Western Power Distribution (WPD) has released its new Real-Time Power Flow Data Access as it looks to ramp up its digitalisation programme.
The toll provides customer and stakeholder access to live data on energy production, electricity demand, import and generation across the WPD network in the Midlands, South Wales and South West. This will include generation split by key types like solar and wind, helping to provide a deep understanding of the make-up of energy on the network in real time.
Additionally it will have historic data, and be able to support in-depth comparisons and research by third parties.
Jonathan Berry, DSO digitalisation & data manager, said that feedback from customers and stakeholders had made it clear that access to real-time data was a key area of interest.
“Understanding what is happening across the network on a real-time basis will become increasingly important to our customers, helping them to make better operational decisions.”
The DNO hopes that the new resources will have three key benefits, including enabling better connections and planning, by ensuring customers, local councils and low carbon energy developers have more information helping them to make informed decisions.
It hopes the data will assist academic and researchers in understanding the network, allowing them to more accurately forecast the UK’s future energy and infrastructure needs. Finally, WPD hopes to democratise innovation by opening up its network data to all. This will help to foster a new generation of smart, low carbon energy innovators, it said.
WPD has released an initial tranche of data, and will increate the detail and granularity of the data over time. Further localised data – all the way down to the primary substation level – will be made available in 2021.
The Real-Time Power Flow Data Access forms part of the company’s digitalisation strategy, which WPD released in September with the aim of delivering a more economic and efficient service as it transitions to net zero.
