclusive decarbonisation is needed to ensure no one is left behind in the energy transition.