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NETWORK / 16 / SEPTEMBER 2017 I t's 6.30am in a smarter energy future and the morning routine of showers and breakfast kicks in with the radio and TV on in the background. Overnight, excess wind energy, which has been stored in a combination of networked and domestic battery storage facilities, is discharged into the local network to support this spike in demand. As the dishwasher and washing machine are smart appliances, they are set to come on during the day and to have completed their cycle by 4.30pm. The smart meter will connect with the local energy system to determine the cheapest and most efficient time for these appliances to start. It's a sunny day and, a er the morning commute, the electric vehicle charges at work, using the excess solar energy avail- able so it is charged for the journey home. When the car is plugged in at home, some of the spare battery capacity will ease pressure on the local network during the evening peak in demand before receiving the neces- sary charge overnight ready for the next day. This picture of the future isn't very far off and many of these technological functions can already happen, with the right coordi- nation. The growing question is how data will be used to enable assets, operations and engineering to unlock the opportunities for smarter networks and smart consumers. Catalysts for change The changes witnessed in our energy system over recent decades will be dwarfed by those that will follow. Supply from renewa- bles has risen sharply with costs falling; commercial and domestic energy customers are becoming more aware of their consump- tion and the uptake of new technologies like electric vehicles and battery storage contin- ues to grow. At Lucy Electric, we have seen The ability to use data from network assets effectively will be as important as having the capacity to collect it, says John Griffiths, chief executive, Lucy Electric Mining the data mountain DATA this manifest for our customers, the network operators, in a transformation of what they require their assets to do, the data they have, and how they can use it. In 1905, when our current chairman's grandfather became the managing director of what was then called Lucy's, foundries and furnaces effectively lit up the country and coal was the backbone of industry. More than a century later, while the basic functions of network assets continue, there are significant differences. As well as industrial and economic shi s, energy generation is completely different. However, one change stands out in particular – the increasing reliance on data. Looking ahead, it is clear that data, and the analysis of it, are intrinsically linked to how we meet the challenges of a secure, affordable and sustainable energy future. Crucially, controlling those factors is also necessary to maximise the use of renewa- bles, enable distributed energy resources, and provide choice for consumers. The expansion of the network As network companies have adapted from a 'build and forget' approach, their supply chain has evolved too, with a greater focus on supporting data capture, processing and