This document is open for comment, click here for the report.

NIMBUS, a partnership with SSEN Transmission, SSEN Distribution and Icebreaker One is an ambitious project with the potential to accelerate the transition to net zero by prolonging the life of assets, improving their reliability and management through the introduction of new, granular data sources and improvements to network asset design, investment and operations.

Thorough analysis of sector needs for improved network asset methodologies for the design, maintenance and decision-making of electricity assets, NIMBUS has developed a business-driven use case to be demonstrated in Alpha, delivered the objectives of our Discovery proposal and met the SIF Innovation challenge aims.

Icebreaker One has undertaken an analysis of sector and user needs for improved asset risk methodologies for the design, maintenance and decision-making of electricity network assets to develop a business-driven use case to be demonstrated in the Alpha, next phase of NIMBUS. 

Weather conditions are known to accelerate the wear-and-tear on assets but little research has been done to understand how this can be quantified. The primary use case seeks to explore and quantify this by using data about the weather experienced by the asset with the asset’s service history to identify key weather factors that should be considered in Probability of Failure calculations within the industry-adopted methodologies. 

Key benefits include:

• Economic: The business-driven use case developed in NIMBUS discovery will reduce the costs of penalty due to network downtime, improve grid connectivity and avoid high-risk/urgent repair operations for the Transmission Network Operators and Distribution Network Operators subject to regulatory requirements of keeping the network running and delivering power to the end customer. The ability to forecast asset degradation more accurately enables a risk-based approach to condition assessment that has the potential to reduce assessment frequency (and therefore cost of assessment) for low-risk assets.
• Resilience: The use case will enable better asset resilience by improving the accuracy of grid-wide risk scoring within the asset risk models and methodologies used within the UK energy systems.
• Environmental: NIMBUS is designed to be an ambitious project with the potential to accelerate the transition to net zero by prolonging the life of assets by understanding their degradation better, improving their reliability and management through the introduction of new, granular data sources and consequently improving  network asset design, investment and operations. 

NIMBUS has far-reaching impacts and applicability across the sector with its intentionally narrow scope to ensure achievability. The principles, methodologies, and tools developed and tested will produce guidelines for how the sector can reuse this analysis and enable these processes and analyses to be retooled for different assets.

Throughout the 8-week long project, we co-developed and researched a priority use case, identified relevant stakeholders, key datasets, and began to understand the challenges stakeholders face in sharing data for the chosen use case. At the end of the project, we brought together key stakeholders in a one-day innovation workshop to highlight innovations and ways to solve the challenges identified in research.

The use case co-developed through this project faces the challenge that more than 30% of households in the UK cannot install at-home EV chargepoints. This highlights the importance of affordable, public, and nearby on-street charging which requires local authorities to deliver this infrastructure in a timely, efficient, equitable and cost-effective way. 

The innovation workshop was held online to ensure representation from across the United Kingdom, and had representatives from local authorities, chargepoint operators, distribution network operators, and stakeholders specialising in the electric vehicle sector. The workshop split into five different sessions, each exploring those stakeholders’ different points of view, potential challenges, and solutions for the use case. Each session had a briefing session delving into the research for each stakeholder, then a group breakout discussion to discuss challenges and solutions in a smaller group setting. 

Toward the end of the day, there was a voting process to prioritise all of the proposed solutions so far, the top 8 solutions included:

1. Local authorities and the UK government need to target financial aid at lower revenue regions to allow equity in on-street charging access across the UK. 
2. Local authorities need to incorporate strategic planning, such as multimodal planning and identifying on-street chargepoints in locations at the intersection of different transportation modes (trains, buses, taxis, car shares).
3. Hold forums at the local and national level to promote collaboration and to allow for currently siloed stakeholders to convene to share and understand best practices.
4. Promote proactive engagement between chargepoint operators, suppliers, distribution network operators, and local authorities. Such as having a model to which stakeholders can feed in desired chargepoint locations, constraints and capacities to allow stakeholders to check relevance then contact the appropriate stakeholders for tenders and contracts. 
5. Develop a policy and strategy template kit to assist local authorities to plan for and develop chargepoint plans to avoid reinventing the wheel, and allow best practices to be collated. 
6. Have one central place where distribution network operator data and other relevant electric vehicle data are available and accessible by all stakeholders. Often local authorities do not know the sources of data available, and one central place would make it easier. 
7. Upskill local authorities with the technical skills to make use of and translate data as needed when developing on-street chargepoint plans. 
8. The UK should require operators to be Open with their data to be easily accessible by local authorities. 

These proposed solutions are the culmination of the Icebreaking process, convening stakeholders to unpack a collaboratively agreed use case. This ensures the solutions are focussed on the real challenges stakeholders face in their work. By culminating in an innovation workshop, stakeholders are able to come together to collaborate and prioritise solutions to solve the challenge at hand. 

The research, insight, and solutions developed through the innovation workshop are now being incorporated into the future work of the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and the Department of Transportation. 

Head of the Department for Transport’s Office of Zero Emission Vehicles, Natasha Robinson, said: “Data is at the heart of achieving our vision for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and is central to policy decision-making at all levels of Government. 

“To support local authority planning and help EV drivers navigate the charging landscape, Government will be regulating later in 2022 to open public EV chargepoint data. Our technical work to open this data is already underway, and we look forward to working with Icebreaker One to ensure that the data needed by the energy sector is made available to help EV drivers plan their journey and charge with ease.”

If you want to get in touch, you can contact us at icebreaking@icebreakerone.org. 

Why is the UK moving towards electric vehicles? 

NR: We’re moving towards electric vehicles because of climate change, air quality, and energy security. 

All studies suggest that even on our current grid mix, and taking into account the whole life of the vehicles, electric vehicles have around a third of the emissions of traditional petrol or diesel-powered engines. That will only improve as the grid decarbonises, so they’ll get cleaner in use. Air quality is more of a mixed picture, but electric vehicles have a positive impact on reducing NOx emissions which are a key pollutant.  

From a driver’s point of view, we want this to be a good experience. For an increasing number of people going electric is already a better option than traditional cars.

Although there are higher upfront costs right now, running costs are far lower. For more and more people that cost equation is working. As we get more electric vehicles on the roads, that will follow through into the second-hand market, which is where the majority of people buy their vehicles, meaning there’ll be more cars available at more accessible prices. And if you can charge overnight at home, which around 70% of us can potentially do, you can leave the house with a full battery.

They also offer a great driving experience – like driving as you imagined when you were a kid, with instant acceleration and simple controls. For example, my brother in law isn’t a keen driver because he’s worried about stalling. You can’t stall an electric vehicle. It’s ideal for people who just want to get from A to B.

What are you working on at the moment to improve the experience for electric vehicle drivers? 

NR: On infrastructure, one of the biggest challenges is how you provide chargepoints to people who don’t have off street parking, or who live in a flat. We need to work out how to address that – for example, rapid or on-street charge points nearby. Different solutions are likely to be right for different places

One of the other challenges we’re working on is long distance journeys. Most vehicles have ranges of more than 200 miles which will cover the vast majority of people’s day to day journeys, but there will be times when people want to go further and they expect to be able to do that easily. Take a bank holiday, where people are more likely to travel to see family and will need to charge more away from home. We’re working on getting more charging capacity into motorway service stations, and we’ve set up a Rapid Charging Fund and a Local EV Infrastructure Fund to make sure that charge points are there wherever people need them.  

