The breadth of UK Power Networks’ work on open and shared data has seen the network operator tackle projects on housing developments, grid curtailment visualisation, onshore wind and beyond. At the core of all these projects has been a desire to put user needs first. UK Power Networks found that, by approaching open data with a user-needs, use-case approach, it has been able to produce the most useful data sets that hold real utility in their respective field.
“We’re always keen to innovate and lead. So, we moved fast, and engaged with the stakeholders that we thought would be the biggest users of our data. This approach really helps to tease out the data sets, maps and dashboards that people might want.” Yiu-Shing Pang, Open Data Manager at UK Power Networks tells Icebreaker One.
Not only this, but the company set about publishing historical data and allowing organisations to request the data they wanted to see. They then simplified access to this data by creating an easy-to-navigate portal with clear, understandable terms and conditions for use because as Yiu-Shing highlights “Many people aren’t sure what they can do with data, or whether they can use it.”
Mapping out open data
One of the practical applications of UK Power Networks’ open data can be seen in the form of a comprehensive map – their Network Infrastructure and Usage Map – it contains multiple layers of the company’s substations, poles and towers, overhead lines, with information on what these assets are doing.
These kinds of initiatives have also been instrumental in helping developers connect clean energy projects to the grid. Connecting to the network is a lengthy process but UK Power Networks’ maps and dashboards allow developers to see, in near real-time, where they can potentially connect to the grid. Equally, the maps are helping energy companies better understand grid constraints and curtailment.
“Open data is there to enhance the quality of insights and reduce the time it takes to obtain them. In this case, open data can satisfy that initial bit of homework that everyone has to do in order to connect to the grid. This saves developers time and money”.
A more recent example of open data in action can be seen in the company’s IRENES datasets, which is helping onshore wind and ground-based solar developers find land suitable for projects. The tool, developed in collaboration with the University of East Anglia, examines the potential energy density of over 3.5 million individual areas for both solar and wind installations using wind speed and solar irradiance data. Given the new government’s recent lifting of the onshore wind ban, this tool now seems particularly timely.
A delicate balance
As UK Power Networks continues to push forward with their work on open and shared data, they’ve found the demand for increasingly granular data is growing. “We’ve moved from data on large substations, to smaller ones and then on to power cables. Knowing what the power cable is doing and what’s happening upstream at the substation can save significant time and money in the application process”, Yiu-Shing explains.
And while this detailed information provides clear benefits for those looking to connect to an EV charge point, the DNO is grappling with opening up data within the constraints posed by legacy legislation such as the Utilities Act. Legislation that is not necessarily compatible with contemporary needs.
“If I’m trying to show people what the power cable outside your home is doing and there’s only two of you on that street. There’s potential to provide insight into individual household activity and behaviours, which could encroach on personal privacy or commercial sensitivity. But, if it’s 100 customers connected to that power cable, the risk is reduced because there’s enough aggregation that you can’t spot what an individual is doing.”
It’s clear that as UK Power Networks continues to push for greater transparency through open data, the DNO will have to navigate the delicate balance between providing granular, useful data and protecting individual privacy.