Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | MARCH 2022 | 33 system operator manager at Western Power Distribution (WPD). WPD is creating its forecasts based on datasets around historic uptake of technol- ogy, the e ects of clustering, and combining this with social, economic and behavioural data such budgetary constraints. Projects such as one undertaken by Ord- nance Survey's Rapid Prototyping Team using geospatial data to map where in-home charging of EVs is likely to occur will be valu- able for cross-referencing, as is data from companies such as Rightcharge. The company is supplying UK Power Networks with location data based on inter- actions with its EV comparison website by consumers looking for EV charging in spe- ci… c postcodes. But DNOs are being hampered in their e orts to forecast by a lack of granular data because they have limited access to smart meter data because of rules around cus- tomer privacy. Progress is being made, with WPD the … rst network operator to agree a customer privacy data plan with the smart metering Data Communications Company. How standards are helping interoperability For WPD, the biggest barrier it needs to over- come is standardising all of its data and the In association with I N S I G H T R E P O R T Delivering flexibility in a net zero future: how location is critical to energy service innovation In this report The role of location data in energy service today How location can underpin flexibility The barriers and challenges to innovation How standards are helping interoperability V I E W P O I N T Chris Tagg, Head of OS Connect Download the report Download the report Delivering Flexibility in a Net Zero Future: How Location is Critical to Energy Service Innovation free at: utilityweek.co.uk under downloads in association with Comment Chris Tagg Head of OS Connect, Ordnance Survey I n order to drive net zero and achieve emissions reduction goals, both in Great Britain and worldwide, energy systems need to change. It's a matter of electrifying – transitioning from fossil fuels to electric and generating our electricity as sustainably as possible. However, while we continue to … nd and develop sustainable alternatives to systems and infrastructure, such as train travel, it isn't always feasible to overhaul and change within typical net-zero timeframes. In addition to increasing electricity production, we need to make our energy system more ' exible and adapt the networks already in place. Our energy sector needs a very signi… cant amount of investment and innovation, and the availability and accessibility of data is expected to be a key enabler. In a recent report published by EDiT, one of six key recommendations is to deliver the interoperability of data. We support the view that "Data needs to be accessible and interoperable" data needs to be accessible, though we also acknowledge that data interoperability can be a di" cult concept to implement. Di" cult, but not impossible. Ordnance Survey has developed its own expertise in data interoperability, for more than 20 years, helping to de… ne data standards and data access protocols. Together, working with the wider geospatial industry, as well as numerous collaborations with data owners such as DNOs like UK Power Networks and local authorities, we've demonstrated the art of the possible in delivering normalised data. There have been concerns regarding con' ict between the practical implementation of data interoperability in the short term, and the development of data standards. Having data standards in place can be perceived to be restrictive in implementation; and agreeing the standards can take a long time, during which the market continues to move. However, through our work internationally supporting the creation of Open Geospatial Consortium standards in location data, Ordance Survey understands the sweet spot needed to achieve the most out of standards, and has developed data standards in parallel to their implementation in projects. E ective data interoperability is dependent on the right level of standardisation, and while these standards can fuel innovation, they also need to evolve as time goes by. Challenges faced by the industry will change and evolve too. Identifying "what the drive to net zero needs to be" will become "how the drive to net zero can be achieved". We will continue to facilitate interoperability of energy data using location to support the industry on its journey to innovate. way it references it, because much of it has grown historically without good rule sets, making comparison with third party data a challenge. The Energy Data Taskforce report pub- lished in 2019 has succeeded in galvanis- ing action towards agreeing a common data standard. Ted Hopcro› , an energy and utili- ties expert at PA Consulting, says there is still debate in the ' exibility market about whether a focus on standards or speci… ca- tions would be best. Celal shares his concerns, adding that standards risk sti' ing innovation. "I'm more open for innovative companies to set their own standards and in turn inter- operability will come through some stand- ards, but only some. "For example, if EV original equipment manufacturers are starting to all agree on certain standards then that's good, but those should be limited." One e ort by the industry to act on the taskforce's recommendations while this debate continues has been the creation of the National Energy Systems Map (NESM) by the Energy Networks Association, which gives users information about energy net- work assets, where those assets are located and who owns them. Head of OS Connect, Ordnance Survey The Energy Digitalisation Taskforce (EDiT) has focused heavily on bringing about standardised approaches and interoperabil- ity in its major report, published in January. Hopefully both government and Ofgem will act within the next few months to start realising at least some of the report's recom- mendations, but some of the recommenda- tions will take up to … ve years to implement. This means a roadmap must be laid out in the very near future if standards are to be in place ready for the expected surge in electri- cal demand at the end of this decade as the race to net zero gathers pace. Lucinda Dann, features editor Technology

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