We’re also working on regulation to make sure the experience for drivers is as good as it can be. We’ve already brought in regulation to make sure all new private chargepoints are smart, and that all new homes have a charger as standard. Next, we’re looking to make sure chargepoints have open access to card and contactless payments, and are completely reliable – we’re looking for 99% reliability for all rapid charge points. Finally, we’re setting new rules to make sure that chargepoints meet accessibility standards so everyone can use them. 

What’s the role of data access in making all of this happen? 

NR: One of the big challenges we’ve seen so far is understanding the patterns of drivers’ demand: where people are parking, how they’re using their vehicles, when and how they’re charging them. Industry and local authorities need better data access to look at energy capacity and grid reinforcement that’s required to put chargepoints where people actually need them. We need to be able to understand where the hotspots of demand are all across the country to meet that demand. 

That is essential for the private motorist, but also for commercial fleets. Making sure that local authorities can easily access the data that helps them predict demand in their area will make sure they understand need, and can make sure charge point supply meets demand. 

Read: how Open Energy can help get electric vehicles on the road 

The other thing better data access can do is give drivers much more of the information they need. If we can make it easier for businesses and local authorities to share data with each other securely and easily, we can get useful data to the public too – for example, where charge points are, what speed they are, how much they cost, whether they’re accessible, and how they can pay for charging. 

We want individuals, businesses, local authorities and central government to have the information that they need at their fingertips so they can have confidence in the transition we’re making as a country to electric vehicles. There’s a future where your car could tell you it’s running low on energy, then suggest a location nearby and tell you whether it’s available. That’s actually a better experience than refuelling at a petrol station is now. None of that will be possible – the charge point nearby, the location information, the availability information – without the data sharing that underpins it. 

Read: How Icebreaker One and OZEV agreed a priority use case

Why did you decide to work in partnership with Icebreaker One on improving data access? 

NR: We wanted to understand more about what’s possible in improving data sharing – looking at user needs in depth with an organisation with an established process. 

Read: Icebreaker One partners with OZEV to roll out more EV charge points 

We want to build expertise and export that to other areas. That’s not just about cars and batteries – it’s also about the systems behind it. There are countless international counterparts who are having the same problems.

This is an international transition and we want to be a leader in this space. There are huge opportunities for the UK in electric vehicles – environmental, industrial and consumer – and levelling up our ability to find, access and share data underpins it all. 

Read: Use case report – electric vehicle on-street chargepoints

This document is open for comment, click here for the report.

This use case report is part of the outputs from a partnership between Icebreaker One and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. The project aims to close the data gaps required to roll out thousands more electric vehicle charge points across the UK by working together with industry to identify the data infrastructure needed to roll out more charge points.

Use case summary: More than 30% of households in the UK cannot install at-home electric vehicle chargepoints, highlighting the importance of affordable and nearby on-street charging. But how can local authorities deliver this infrastructure in a timely, efficient, equitable and cost-effective way, ensuring ‘location optimisation’? We explore how data can help the dilemmas that arise from the huge challenge of satisfying the coming demand for on-street charging.

A proof-of-concept project between Open Energy and Elexon has already been completed. It integrated ten data sets from the new Elexon Kinnect Insights Solution with Icebreaker One’s Open Energy service. 

The available data initially includes open data sets that provide a forward view of electricity availability from generation and interconnector capacity and historic views of the electricity generation fuel mix. Data consumers can build a picture of where GB electricity has originated from, using the data sets exposed on the platform. 

New data sets

Now that the integration has been established, Elexon plans to make more data available on the Open Energy platform as development of the Kinnect Insights Solution progresses. This may include some shared data sets, which Elexon will manage through the Icebreaker One Trust Framework that enables secure access control.

In addition to providing essential market data, Elexon will also offer its expertise to companies and innovators working with Icebreaker One, helping make use of Elexon’s wealth of data on the wholesale electricity market to develop new products and services.

Speeding up the energy data revolution

Peter Stanley, Director of Digital Operations at Elexon, said: “As the energy industry evolves and develops new products, systems and services to meet net zero targets, we will all increasingly rely on data and data insights. This will mean higher volumes of data running through industry systems, and more market participants interacting with the data. It’s essential that this data is both open and securely managed, in order to facilitate the levels of innovation and change that the industry needs.”

Gavin Starks, CEO and Founder at Icebreaker One, said: “We’re delighted to join forces with Elexon to speed up the UK’s energy data revolution. Enhancing access to and use of Elexon’s data sets through Open Energy will help accelerate our collective mission to unlock access to energy data across the whole of the sector. 

“Better access to data is crucial to delivering net zero – from installing more electric vehicle charge points to adding more renewables to our energy grid. We must modernise the way we share data – but we won’t get there without changing the way we share data. This is why more businesses, public bodies and non-profits are tapping into the power of Open Energy to drive action towards our net zero future.”

Elexon joins other key industry organisations whose data is already indexed with Open Energy, including SSE, Western Power Distribution, and National Grid ESO.  

Explore Open Energy

The UK is investing £100M’s to revolutionise its energy infrastructure, to help us get to Net Zero and adapt to huge changes in energy supply (e.g. renewable energy) and demand (e.g. vehicles).  

Since 2020, Icebreaker One has operated and co-developed Open Energy with industry and government stakeholders . Open Energy’s mission is to make it easy for any organisation in the UK to search, access and securely share energy data. It provides the infrastructure for data sharing, including powerful Energy Search, financial-grade security, and (coming soon!) easy access control for commercial data. All these efforts are underpinned by our Trust Framework for data sharing. 

These services are designed in collaboration with industry Advisory Groups and a sector Steering Group, in which we define codes of practice for the programme and the sector.

Icebreaker One is looking to understand where our current members and network have interest in participating in Advisory Groups. 

Open Energy — Advisory Groups 

The Open Energy Advisory Groups convene and combine individual expertise to help understand how the UK may better modernise energy data access. They are overseen by the Open Energy Steering Group. 

There are a few possible Advisory Groups which could be formed to further develop Open Energy. If there is an Advisory Group you’d like to see in the future that isn’t reflected below, please also let us know via the form. 

Please register your interest in participating in the following groups to identify which should be formed.

The groups we are proposing are: 

Data Licensing Advisory Group

The aim of the Data Licensing Advisory group is to develop the standard licences that are required to allow Shared Data to flow through Open Energy Access Control, in alignment with the Data Sensitivity classes. This will include key policies, such as conditions for participation, roles and responsibilities. The outputs of this group will be the necessary licences and requirements for a functioning Access Control. 

We are seeking individuals with the following knowledge or experience: 

• Legal professionals, especially those with energy data and/or other data licensing expertise
• Energy data providers who are familiar with or wish to share their data under a shared data licence through Open Energy
• Data consumers, startups and innovators
• In-house data governance and compliance
• Information security, with a focus on data sharing 
• Digital and data transformation Data policy analysts
• Open data licensing, open source and content licensing – specifically to understand lessons that have been learnt in this area and, where applicable how they may apply to shared licensing

Metadata Standards Advisory Group

The aim of the Metadata Standards Advisory Group is to agree to the metadata standards for publishing data to Open Energy. Further to the Energy Data Visualisation Project (EDVP) recommendation to “continue the development and evolution of EDVP” this advisory group recognises the need for industry collaboration, co-design, and feedback of a metadata standard for publishing energy data. This advisory group will inform the development of Energy Search for organisations to search, publish, and share data through Open Energy. 

