Britain’s electricity and gas networks have launched a new National Energy Systems Map (NESM), that will pull network data from all of them into a digital, whole-energy system map covering Great Britain.
Working with Ordnance Survey and 1Spatia, the map is an a ‘proof of concept’ test with the aim of helping to make it easier for renewables and other low carbon technologies to connect, and help companies and innovators across the energy industry to make investment decisions more efficiently.
The pilot project will give customers information about energy network assets, where those assets are located and who owns them. The data has to be protected is a priority and an independent data security review has been carried out. After registering online, users will be able to access different levels of data depending on their need. Decisions around the access levels and available data were part of the security review.
Dan Clarke, head of innovation at Energy Networks Association, said, “The National Energy Systems Map is great news for innovators and investors alike. When looking to connect renewable technologies, EV hubs or other future projects to the energy networks, users can more easily identify the best place to do so. In harnessing the power of data and providing more transparency we are moving forward and delivering a digitalisation boost to Net Zero.”
The map is part of the Government’s Energy Digitalisation Strategy and was a core recommendation of the Energy Digitalisation Taskforce. Laura Sandys, chair of the Taskforce, said: “This project is one of the very crucial building blocks for a digitalised energy system and was one of the core recommendations of the Energy Data Taskforce. This will become one of the essential tools in managing our new decarbonised system. Congratulations to the great team who have developed this.”
Matt Webb, chair of Energy Networks Association’s NESM Project and head of enterprise data management at UK Power Networks, said: “The National Energy System Map is a key project which demonstrates the collective desire of all UK energy network operators to respond to the challenge laid down by the Energy Data Taskforce to accelerate the digitalisation of the energy system