Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 4TH - 10TH OCTOBER 2019 | 9 is issue is all about... QUARTERLY TECH SUPPLEMENT Flex content is a free resource on our website: https://utilityweek.co.uk/category/fl ex Expert view: Flexsys 8 e digitalisation of the energy system 9 Expert view: Mando 13 Making the most of smart meters 14 Protecting consumer rights 16 Priority service register initiative 17 Expert view: Software AG 19 ...data: D ata is often referred to as the new oil, the world's most valuable resource, but while industries like fi nance and healthcare are already exploiting the benefi ts, the energy sector has lagged behind. Today's energy system has its roots in the 1900s and mostly analogue with some digital "add-ons", but the demands of the future, particularly around the need to decarbonise and decentralise energy generation and distribution has galvanised support for a modern digitalised system able to handle increasingly complex scenarios. Advanced data-gathering and analytic techniques off er utilities the opportunity to better forecast supply and demand, troubleshoot issues on the network, manage energy constraints and improve compliance with regulatory requests. ey can help reduce energy losses, uncover customer usage patterns and improve customer understanding of carbon impacts and energy costs. Now the UK government, regulators, and technology innovators are pushing a range of initiatives designed to unlock the power of data in the energy system. e Energy Data Taskforce (EDT), a body established by government, Ofgem, and Innovate UK, has published a data strategy for the sector based on two key principles: fi lling in data gaps by requiring new and better quality data; and maximising its value by embedding the presumption that all data is open. e strategy aligns closely with a wider blueprint, devised by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and now being delivered by the Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) to create a digital framework for infrastructure data, including new data standards and a national digital twin. Meanwhile, data pioneers are showing how emerging technologies like machine learning and predictive analytics can uncover new insights and fi ll in data blanks. But this ambitious digital overhaul faces hurdles, legacy infrastructure, particularly low-voltage networks, has a dearth of available data, which raises the prospect of major investments in upgrades to sensors. Data protection obligations under GDPR and concerns around data security and commercially sensitive data may restrict what customer and systems data can be shared. And the UK's pressing skills gap could stymie the ongoing need for data engineers and data-literate technicians. " e biggest challenge is regulation related to getting access to the data we need," says Laura Sandys, chair of the EDT. "We will hopefully see legislation come through over the next couple of months with a greater emphasis on data and data retrieval. ere will be a greater focus on data needed to manage the system. Ofgem has made statements that it will look at the whole issue of regulation and the need to make data and data requirements business as usual, rather than something unusual, which is incredibly important." P o w e r m o v e s e UK energy market is undergoing a historic and rapid transformation as emerging technologies and the impacts of climate change converge. Homeowners are making greater use of low carbon technologies (LCTs) such as solar panels and electric vehicles, the second phase of the domestic smart meter rollout is well under way (there are 14.9 million smart meters installed so far, a quarter of which operate in "smart" mode) and busi- nesses are digitalising to allow for increased fl exibility and optimised processes using smart control systems. As generation is distributed and demand fl uctuates at greater rates distribution network operators (DNOs) will need to take a more active role in managing local electricity generation and use, which challenges the traditional model. Data is recognised as a key enabler to many of these processes. It will also underpin goals set out in the EU's Clean Energy Package, a set of new directives designed to integrate energy markets and underpin the transition to a low carbon, more fl exible energy system. e UK's energy system arrives late to the data revolution, but thanks to new government-backed data strategies, industry initiatives and cutting edge technologies like digital twins and machine learning, it is paving the way for a brighter digital future. Stephen Cousins kicks off our Flex data special. 01010100011010000110010 10010000001010101010010110 01001100111001001110011011 10001011101010110111100111 0110111001100100 d a t a - d a y ! 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0110111001100100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0110111001100100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0110111001100100 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0110111001100100 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

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