We are seeking individuals with the following knowledge or experience: 

• Energy data owners or providers
• Energy data consumers, including startups
• Data analysts, in particular those responsible for finding and utilising data within the energy or policy making sector
• Data and/or metadata publishing and maintenance
• Experience of managing data catalogues
• Data managers
• Experience and knowledge of open data
• Experience of CKAN
• Experience of standard systems, processes and technologies used in the energy industry
• Policy and compliance

We are considering piloting Open Energy Working Groups, as a chance to operationalise particular use cases which have come up in the development of Open Energy thus far. 

Energy Security and Resilience Working Group

The aim of the Energy Security and Resilience Working group is to proactively address this winter’s energy security in supply, demand and efficiency (reduction of consumption) domains. Although the recent British Energy Security Strategy sets out future policy direction and targets, many of these developments will not be addressed in time for this coming winter (2022-23) and may impact hitting our binding Net Zero targets.

Improve energy security in supply, demand and efficiency includes: accelerating the switch to a new energy mix; reducing energy use across the UK (domestic, public and commercial); smartly scheduling moveable demand where possible to reduce peaks; and ensuring economic stability while  the cost-of-living crisis. To achieve this, there needs to be a coordinated understanding of where energy is being used, where it can be reduced or shifted, and how this relates to network supply and distribution.  Current modelling, while advanced, does not have the right quantity, quality, diversity, granularity and time resolution to maximise the benefit for the whole system.  Industry, Government and consumers need better access to data and information to help reduce risk, increase efficiency and maximise resilience. 

We are seeking individuals from the following organisations, with the knowledge or experience of : 

• Energy generation, transmission and distribution
• Renewable energy
• Micro and community energy generation
• Cyber security
• Economics
• Public policy
• Geo-politics
• Consumer energy suppliers 
• Ofgem
• Consumer Advocacy
• Fuel poverty and associated vulnerabilities (e.g. health, disability, young families, older residents etc.)

Public Electric Vehicle Working Group

The aim of the Electric Vehicle Working Group is to operationalise the use case developed through the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles’ Icebreaking Process. The use case faces the challenge of more than 30% of households in the UK cannot install at-home EV chargepoints. This highlights the importance of affordable, public, and nearby on-street charging which requires local authorities to deliver this infrastructure in a timely, efficient, equitable and cost-effective way. This working group will be working to explore and operationalise how data can help the dilemmas that arise from the huge challenge of satisfying the coming demand for on-street charging.

We are seeking individuals from the following organisations, with the knowledge or experience of : 

• Chargepoint operators
• Chargepoint manufacturers
• Electricity transmission operators
• Consultancies who offer services in the EV space 
• Connections departments of DNOs
• Local Authority Energy and Electric Vehicle planners
• Transportation authorities

Fleet Electrification Working Group

The aim of this group will be to analyse the operational, technical, legal, licensing, and policy considerations for commercial vehicle electrification. This group will comprise a collective of people from organisations to whom the EV use case applies and who are focused on operationalising/showing the end-to-end delivery of it.

We are seeking individuals from the following organisations, with the knowledge or experience of : 

• Fleet and industrial vehicle operators/business owners
• Chargepoint operators
• Chargepoint manufacturers
• Electricity transmission operators
• Consultancies who offer services in the EV space 
• Connections departments of DNOs
• Local Authority Energy and Electric Vehicle planners
• Transportation authorities

Residential Heat Working Group

The aim of the Heat Working Group is to operationalise the Future of Heating use case developed through the August 2021-February 2022 Pilot Phase of Open Energy. The use case focuses on a new residential housing developer who will no longer be able to install gas-based solutions, but needs to be able to properly equip properties for heating needs without placing unsustainable demands on the grid while still being in line with regulatory requirements. This working group analyses the operational, technical, legal, licensing, and policy considerations when accessing the data required to analyse the optimal combination of up-front costs and reduction in grid connections.

We are seeking individuals from the following organisations, with the knowledge or experience of : 

• Residential property developers, responsible for making decisions about low-carbon heating installations in new developments
• DNOs, responsible for determining grid headroom and capacity for new developments
• Low carbon heating manufacturers and service providers, particularly those producing smart components and/or using data to drive product and service development
• Mechanical and electrical engineers, responsible for decision-making of low-carbon heating installations and their operation
• Local authorities – for example, those in planning departments responsible for implementing local policies 
• Architects and other consultants, responsible for decision-making of low-carbon heating installations 
• Citizens Advice, representing consumers
• Insurance companies, specifically individuals who require further information around the cover offered in the eventuality of complex incidents such as flooding and storm damage to assets that might be installed as a consequence of reducing grid connection requirements.

Have we missed something? Let us know via the form.

Join Us

Please register your interest in participating in the groups to identify which should be formed.

If you’d like to be a part of the Open Energy community, where you can get regular updates and review our most current documentation for Open Energy, please sign up to our newsletter. Please get in touch with us at openenergy@icebreakerone.org if you have any questions.

Icebreaker One aims to open up discussion about how data access can speed up our progress towards net zero, so invited Robbie to share his perspective on open data and the IEA.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) took a first step toward open data on 24 March 2022 as an outcome of its 2022 Ministerial Meeting in Paris. But the destination remains unclear. Is the final objective simply to make the data the IEA collects from governments public, while leaving its legal status dangling? Or is the objective to provide genuinely open data, ideally under Creative Commons Attribution licensing, to ensure the information being made public is robustly usable and reusable by anyone and for any purpose? I favour, as does the open energy modelling community, the more ambitious journey of course, albeit one with doubtless more obstacles en route. 

IEA data is valuable

The IEA collects energy statistics from its member countries and from other nations and then collates and processes this information. These datasets are unique because no other organisation is in a position to readily assemble such data from governmental sources under relatively consistent technical parameters. The datasets are valuable because of their consistency and reach, both geographically and historically. And the datasets are necessary because citizens — on the presumption that democratic processes are to be valued — should by default be able to source the information being used to form and refine policy options free of cost and legally unencumbered. 

The current and tragic Russo-Ukrainian War and ensuing energy crisis only seeks to highlight the urgency of access to the kind of high quality energy sector information that can underpin quality political discourse and robust public policy development. This necessity predates the Ukrainian conflict: the current attempts to liberate the data the IEA assembles began in October 2021 with an open letter from Hannah Ritchie published in the respected journal Nature. Hannah is head of research at Our World in Data based in Oxford, UK. In her letter, Hannah stresses that the process of scrabbling together statistics on the progress of the Covid pandemic and subsequent immunisation rates must not be repeated for energy and sustainability data. 

IEA data and the transition to net-zero

The IEA datasets can serve many potential roles. The application we highlight here is the provision of data that can be used to populate energy system models. By exploring a wide range of scenarios, these computer models can help shed light on a myriad of questions about future energy systems — on how they might work, what their overarching characteristics might be, and indeed whether a set of suggestions being made are even collectively feasible. That final point being all the more important as we turn to fully renewable and operationally agile systems with greater levels of potentially erratic demand-side participation — including asset purchasing decisions, usage patterns, and demand responsiveness (and noting thankfully that social scientists are now contributing expertise). 

