National Grid has announced the launch of a new platform, clearviewcharge, that will provide customers with an overview of the Distribution use of Services (DUoS) tariffs across its licence areas.
Information from the platform will make it easier for National Grid customers to review charges across the network and how they vary over time, helping inform the decision-making process on where to connect assets and when to operate them.
Clearviewcharge follows National Grid’s clearviewconnect, launched in late 2023. It provides an overview of capacity headroom at all license area Grid Supply Points (GSPs). It enables prospective developers to identify where they might have the earliest and lowest-cost opportunity to access a generation connection.
Cordi O’Hara, president of National Grid Electricity Distribution, commented: “Clearviewcharge is another example of how we are working to provide useful information and data for customers so that they can make informed business decisions. As we accelerate to connect more low-carbon technologies to the network, which will come with varying high-demand periods, our customers increasingly need to factor in different demand scenarios to calculate the viability of their assets.
“This new platform will allow them to operate their assets at the most optimised periods to ensure that the network is running smoothly, as well as cutting costs where possible.”
National Grid Electricity Distribution has developed the platform across its licence areas in the Midlands, South West England and South Wales. It will enable customers to view different DUoS charges on their projects and respond in order to run as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.
“We are keen to work with the industry as we look to enhance platforms such as this and clearviewconnect, to ensure that our customers have as much data and information to hand as possible to make better decisions,” O’Hara added.
The data will be available for export, meaning customers could run detailed modelling for their assets based on the information. That will enable customers to forward project the financial cost of running their assets, view how much DUoS assets will be across various time bands and provide projections for up to seven years ahead.
National Grid’s industry engagement
The platform was developed with industry engagement, including from ChargeUK, an electric vehicle (EV) charging trade body that launched in April 2023 and aims to invest £6 billion by 2030 in EV charging.
Chris Pateman-Jones, chairman of ChargeUK commented: “ChargeUK has enjoyed fantastic engagement from the most senior levels within the National Grid leadership team, and the release of this tool is a real step forward for the charging industry, and for the electrification of transport going forward.”
National Grid invests £1 billion in its distribution network every year. Recently (2 May), it partnered with US-based grid infrastructure firm Smart Wire, to develop a tool to coordinate the installation and operation of advanced power flow control (APFC) devices.
It also launched the Great Grid Partnership, which will initially focus on network design and construction work needed by the end of the decade. It is part of a £9 billion supply chain framework supporting infrastructure projects beyond 2030.
