{"id":97151,"date":"2021-08-02T15:38:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T14:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=97151"},"modified":"2021-08-02T15:38:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T14:38:15","slug":"energy-metadata-net-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/digital-construction-news\/construction-technology-news\/energy-metadata-net-zero\/97151\/","title":{"rendered":"Modernising energy metadata to speed up the transition to net zero"},"content":{"rendered":"

Simon Evans of Arup<\/a> and Gavin Starks of Icebreaker One<\/a> discuss their work with Hippo Digital<\/a> on the next phase of the government\u2019s Energy Data Visibility Project<\/a>, which aims to accelerate the journey towards net zero by improving access to energy metadata<\/h2>\n

The sheer scale of the challenge we face in achieving net zero quickly means that data is essential. Innovative digital solutions to cutting carbon and new net zero business models rely on getting access to all kinds of data \u2013 whether from smart meters, electric vehicles<\/a> or assets within the grid.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already seen in the transport sector how the increased availability and visibility of online data has sparked an explosion in new services that have revolutionised mobility in cities. Apps such as Citymapper draw on an array of data sources to enable you to compare your travel options in real time for all urban mobility. Imagine if we could do something similar for energy.<\/p>\n

As a consumer, in the future maybe a smart home could automatically change energy providers every second based on the real-time spot prices charged by different suppliers. Maybe we could even turn the whole tariff system on its head, with consumers submitting their consumption profile to suppliers who then bid to supply them. These ideas, as well as other consumer innovations and services that are emerging, just wouldn\u2019t be possible without data or, more specifically, metadata.<\/p>\n

The founding principle<\/h3>\n

Metadata, a description of the attributes of a dataset, is a founding principle for working with data. Agreed structures for metadata are what ultimately enables you to find the information you\u2019re looking for on internet search engines.<\/p>\n

Without metadata, the search engine can\u2019t easily catalogue what\u2019s been published and so can\u2019t find it for you. As things stand, this is the sort of situation we face with energy data. Some of it is published, but the patchwork approach to metadata makes it difficult for the experts who need it to find and use it.<\/p>\n

To address this, a partnership between engineering and consultancy firm, Arup, global non-profit organisation Icebreaker One and digital consultancy Hippo Digital<\/a> is leading the next phase of the UK government\u2019s Energy Data Visibility Project (EDVP) to organise and improve access to the UK\u2019s metadata.<\/p>\n

Our project, commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy<\/a> (BEIS) and funded by the \u00a3505m BEIS Energy Innovation Programme, is developing an innovative service that will unlock and centralise the UK\u2019s current energy metadata sources to improve their visibility and accuracy. We aim to help accelerate the journey to net zero by making information more accessible, driving the scaling up of renewable energy projects and enabling innovation.<\/p>\n

The project forms part of the Modernising Energy Data (MED) programmes being commissioned by BEIS, Ofgem and Innovate UK, which are leading the charge towards a digital energy sector.<\/p>\n

Providing visibility<\/h3>\n

Modernising access to energy data will create the essential national infrastructure we need to meet our net zero targets<\/a>. This project is helping to create new services to unlock innovation in the energy system and drive economic growth. We have seen similar happenings in other sectors such as banking, where Open Banking fuelled a revolution in innovation and attracted huge investment to the UK. Poor data visibility can act as a barrier for this innovation. Now more than ever, access to energy data<\/a> and the ability to use it effectively is of crucial importance to supporting a net zero future.<\/p>\n

All of this, though, relies on agreeing metadata standards and glossaries. The Arup team applied its energy expertise to this element of the challenge, informed by the one-to-one research conducted by Hippo Digital with energy data users to understand their needs and working with the Open Energy service in development by Icebreaker One, which enables users to search, access and share energy data.<\/p>\n

The EDVP aims to deliver a new service that:<\/h3>\n