So the question of how best and how rapidly to pivot from western dependence on Russian coal, oil, and natural gas is now paramount. Together with the question of how to react if Russia unilaterally elects to curtail supply. Some modelling projects have recently extended their European energy system models to include Ukraine and Moldova (PyPSA for instance) but the availability of suitable national data remains problematic nonetheless. 

What’s next?

The larger issue is, of course, not how to pivot from Russian supply, but how to pivot from fossil fuels entirely. And recently, 50 or so system modellers signed another open letter to the IEA to point out that the cost of failing to identify high performing system trajectories because of incomplete or less accurate information could be astronomical. And in complete contrast to the very modest revenues that the IEA currently receives from selling such information to commercial organisations. 

The IEA’s first attempt at the public licensing of nil cost data was a shambles. In 2021, the IEA published some non-primary datasets under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND-3.0-IGO licensing. This particular license is not open, not suited for data (fails to address European database rights), not international, not compatible with material under other licenses, and not current. A bizarre choice really. The Creative Commons CC-BY-4.0 addresses these issues head on and is the license most practitioners recommend in this context.

Key advantages of the CC-BY-4.0 are that it grants permission to both use and republish in original or modified form by anybody and for any purpose. And it has also become a de facto standard that then avoids the creation of legally walled‑off data silos through incompatible licensing provisions.

Hopefully the IEA will appoint a navigator for the next steps in its journey toward genuinely open data. What you too can do to help speed this journey: 

• raise the issues with the IEA via social media or other channels 
• raise the issues with your elected representatives 
• support organisations advocating for open data in the energy sector and elsewhere 

It includes:

1. What did we set out to achieve?
2. Demo
3. Use cases: how we got there and who was involved?
4. Policy & governance: what we did and why was it important?
5. What were the outcomes and how are we evolving the service?
6. What can you do to get involved? 

For more information, and to join, please see https://openenergy.org.uk

Here we explore how good quality, secure and shareable data underpins two major targets outlined in the strategy. We also outline why data is important to support developments in other areas of the strategy that receive mention, but are not yet subject to specific targets. 

In future, we would be keen to see similarly ambitious targets instituted for development of energy efficiency (reducing energy demand is the fastest route to reducing emissions, increasing resilience and benefiting consumers), onshore renewable generation, and grid management.

Data will enable the UK to meet new targets around offshore wind and hydrogen

Offshore wind

“Our ambition is to deliver up to 50GW by 2030, including up to 5GW of innovative floating wind.”

Why data access is essential to meeting this target

• Data will be vital to support planning and environmental impact assessments, ensuring resources are appropriately sited and constructed in a manner with minimal environmental impact. The strategy includes a commitment to reduce “consent time from up to four years down to one year” and separately to establish a “fast track consent route” – data will be vital to enabling planning applications to be assessed rapidly while retaining rigour.
• Data will also be vital to support transmission networks across the UK to assess, plan and deliver new connections required to integrate the boom in offshore wind to the national grid.

Hydrogen

“Doubling our ambition to up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, subject to affordability and value for money, with at least half of this coming from electrolytic hydrogen.”

Why data access is essential to meeting this target

• Data will be key to assessing where new hydrogen production facilities are sited, particularly if paired with large renewable generation resources such as new offshore wind.
• Data will also support scheduling and buying excess green power for use in electrolysis.
• Data will further underpin commitments to design “new business models for hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure” by 2025.
• Finally, data be key to exploring and evaluating potential use cases for hydrogen, particularly in hard to abate sectors such as chemicals, steel, and aviation.

Data will enable further development of energy efficiency, onshore renewable generation and grid management

Good availability and sharing of data additionally underpins three other areas of development for which the strategy indicates support, but for which specific targets have not yet been articulated. In addition to making the most of the benefits of data in these areas, Icebreaker One encourages the government to produce ambitious targets against which progress can be measured.

Energy efficiency

The strategy outlined existing support mechanisms to improve adoption of energy efficiency measures, such as the Boiler Upgrade scheme and zero-rating VAT on energy saving materials. 

Why data access is essential to achieving this

Better quality and use of data can also support the uptake of energy efficiency measures, for example by:

• Enabling home and building owners to more clearly assess what measures are required in specific buildings and the financial and carbon impacts of different measures (individual or combination).
• Encouraging the financial sector to better understand the demand for and financial profiles of different measures, supporting increased availability of finance.
• Supporting installers to provide quicker and more bespoke quotes in a cost effective manner.
• Enabling government, industry and educational bodies to invest in skill-building in areas for which growth in demand is predicted (e.g. heat pump installation).

Onshore wind and solar

The strategy adopted a supportive tone with regards to enabling more build-out of wind and solar, including by addressing planning mechanisms that have restricted technology adoption in recent years. 

Why data access is essential to achieving this

To ensure the uptake of these technologies is sped up, data will be essential to enable:

• Effective planning and construction of onshore wind in Scotland, as well as empowerment of onshore wind-supporting communities in England to accelerate new projects.
• Improved and accurate knowledge of the UK’s microgeneration asset base, including at domestic level.
• Targeted grid reinforcement and build-out of new connections where required to enable more wind and solar to come onto the grid.

Networks, storage and flexibility

The strategy indicated prioritisation of two core features: “anticipating need because planning ahead minimises cost and public disruption; and hyper-flexibility in matching supply and demand so that minimal energy is wasted”. 

Why data access is essential to achieving this

Data will be key to facilitating these developments by:

• Supporting the new Future System Operator to fulfil its forthcoming duties with regards to system balancing, planning and strategic oversight.
• Enabling network digitalisation to support efficient and cost-effective management of existing assets.
• Driving anticipatory network planning and build-out in a manner that is appropriately targeted and cost-effective
• Enabling smart assets and automation services to deliver flexibility, including at a granular level, and supporting market drivers of those services such as flexible pricing and time of use tariffs.
• Permitting more inclusion of different energy storage mechanisms in the grid, including smart charging and dispatch to support minimal energy wastage.

To enable this, OZEV needs to understand the data requirements and current data challenges. These include data sharing between Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), local authorities and chargepoint operators. 

Icebreaker One held a workshop on March 28th with stakeholders from OZEV, Department of Transport, chargepoint operators, distribution network operators and local authorities to discuss and collaboratively agree on a priority use case topic to understand the datasets, challenges, and barriers stakeholders face in sharing EV data. 

The priority use case topic agreed following discussion and voting by workshop participants is: 

Local authorities want to be able to better plan on-street charging for those with no access to at-home chargepoints. 

The options we considered

Prior to the meeting, the IB1 research team drafted a long-list of over 40 use cases through a literature review of existing reports and news relating to the EV infrastructure, and interviews with key stakeholders. Then, those use cases were narrowed down to 16, then to a top 4 use case shortlist  through internal input and a vote by key representatives from OZEV. In the workshop, participants had a chance to read, understand and discuss the top 4 finalist use cases:

1. Chargepoint operators want to identify the optimal locations for chargepoint installations
2. Local authorities want to identify gaps in chargepoint infrastructure that is or will be served by commercial operators 
3. Chargepoint manufacturers want to better understand network flexibility requirements/need for demand management so they can build functionality into their products
4. Local authorities want to be able to better plan on-street charging for those with no access to at-home chargepoints

After discussing the use cases, participants had a chance to vote for the use case to take forward to better understand the datasets, challenges and barriers stakeholders face in sharing EV data. 

