The Energy Networks Association (ENA) has published the End of Year Review for its Open Networks programme, detailing the progress of the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan which, the association said, could grant consumers energy cost savings of £10 billion a year by 2050.
This, added the trade association, would deduct up to £70 billion from the transition to net zero’s total cost.
Since it was launched in 2017, the Open Networks programme has worked to support the growth of the grid flexibility market – which tendered a record 3.7GW of flexibility in 2022 – by uniting the UK’s energy operators and working with the UK Government, industry and consumer representatives to create a uniform customer experience and standardise different types of energy grid.
The review detailed key releases in 2022 including: the Open Networks’ Baselining tool, which gives flexibility providers more accurate data on the amount of flexibility they have delivered to Britain’s distribution network operators (DNOs); a Whole Electricity System Coordination register; and the Whole System Cost Benefit Analysis Tool.
Combined, these tools are designed to provide accurate understanding of local flexibility markets, whilst also highlighting opportunities for “effective collaboration” in the industry.
Looking towards the future, the review stated that the programme will focus on “practical delivery and solving operational challenges”. This would include prioritising projects that work towards the standardisation of products, processes and contracts, as well as creating new rules for the resolution of potential service conflicts between energy providers.
“Energy flexibility markets are a simple, practical and low-cost way to improve energy resilience and bring down costs to consumers as we transition to Net Zero, which is why ours are being emulated worldwide. For the last five years we’ve worked hard to lay the groundwork for a truly integrated flexibility market,” said the head of Open Networks a ENA, Dr. Avinash Aithal.
“Listening to our members, we recognise its time to step up the creation of technological and procedural innovations that will be significant steps towards creating a consistent and user-friendly energy flexibility system, ready for everyone to use. We need to realise our ambitions and help ensure everyone can easily access a world class energy flexibility service. There are potentially massive savings to be made on the transition to Net Zero if we get it right.”
In August 2022, the ENA launched its annual flexibility consultation, as part of the Open Networks programme, which had a particular focus on ensuring that the governance arrangement that networks operate the markets within are right.
