UK Power Networks (UKPN) has introduced a new tool to guide local authorities in finding future sites for community-owned wind and solar farms.
Across London, the East and South East, 80% of local authorities have declared a climate emergency, and most are creating energy plans.
UKPN, which distributes electricity in these areas, has combined 18 datasets to develop the new IRENES tool at ukpowernetworks.opendatasoft.com.
The tool combines spatial and land use datasets for ground-based solar PV and onshore wind, over 18,000 square kilometres.
Anglia Ruskin University and the University of East Anglia led this collaborative project, which is supported by UK Power Networks’ Distribution System Operator (DSO) and the Greater South East Net Zero Hub.
The data can be filtered and layered with other useful Net Zero datasets in UKPN’s Open Data Portal to view the energy capacity currently available. Users can generate a map with traffic light colour coding showing locations for new projects.
UKPN’s funding helped scale the original scope from five county councils to 133 local authorities serving 5.6 million residents within six months.
The technology also aligns with the ‘Energy Data Taskforce: A Strategy for a Modern Digitalised Energy System’ report commissioned by the government, Ofgem, and Innovate UK.
The report sets out five key recommendations to modernise the UK energy system and drive it towards a Net Zero future.
Lynne McDonald, head of Local Net Zero at UK Power Networks’ Distribution System Operator, said: “This partnership showcases our DSO’s collaboration across sectors to support local authorities in easily accessing essential data for their decarbonisation plans.”
Peter Gudde, Net Zero programme lead at Greater South East Net Zero Hub, added: “The Greater South East Net Zero Hub has been supporting the development of the IRENES Land Use Tool to enable locally developed renewable energy generation.”
Developing tools
This announcement follows a similar launch from February 2024, in which UKPN successfully led a trial for an automated roadworks planning tool which aims to cut connection times for customers.
The software 1Streetworks, developed by 1Spatial, was used in phase one of a trial and, according to the distribution network operator (DNO), reduced the hours surveyors spent on labour-intensive street works design plans from hours to minutes.
For example, the average time taken to connect new or altered power connections was reduced by 25% across 300 Surrey roadworks sites.
The technology will now be rolled out on a larger trial in Kent to determine whether it can benefit customers served by other workstreams across UKPN.