About this use case

The use case that received the most votes was option 4, looking at how to use data to enable local authorities to better plan on-street EV charging for those with no access to at-home chargepoints.  

This use case tackles the challenge of 30% households in the UK having no access to off-street parking. This use case could map the spatial distribution of these households and assess options for installation of on-street/alternative charging options (e.g. via lamp-posts, charging bollards etc, as well as destination charging, charging hubs, potentially workplace charging) and includes the distribution of private/shared infrastructure and smart charging options. 

This use case supports findings from a recent CMA consultation which found EV drivers could save around £100 per year if they had access to on-street (preferably smart) charging instead of using rapid charging via public chargepoints. Furthermore, using slower and smart charging options increases battery life, reducing EV churn and battery waste. This may have additional secondary benefits by increasing the reliability and longevity of the second-hand EV market due to improved battery life and charge retention (particularly in the absence of national standards for car dealers to assess and publicise this during sales).

Getting involved

The next step in this project will be to further flesh out this use case and build a fuller understanding of the stakeholders, potential datasets, benefits of enabling the use case, barriers to implementation, and challenges of interoperability for the use case. 

This will be done through further desk research and stakeholder interviews, if you think you may have information relating to this use case, please contact us at openenergy@icebreakerone.org. 

Project NIMBUS will revolutionise the way detailed meteorological data and models are used in the design and decision-making of electricity assets, through innovative uses of the data and predictive modelling techniques.

In the 8-week long Discovery Phase, NIMBUS will develop business-driven use cases for the application of detailed meteorological data as a proof-of-concept and allow for a clear cost-benefit analysis to be taken into the Alpha phase of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund. To develop this use case, Icebreaker One conducted research and held a workshop with SSEN Transmission, SSEN Distribution, and the Met Office. The three finalist use case ideas that came out of the workshop are:

1. Historical accident data to identify “high risk/high incident” parts of the system that need investment.
2. Model weather-related degradation to Probability of Failure (PoF) for assets connecting large volumes of generation to the grid
3. Predictive hazard identification for extreme weather events using remote monitoring

Through further research and stakeholder engagement, use case 2, model granular weather-related degradation to Probability of Failure (PoF) for assets connecting large volumes of generation to the grid has been chosen as the Project NIMBUS Use Case.

Use Case Development Process

As part of the use case development process, Icebreaker One research team compiled a long list of use cases that use meteorological data to build asset resilience such as using weather data in the design and decision-making process for an energy Systems Operator. This was developed through desk research, and interviews with key SSE stakeholders including asset risk and data scientist experts, as well as meteorological academics.   

Icebreaker One held a workshop to narrow down from nearly 40 to the top three impactful use cases to be taken forward in the Discovery phase of this project.  The workshop was attended by a range of participants from across SSE and the Met Office. These included members from the Asset Risk and Asset Management teams from SSE Transmission, data scientists and system managers from SSE Network Distribution, as well as asset policy, strategy and innovation specialists. 

The Met Office domain experts were invited to participate in the discussion by providing important context and meteorological acumen. They did not participate in any voting to ensure the use cases were driven by the needs of the network operators.

The Use Case Prioritisation Workshop

The aim of the session was to narrow down the focus of NIMBUS in a clear, transparent and methodological way. It presented a chance for various members of the team to collaboratively agree on what to consider while choosing which use cases to focus on for the current project phase. 

Participants were presented with the long list of use cases that were put together by the Icebreaker One team. 

The long list spanned a vast number of ideas, which were roughly broken down into three types:

• Historical or event-based
• Real-time or near-term close predictions
• Longer-term predictions and planning

While meteorologists prefer to categorise the ideas in terms of hazards (such as flooding, heatwaves, windstorms or wildfires), the initial exercise focused on simple elimination through a Google form. This allowed for discussion, merging to remove duplicates, indicating overlapping projects, and adding new thoughts. Each SSE member was given a maximum number of votes per use case type. All use cases scoring 2 or less thus did not make it through to the shortlist. 

After a quick break, the 10 ideas with the highest number of votes from vote one were gathered into a separate spreadsheet for vote two.

Voting on the Project NIMBUS Alpha Use Case 

Vote two consisted of five rounds to deprioritise use case ideas to arrive at three shortlist “finalists”. The team were asked to consider the following criteria while deciding which use cases to progress: 

The strategy used included picking from use cases that received less votes to survive the current voting round, with the opportunity for individuals to discuss and support their choices with the rest of the team during each stage of elimination. An example of how this method works is shown below using fruit:

As pairs and then individual use cases survived the consecutive polling rounds, all popular use cases were eventually compared to arrive at a final three. 

 The three finalist use case ideas that came out of the workshop are as follows:

4. Ref: NIM 4 Historical accident data to identify “high risk/high incident” parts of the system that need investment
5. Ref: NIM 30 Model weather-related degradation to Probability of Failure (PoF) for assets connecting large volumes of generation to the grid
6. Ref: NIM 31 Predictive hazard identification for extreme weather events using remote monitoring

The next steps will be using the Icebreaker One use case framework to further flesh out these use cases through desk research and targeted stakeholder engagement for the then for the NIMBUS team to perform a cost/benefit analysis on the Project NIMBUS Alpha Use Case. 

[if you would like to speak to us about your work and how it relates to Project NIMBUS, please get in touch with vichi@icebreakerone.org]

Up to 14 million electric vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2030, driven by the phase-out of new petrol and diesel engines from 2030 – a key part of the UK’s net zero strategy.

To address that challenge, the Department for Transport, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, and Icebreaker One will work together to identify the data infrastructure needed to roll out more charge points.

Access to robust, reliable data

This means the UK will need to roll out thousands more charge points to meet demand – but an installation effort of this scale requires access to robust, reliable data to understand consumer demand and electrical network capacity. 

The partnership will bring together a coalition of industry stakeholders, regulators and decision-makers to support OZEV’s work to open public EV chargepoint data and improve consumer experience. Its ultimate goal will be to develop a data infrastructure for EV charge points that can unlock cost efficiencies, innovation, and help deliver a net-zero future. 

Making it easy to search, access and securely share energy data

The partnership is part of Icebreaker One’s Open Energy programme, which is designed to make it easy to search, access and securely share energy data. Backed by Ofgem and the UK Government, it will bring together data held by thousands of individual organisations and institutions in an open marketplace. 

Currently in its pilot stage, the Open Energy service is being developed based on use cases – like the need to access energy data to install EV charge points – that are designed to address real-world problems put forward by industry stakeholders. 

Gavin Starks, CEO and Founder of Icebreaker One said:

“Electric vehicles are a vital part of the UK’s journey to net zero. Anyone who drives an EV knows that there aren’t yet enough charging stations – what’s less well-known is that rolling out charge points relies on connecting data across organisations. 

“Open Energy enables trusted connections for organisations who need to search, access, and securely share data to install, access and use charge points. We’re delighted to be working with the Department for Transport and Office for Zero Emission Vehicles on a project that will help the UK transform our transport system.”

We brought together a panel of experts to discuss the role that regulation plays in supporting DNOs and unlocking sector-wide innovation, in our February webinar hosted by Icebreaker One Co-Founder and Programme Manager, Gea Mikic:

• Charlotte Hillenbrand, Product Strategist, Icebreaker One
• Sara Vaughan, Non Executive Director, Elexon
• Liam Bennett, Senior Manager – Data Policy and Regulation, Ofgem

The panel started by discussing what’s changed for DNOs and the wider energy market over recent decades, before exploring how the sector can work together to achieve net zero goals. Here’s a summary of the key themes.

