UK Power Networks (UKPN) has unveiled a new open data online portal that it said brings together thousands of datasets.
The portal provides visibility of what assets UKPN has, where they are, what capacity they have and how they are utilised. It includes details of nearly 1,000 large-scale energy generation sites connected across London, the south east and East of England in a range of maps and tables.
It also features around 2,000 data records of smaller low carbon technology connections such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers and household solar panels. Other network information on the site includes its long-term development statement, earthing and soil data.
It’s hoped that this data will help local authorities, EV chargepoint installers, renewable energy generators, flexibility providers and anyone with an interest in low carbon technology to come up with new solutions to save money and benefit customers.
UKPN said it is the first network operator in the UK to publish all its datasets via a portal covered by a standard open data licence, with these datasets having Application Programming Interfaces so users can automatically connect to data sources and get live updates.
Users will also be able to layer different datasets to create bespoke maps.
The portal forms part of UKPN’s ‘Enabling Open Energy Data’ initiative, for which it has partnered Open Data Institute, ODI Leeds, Regen and Opendatasoft.
Matt Webb, head of enterprise data at UK Power Networks said: “We are taking the effort away from end users in accessing and consuming network and asset data, and in the process fostering a community of open data users who can share and potentially collaborate together.”
It follows the Energy Networks Association recently announcing the launch of a new National Energy Systems Map (NESM), which sees network data from all of Britain’s electricity and gas network operators pulled together into a digital, whole-energy system map covering Britain.
The NESM gives customers information about energy network assets, where they are located and who owns them with an aim of making it easier for renewables and other low carbon technologies to connect.
