Data from local electricity networks is to be opened up for the first time in a new project designed to monitor substation performance and electricity demand through the use of new apps.
The OpenLV project, led by distribution network operator (DNO) Western Power Distribution (WPD) alongside EA Technology, is inviting submissions for how an open software platform in electricity substations can be best used.
As well as performance and demand, the technology will monitor other power quality measurements such as voltage and temperatures.
The OpenLV project team is seeking ideas for new apps that can utilise this low voltage (LV) network data to provide benefits to DNOs, community groups, industry, academia and customers, marking the first time such data has been made available from the energy sector.
Mark Dale, innovation manager at WPD, said: “The OpenLV project is making local electricity network data ‘open access’ for the first ever time. This presents a great opportunity for smart thinking and innovation.
“We’re inviting people, ranging from community groups to industry stakeholders, to come up with novel ideas for apps that can make use of this data.”
The project is seeking to follow a precedent set by Transport for London which opened up access to its data to allow commercial organisations to develop apps to assist people with travelling across the capital. WPD and EA Technology claim hundreds of apps have been built on the back of TfL’s data, delivering tens of millions in monetised time savings to customers with relatively low investment.
Richard Potter, EA Technology’s OpenLV project manager, commented: “We’re at an exciting point where different sectors such as energy and IT have opportunities to come together to help the UK move towards a smart electricity grid. Innovative ideas about apps that could offer people benefits are welcomed from all sectors, as well as from the energy industry itself.”
Organisations or individuals with ideas for apps that could be developed as part of the OpenLV project are advised to complete a survey to register their interest.