1. The impact of transition

Increases in distributed generation require Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to take on system operator functions; shifting their role from passive/reactive energy distribution to such as and active network management, using new technology and real-time data to make interventions on the network: to the transition from Distribution Network Operator to Distribution System Operator (DSO).

“The distribution network used to be seen as passive. It was basically a conduit for getting power from one place to another. Today is very different. In the last decade, the usage patterns of Britain’s local electricity distribution networks have changed rapidly. There’s been a sharp increase in more low carbon generation connecting to local networks, as both consumers and businesses invest in their own generation equipment” says Sara Vaughan, Non Executive Director, Elexon.

Sara explains: “In a DSO model, the very last thing that the network will be is passive. It is sitting at the centre of thousands of potential interactions, playing host to a variety of different distributed energy resources and enabling flexibility transactions as an alternative to just investing in more network capacity. The key to this, of course, is data and digitalisation. The networks need to know where the assets are, the investors and developers need to know where the opportunities are, and consumers need to know that this is all possible. Greater data visibility and open data are essential steps towards the digital transformation of the energy sector and the acceleration to net zero”.

Are we heading in the right direction?

It’s clear that this is a pivotal moment for the energy sector. How can policy and regulation provide the structural support for this shift?

“What every regulated body needs is a degree of certainty in terms of future policy. My concern, when you couple the current world situation with the cost of living crisis that we’re seeing more generally at the moment, is around political will to keep pushing forward. We know that there are some members of Parliament already who are talking about slowing down the drive to net zero. But we will never get to net zero unless we drive for it. Once we are on that path, then we reduce our dependence on gas and its volatility. So we have to keep that decarbonisation focus and investment going.”

Sara Vaughan, Elexon

We need to work collectively to keep modernising and diversifying our digitised energy systems. Liam Bennett, Senior Manager – Data Policy and Regulation at Ofgem, emphasises: “Digitalisation is the key; driving open data up through the DNOs and up through other systems to provide value. If we keep progressing in silos and we all think that in our individual parts of the system we’re building the right thing, but none of it interacts; we don’t really get that true value in the whole system and we end up either overbuilding or we just fundamentally don’t get there.

“Each DNO having its own data sharing platform is definitely a good starting position. To make data available to consumers, to stakeholders, to Ofgem, is a really positive step. My push to DNOs would be: how do we use those open data platforms? We need to take a common approach, whether it be through an open network project or a third party; making sure that stakeholders and flexibility providers can go and access each of those different data platforms and know what data they’re going to get, in the right fashion, in the right timeliness”.

2. Focus on interoperability

Interoperability is essential if the energy industry is to achieve its 2030 climate targets. Liam states: “The wider system probably needs three key points to deliver in the next 10 years. The first is common data and metadata standards. Ofgem recently published a letter on the common information model for the Long Term Development Statement for DNOs, which is a strong step for us, and we think future standards will also be valuable. Secondly, minimum standards for data quality. Everyone in the digital energy sector needs to know that the data they receive is accessible and acceptable. Thirdly, you need clearly articulated roles and responsibilities in the sector. You need to reduce risk; we need increased regulatory certainty. And we need to understand who you interact with to get what you need to operate in that future system. The operation requires interfaces between different parts.

“We’d like to see the approach DNOs are taking to engage external providers such as Open Energy to find common interfaces. We’ve been on quite a journey so far, from the Energy Data Task Force into the Energy Digitalisation Task Force. We’ve taken quite an open approach to our regulation, collaborating with the sector and with DNOS as well. We want to take that forward. Collaborative and iterative design is the only way we’ll get the energy system we all envisage. So yes, our door is open. We want to design the system with you. Come and help us.”

Liam Bennett, Ofgem

3. Getting started

With so much to navigate, it’s important just to make a start. Charlotte Hillenbrand, Product Strategist at Icebreaker One, explains: “the challenge is always: where do we start? I’ve encountered lots of clients where that conversation has been rolling for a couple of years. And the problems are somewhat known, but the starting point still evades the teams. So that’s where Open Energy is really trying to help DNOs and other players in the sector: to get started. With Open Energy you can dive in and start accessing data; start finding open and shared datasets and see who else in the community is active.

“We’ve really tried as much as we can to facilitate DNOs to operationalise the data best practice that’s laid out in their RIIO-ED2 business plans, because we recognise that this is a really complex space. We’re focussed on removing as much friction from the process as we can, in order to get to value as quickly as possible.”

Charlotte Hillenbrand, Icebreaker One

Charlotte: “We’re indexing and connecting data, not collecting data. So the data will always remain on individual systems. What we’re facilitating is the connection and transaction of datasets in a safe environment. And in that way, you can build the picture, ingest the data you need, and start to map it”.

Get involved

• Become a member of Open Energy to use our pilot service
• Join Icebreaker One, which develops and operates Open Energy, as a supporter
• Sign up to the Open Energy newsletter

Link to deck https://bit.ly/ib1-smartdcc-20220309

The NIMBUS project will explore how meteorological data can be made available to energy networks to improve their efficiency, security and resilience. 

The project has won funding from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund.

Weather conditions have a major impact on power networks, with the potential to disrupt electricity supply to customers and damage infrastructure like pylons, power lines and substations. 

Better access to real-time weather data will help networks manage their response during weather events.  In the long-term, a range of meteorological data will help them make the network more resilient to the changing climate, by upgrading or adapting the infrastructure most at risk from extreme weather. 

It comes as this week’s report from the global authority on climate science, the UN’s IPCC, warned that extreme weather caused by climate change is accelerating. 

Last month, Storm Eunice left more than a million homes across the UK without power. 

Better weather data could also help energy networks integrate more renewable energy technology, like wind, solar and tidal, and battery storage, helping them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The project’s discovery phase will explore what data energy networks need, and how they’re likely to use it to reduce emissions and make the UK’s power networks more resilient. It will also quantify the positive impact on the UK’s millions of energy customers if access to weather data is improved. 

Gavin Starks, Founder and CEO of Icebreaker One, said: “Improving access to the UK’s weather data is a huge step forward on our road to net zero. 

“Energy networks need access to detailed, accurate meteorological data to prepare for weather events and integrate renewable technology in the right places and at the right times. It’s part of making sure our energy networks are prepared to adapt to climate change, and stop it getting worse. 

“Meteorological data is a vital part of the web of net zero data that Icebreaker One is developing. We need to connect, not collect, data if we’re going to be successful at tackling climate change on the scale we need. 

“The stark warnings from climate scientists are clear: we are not yet on track to slow down climate change, extreme weather events are more frequent and more serious, and we need to reduce emissions drastically. At the same time, we need to prepare and adapt to the enormous impacts of climate change. 

“We’re delighted to be working alongside SSEN Transmission and Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund on this project.” 

This project is funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem managed in partnership with Innovate UK.

See the full list of Strategic Innovation Fund projects here.

The need to get to net zero underpins all of it. 

Getting to net zero makes our energy system more complex: renewable power generation and flexibility and storage technologies all make our power grid more decentralised. Meanwhile, as our overall power use shifts towards electricity, reliability and cost-efficiency is more important than ever.

This level of decentralisation and reliability can only happen if data can be shared: securely, efficiently and in real time.  

