Utility Week

40 | MARCH 2023 | UTILITY WEEK Technology Market research Open data will change theway you do business A new report by Utility Week and AWS explores the latest developments in open data and explains why they are going to be game-changing. Here we present an executive summary. Setting the scene: What is open data and why is it important for utilities? "Open data is data that's available to every- one to access, use and share." So says the Open Data Institute, the not- for-pro t organisation set up by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the world wide web, which aims to work with companies and gov- ernments to build an open, trustworthy data ecosystem. This is at the top of the agenda for the UK's energy and water companies as they seek to ful l the policy vision of open data – driven by the belief that open data will speed innovation both within and between compa- nies and in so doing, act as a vital enabler for the transition to net zero. In a new report, free to download at utilityweek.co.uk, Utility Week in associa- tion with Amazon Web Services, provides a history of open data in utilities and an over- view of the current landscape, including key projects forging the path ahead; as well as a view of the risks and opportunities associ- ated with the open data revolution; insight from individuals operating across the indus- try; and a view of how projects are converg- ing around the need for shared standards and interoperability. We also explore the power of new technologies, which are creat- ing easier and more cost eˆ ective access to advanced data analytics for organisations of all types and sizes. Where are we now? Key projects and key technologies The utilities industry is unanimous: the potential bene ts of open data are not only huge, they are also critical for driving inno- vation and meeting net-zero carbon targets. But energy and water companies are at the start of a long journey – the industry is many miles away from being able to eˆ ectively share data between organisations at scale, let alone more widely. This report highlights four key projects forging the way: The digital spine Arising from the work of the Energy Digi- talisation Taskforce, commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy & Indus- trial Strategy (BEIS) and chaired by former MP Laura Sandys, the digital spine is argu- ably the single most important data project currently underway. It involves the creation of a "very thin digital spine across the energy system which enables a minimal layer of operation critical data to be ingested, stand- ardised and shared in near real time". The industry embarked on a six-month study into open source, distributed solutions to deliver the digital spine in December 2022, with the aim of establishing the "needs case" and scope of the digital spine, and the data infrastructure required to deliver it. Icebreaker One Launched "to make data work harder to help deliver net zero" in the words of chief executive Gavin Starks, open data venture Icebreaker One set out to facilitate nancial, engineering and environmental data sharing between rms and therefore steer the next ra— of net-zero decisions in the energy sector – and eventually beyond. Starks founded Icebreaker One in 2020 having co-chaired the development of the transformative open banking standard, set up the Open Data Institute with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and run a company – backed to the tune of £12 million in venture capital – aggregating diˆ erent methods of carbon footprinting. At the heart of Icebreaker One's approach is to gradually increase the size of the UK's open energy data ecosystem to incorporate rms that may want common access, and to agree a standard method of expansion within policies and guardrails that ensure each rm's data is consistent and comparable. Established as a not-for-pro t company, Icebreaker One functions independently of industry and government. "With Treasury backing, open banking opened up secure access to shared nancial data," Starks told Utility Week last year. "It has since trans- formed the ntech sector, creating tens of billions of pounds in value." This "proven blueprint" for market-wide data sharing within a common framework can subsequently be applied to the most relevant sectors to climate change, Starks added, explaining that working to develop open standards will unlock access to shared data – essential in the delivery of a "green industrial revolution". Gas System of the Future – Digital Twin The report highlights the critical and emerg- ing role of digital twins in the open data space, and a key project in their development, the Gas System of the Future – Digital Twin, which will see SGN develop an interoperable digital twin of its network. The digital twin will provide a complete view of all aspects of the network to simulate real situations – such as the impact of a proposed develop- ment plan in a particular location, capacity simulation of the upstream and downstream interdependencies, assessing the impact of hydrogen on the network, calori c value cal- culations and simulations through combina- tions of various forms of energy. Project Stream Similar to the digital spine in energy, Project Stream is arguably the most signi cant open data project currently in the water space. It is bringing together stakeholders from across

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