Wellcome has now published the workshop summary report, Realising the potential of a National Data Library, which highlights key insights and recommendations from participants.

Our contribution to the report drew on our use-case–driven approach to delivering data infrastructure for net zero. This perspective was reflected in the final publication:

“Defining a strong vision for the NDL is necessary not only for intended users and the public but also to inform its design. “A clear vision is a necessary design constraint” for the NDL, state Hardinges and colleagues. They recommend documenting the vision as a “clear, tightly-bound problem statement. This will help bridge the chasm between a high-level political vision and technical execution.” Similarities can be drawn from the development of Open Banking in the UK, where the public were consulted about the problem they wanted addressed with their banking before the financial data innovation was designed.”

Realising the potential of a national data library: The Wellcome Trust

Read the full report here

The REACT tool is a geographical planning tool, providing users with an interactive visualisation map to view electricity grid requests in real time. Its purpose is to provide support for early stage project development, with features such as land sensitivities helping developers select optimal sites and ultimately helping them connect to the grid. 

During the meeting, a demo of the REACT tool was presented to members and a collective recognition began to form around the value that the tool could provide to the hydrogen market. ‘We have a number of businesses interested from a grid and planning point of view’ one member noted. The potential value of the tool reaches far beyond the hydrogen sector however, and looking forward, it aims to bring in environmental agencies, transmission operators, wind power developers, water companies and more. 

Data sensitivity & Trust Frameworks

Concerns were raised regarding the access and use of sensitive data, particularly in the case of data on critical national infrastructure. One AG member asked ‘how do we make sure the data is not used by the wrong people, for the wrong reasons’. Trust Frameworks offer an answer to these warranted concerns and are particularly important in the case of the REACT project, where secure and reliable data exchange is critical. Trust Frameworks ensure that all parties involved can trust the confidentiality of the data exchanged and the authenticity of the identities involved. What’s more, as the project extends its scope, looking to other sectors, use cases, and datasets, Trust Frameworks offer a powerful solution, joining stakeholders from different ecosystems. 

Recommendations 

We presented our five recommendations on how to transform the data network to our advisory group members: 

1. Embracing market-scale solutions: To ensure REACT’s solution has the widest possible applicability across the market, REACT’s Advisory Group(s) should work closely with Open Energy’s Steering Group to promote accessibility, agree common rules, processes and legal compliance and encourage a common rights-based approach to data access.

2. Reducing friction: To improve data assurance, reduce friction across data silos and provide forward compatibility with the Virtual Energy System, the REACT project should embrace a ‘Trust Framework’ methodology throughout its work.

3. Improving data accessibility: To improve the discoverability of datasets and encourage process innovation, Transmission Owners are advised to publish internal process diagrams that describe the workings of complicated internal processes – such as the Network Connection Request process.

4. Improving prediction: To improve long-term planning – both for Transmission Owners and for other stakeholders – a statistical model of projects should be embraced that tracks a project’s estimated probability of success according to the best available data.

5. Embracing innovation: To radically embrace innovation around processes – such as the Network Connection Request process – virtual ‘sandbox’ representations of these processes with representative data should be created. This will enable innovators to safely experiment with innovative solutions without affecting Business as Usual.

Feedback on recommendations

With reforms in the connection process slated for January 2025, stakeholders in the energy industry are facing mounting challenges. In light of this, concerns were raised regarding the feasibility of implementing a virtual sandbox (recommendation 5), given the workload of Transmission Network Operators (TNOs) and Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). Icebreaker One’s technical analyst, Stefan Haselwimmer, acknowledged this challenge, emphasising the need for maximum innovation with minimal workload.

In fact, the recommendations presented above have been put together with the pressures facing stakeholders in mind. In a landscape where approximately 420GW of generation projects await grid connection, timely connectivity remains a bottleneck in our net zero transition. We believe the REACT project could be the catalyst required to unlock these grid connections making for a smoother and faster transition. Now, as we look ahead to the next phase of REACT, the potential avenues for exploration are vast, with data centres, storage projects and direct air capture all cited as potential future use cases. 

*The REACT project is funded by the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), the SIF is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.”

It means the project will receive £750k in UK Government funding to continue developing a standard that all organisations in the energy data ecosystem can use to search, share and access data. It’s also developing a prototype governance platform to make sure data is shared securely. 

Icebreaker One will host a webinar on 16 February at 10am to share more information about its progress so far and plans for the future.

Open Energy aims to transform the way organisations exchange the information they need to phase out fossil fuels and implement renewable energy technology. Icebreaker One is aiming to roll out the Open Energy standards, guides and recommendations across the energy sector over the next year.

Open Energy has been guided by industry advisory groups across the UK which include representatives from Ofgem, Scottish Power and SSE. It’s led by Gavin Starks, one of the key figures behind the Open Banking Standard that has revolutionised the banking sector over the past five years.

Icebreaker One worked with project partners Open Climate Fix, Raidiam and PassivSystems, to win the Modernising Energy Data Access (MEDA) competition, run by Innovate UK as part of the Industrial Strategy Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme. 

Gavin Starks, founder and CEO at Icebreaker One, said,

“We’re delighted to have this backing to continue developing the data infrastructure to help unlock access to data to deliver efficiency and innovation across the energy sector.

This will have a material impact on the UK’s ability to make the most of decentralised energy supply and consumption, help address the coming challenges of the transition to electric vehicles and catalyse the delivery of our net-zero targets.

Our work will help unlock data discovery by enabling energy data search and usage by delivering a trusted ecosystem for decentralised data sharing.”

Rob Saunders, Challenge Director, Prospering from the Energy Revolution at UKRI, said:

“The MEDA competition was designed to accelerate innovative ways for energy data to be open-sourced, organised and accessed, providing a platform for new technology, services and more agile regulation within the energy sector. 

“The Icebreaker One project showed exactly what can be achieved through collaborative thinking and will help create a framework for all stakeholders to share data further for the common benefit – and ultimately for the UK’s net-zero ambitions. We are looking forward to working with them closely as the project develops further.”

David Manning, Head of Data Management at SSE plc, said: “At SSE we recognise that becoming a data driven organisation is critical to our role in helping achieve a net zero world.”

“Readily accessible and trusted data will be essential to building the decarbonised energy system of the future; ensuring flexibility, customisation and personalisation for energy users, large and small. It’s exciting to see the progress being made in this space.”

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