That’s the vision at the heart of Ofgem’s RIIO-ED2, a performance-based model for the spending and investment of energy network companies that determines how they will operate between 2023 and 2030. 

What RIIO-ED2 means for data sharing

Ofgem’s vision for the future is set to speed up the pace of digitalisation in the energy sector. 

It focuses network operators on their plans for data sharing, digitalisation, flexibility and forward planning, requiring them to share and coordinate energy data use better. 

Ofgem decided that DNOs must: 

• publish and regularly review a Digitalisation Strategy & Action Plan in accordance with their guidance
• use data in a way that meets the expectations of Data Best Practice guidance.

Network operators have submitted their business plans for this new RIIO period: now, they need to deliver on the commitments they’ve made. 

That means network operators need to scale up their data maturity quickly, helping them to efficiently exchange large quantities of data in a secure way. Sharing individual datasets manually drives up legal, administration and data-handling costs and introduces more potential for human error.

How Open Energy helps deliver RIIO-ED2 business plans 

Open Energy makes it easy to search, access and securely share energy data. It covers both Open Data and commercial Shared Data where access requires control. It’s a non-profit service run by a non-partisan organisation, Icebreaker One. 

Open Energy uses open standards to make data interoperable between different systems and organisations, using financial-grade security and a powerful search engine to make data discovery fast and secure. 

For organisations holding vast quantities of data – like network operators – Open Energy improves the data sharing process by automating security checks and legal contracts. ‘The data owners sets their terms once over a defined period, then lets Open Energy do the rest.

In the short term, Open Energy helps networks to plan effectively and meet new digitalisation and data-sharing license obligations, like making their data discoverable, searchable and shareable. 

In the long term, Open Energy helps networks moving through the transition from DNO to DSO by meeting their enhanced data requirements.

How Open Energy helps organisations comply with Data Best Practice Guidance

How Open Energy helps organisations deliver their Digitalisation Strategy and Action Plan 

Open Energy is a non-profit service designed to transform data sharing in the energy system. It accelerates the journey to net zero, enables innovation, and helps organisations comply with fast-moving regulation. 

Come to our next webinar

Read more about emerging regulation 

Find out more about using Open Energy

The two groups are composed of a wide range of industry leaders and subject matter experts, representing a cross section of private and public players with a unique contribution. The Advisory Groups play a critical role in Open Energy’s development, providing us with a 360 perspective that ensures that Open Energy is designed for and with the energy sector. 

Here’s a summary of everything achieved and discussed in the February meetings.

Membership & Delivery

The group discussed:

• The recent Energy Digitalisation Task Force report recommendations
• An update on how Open Energy is progressing
• Shared the published Pilot Use Case 1 blog – (Use Case 1 is how the energy industry can ensure DNOs have the data they need to support a network that’s able to meet EV user needs)
• An update on how Use Case 2 is developing (Use Case 2 is how new residential housing developers can reduce grid reliance when building new housing developments) 
• Presented an ecosystem diagram for the MEDA core use case and how this could apply to future use cases
• An update on the membership terms and website terms and conditions
• A review of Open Energy’s DPIA, record of processing, and privacy notice
• Review of IB1’s shortlist of priority organisation to approach for becoming new members 

User Needs

The group discussed:

• The recent Energy Digitalisation Task Force report recommendations and what we should prioritise for the next stages of development
• An update on how Open Energy is progressing
• Presented an ecosystem diagram for the MEDA core use case and how this could apply to future use cases
• The final version of the Use Case 1 blog publication
• The challenges with developing the final use case of the pilot phase, as described in this blog post
• An update from our tech team on how they are building on previous work to build a set of Jupyter notebooks to introduce data analysts to OE through enabling them to get hands-on experience with it. 

Steering Group

In this session, the Steering Group discussed

• Reflections from the pilot phase and what we have learned throughout last six months, and where to go from here
• What is coming next for Open Energy, and how it will continue to develop
• How open energy can deliver the Energy Digitalisation Task Force recommendations 
• An update on the final use case development 
• The achievements and progress for the Membership & Delivery Advisory Group
• The achievements and progress for the User Needs Advisory Group

If you’d like to sign up to be a part of the community review track, click here or email openenergy@icebreakerone.org. 

Open Energy, a service that makes it easy to search, access and securely share energy data is being developed based on use cases. Taking this use case approach helps ensure the Open Energy service is  designed to address real-world problems put forward by industry stakeholders. 

The third use case from Open Energy’s Pilot phase focuses on the future of heating in the UK. It will illustrate how data sharing can support developers of new residential properties to install low-carbon heating systems that meet regulatory requirements in a cost-effective way. 

Government strategy means that, by 2025, all new homes will be banned from installing gas and oil boilers and will instead need to be heated by low-carbon alternatives that are less familiar and, in many cases, are likely to place higher demands on the electricity network. Residential property developers will therefore need to think more holistically about how to meet the heating energy demands of their developments. 

In the wake of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee’s report – Decarbonising heat in homes – which highlighted the scale, complexity, and cost of the challenge, the focus of our third use case is particularly timely. 

However, as is often the case with anything worth doing, we hit a few road bumps along the journey to this outcome. 

The starting point for our third use case

In Autumn 2021, members of the Open Energy Steering and Advisory Groups, including representatives from government, regulators, consumer bodies, trade associations and industry, identified potential areas of focus for new use cases. Broad areas considered during this process included electricity supply flexibility, electric vehicles (EVs), fuel poverty, heat pumps, smart meter adoption rates, and the transition away from domestic gas boilers/heating.

Following input from Advisory and Steering Group members, Icebreaker One prioritised flexibility in the energy market (or ‘flex’), as the key area of focus for the development of our third use case. 

The challenge with focusing on a theme, rather than a problem

However, flex as a theme proved challenging to pin down to a specific use case, for two key reasons. 

1. It is a very broad theme, with flexibility arguably having a key role to play across multiple facets of the energy ecosystem. 
2. Flexibility in the energy market, and how it can be delivered and managed, is still in the early stages of development. Thus, it has been challenging to identify real-world problems that better data access could help solve now (or in the near future). 

As an example of the latter challenge, one problem statement considered for development into a use case was as follows:

‘A flexible asset operator wants the ability to offer its available flexibility into the different markets for flexibility (ESO, DNO/DSO, wholesale suppliers, potentially peer-to-peer sales), and needs access to relevant data so it can sell its assets more effectively to those that need them.’

However, following discussion with key stakeholders, it became clear that a number of potential markets for the sale of flexibility are under development, or not yet in existence, and further work needs to be done around the regulatory and legal restrictions of managing such services in an evolving market. 

Thus, while it is certain that this is a problem that needs solving, the obstacles to progress are much bigger than data sharing alone can currently solve – though this may not always be the case.  

A slight shift in approach

A change in focus was needed. So, Icebreaker One pivoted its approach to consider the real-world issues that stakeholders in the energy industry are facing now and in the near future, and that the Open Energy service could help address.  

The future of heating leapt to the forefront, given the ban on the installation on gas and oil boilers in new properties is only three years away. The electrification of heating will place higher demands on the electricity network, and more complex modelling will be required to ensure regulatory requirements are met while keeping pressure on the network to a minimum.  

For residential property developers, this will involve not only establishing the most appropriate heating equipment for the location and property types, but also how demands on the grid can be managed through the installation of superior insulation, renewable sources of energy and – bringing us full circle to our original focus – equipment and systems to support flexibility. 

In this complex ecosystem, data will be key to working out the best solutions.

Open Energy’s third use case problem statement

Icebreaker One has therefore prioritised the problem statement behind our third use case as follows: 

‘A new residential housing developer (or an Mechanical & Electrical contractor operating on its behalf) wants to know how to reduce grid reliance and minimise grid connection requirements when building and kitting out new housing developments with energy technology (both the heating technologies themselves and renewable/flex resources that could reduce grid reliance) while still being in line with regulatory requirements. 

‘It needs data to be able to analyse the optimal combination of up-front costs vs reduction in grid connection in terms of overall cost of development.’

How can Icebreaker One’s Open Energy programme help?

Open Energy will make it easy for stakeholders across the industry to search, access and securely share energy data. This data can be open or shared (such as access being restricted to specific Data Consumers and/or requiring payment for accessing the data). 

Its service will enable residential developers (or those operating on their behalf) to understand the data available to help them plan the best heating solutions for their development, and to access and licence this data in a more streamlined manner. This will help property developers to:

• Use the data to analyse options and establish the most cost-effective solution
• Ensure their properties are sustainably developed in a way that is compliant with regulatory requirements around decarbonisation and keeps demands on the electricity network to a minimum. 

Help us develop this use case and make Open Energy a reality

Open Energy’s use cases are designed to demonstrate the value of the Open Energy programme and to catalyse innovation, by illustrating how better, more streamlined access to energy data can support specific industry needs based on focused, real-world problems.

To fully develop this use case, and help ensure it addresses the needs and concerns of potential Data Consumers and Data Providers, we would welcome feedback on:

• The opportunities and benefits this use case presents
• The challenges of implementation
• The data required for implementation (including any specific, known datasets, whether open or shared).

If you have insights that could help us develop this use case, whether you’re a potential Data Consumer or Data Provider, please email openenergy@icebreakerone.org.

Get involved with Open Energy

• Become a member of Open Energy to use our pilot service
• Join Icebreaker One, which develops and operates Open Energy, as a supporter

Sign up to the Icebreaker One newsletter

But the UK’s EV-charging infrastructure is currently inadequate to support this. The need for access to data to support the rollout of a charging infrastructure to enable a surge in EVs has never been clearer.

Icebreaker One’s Open Energy programme is designed to make it easy to search, access and securely share energy data. Backed by Ofgem and the UK Government, it will bring together data held by thousands of individual organisations and institutions in an open marketplace.

Currently in its Pilot stage, the Open Energy service is being developed based on use cases that are designed to address real-world problems put forward by industry stakeholders. 

Icebreaker One has consulted people across government, regulators, consumer bodies, trade associations and industry to develop a new Open Energy Use Case focused on EVs. It explores the value of better data sharing, and ensures the development of Open Energy is focused on user needs.

Comments are welcome and help us shape our work.

Read the Open Energy Electric Vehicle Use Case

Get involved

• Become a member of Open Energy to use our Pilot service
• Join our Advisory Groups to help shape the future of the Open Energy service
• Join Icebreaker One, which develops and operates Open Energy, as a supporter
• Sign up to the Open Energy newsletter
• Email the team for anything else

I set up Icebreaker One to help address the challenges highlighted in this report.

It’s an essential step to the transformation needed in our energy system to reach Net Zero. Decarbonising our energy system means integrating millions more renewable energy installations, as well as sources of moveable demand like EVs and heat pumps. That will only be manageable if data can be shared – securely, efficiently, and in real-time.

National data infrastructure

At Icebreaker One, we are creating a web of net-zero data so that investment and action are better directed towards Net Zero.

Central to this is Icebreaker One’s Open Energy programme. Open Energy makes it easy to search, access and securely share both commercial and open energy data. It does this by creating an open marketplace for energy data; and common standards that address cohesion and interoperability and radically reduce the costs of data-sharing.

Why Open Energy is essential to delivery of the Energy Digitalisation Taskforce Recommendations 

1. Open Energy is the Data Sharing Fabric the energy system needs

The recommendations call for Data Sharing Fabric: “the governance, administrative and technological solution for the management of access to Shared Data across organisations.” This will form part of the networked Digital Spine covering the entire energy system, and is essential to interoperability.  

Open Energy delivers the Data Sharing Fabric.

The Open Energy programme helps deliver all parts of the Fabric. Discoverability of both Open and Shared data is delivered through Search. Common data sharing standards deliver strong governance created by the industry for the industry. The development of Search and Access Control features at openenergy.org.uk deliver technology required to enable data sharing, some of which will be automatable in future. Finally the industry-led Open Energy team administers the service and provides an accessible forum to unpack emerging questions, industry needs and use-cases. 

The report recognises this, highlighting that “there has been some fantastic work in this space, funded through the Modernising Energy Data Access funding competition and delivered by Icebreaker One. This competitive process has resulted in Open Energy which is currently in Pilot and could be the basis for further development.”

The report’s independent analysis of governance solutions calls Open Energy:

“An obvious candidate for leading the sector’s co-investment on the topic of making data sharing easy, including data authentication and compliance with open-by-default licencing as well as associated required data formats.”

It recommends:

“Valuable sector initiatives can be sustained by giving them a mandate and budget to perform as the sector’s orchestrators and the designers of change for shared challenges.”

2. Open Energy helps unlock the value of customer actions and assets

This recommendation encourages the sharing of ‘depersonalised smart meter data’ required for public interest use-cases. Open Energy can help facilitate this as our infrastructure allows for the sharing of anonymised smart meter data.

3. Open Energy enables carbon monitoring and accounting

The ability to share carbon data underpins this recommendation. Open Energy can facilitate sharing both Open and Shared carbon data. Open Energy can integrate sharing of carbon data alongside other data types required to build a holistic picture of the energy system’s progress towards Net Zero. This enables actors to bring together data requests from different sources. 

4. Open Energy drives forward a digitalisation culture in the energy system

Open Energy has demonstrated strong digital leadership by embedding an agile digital culture within our organisation and through constant learning/collaboration with other sectors such as banking and telecoms.

We also use a use case-based approach that encourages whole-systems thinking and engagement of a diverse range of actors around specific use-cases that are valuable to Net Zero.

Finally, through our use-case development, Advisory Groups and User Testing, we have supported a variety of stakeholders to work through knotty problems and to build skills and resources that can help to embed digitalisation cultures within their own organisations.

5. Open Energy uses financial-grade security measures 

Recommendation 4 promotes the adoption of digital security measures. 

Open Energy’s technical infrastructure complies with high standards of data security and data protection. It uses financial-grade APIs to enable safe data-sharing. 

Our technical infrastructure integrates with a trust framework developed through extensive open sector consultation. The combination of these two elements creates a secure and tested environment for data-sharing.

6. Open Energy leads the world on delivering public interest infrastructure using open methodologies

Open Energy supports the principles underpinning this set of recommendations, and the creation of all public interest digital assets. We do this through our non-profit status, use of open working methodologies and development of open source software. 

These features show that Open Energy is the most appropriate entity to support data-sharing required for delivery of the digital spine; working in a non-proprietary manner ‘for the sector by the sector’ for the purposes of delivering net zero.

Our work is non-profit, consultative and open. As well as supporting holistic delivery of these recommendations, Open Energy shows proactive leadership in driving change to industry culture and values that align with the report.

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