The way electricity is generated and distributed is changing due to the deployment of wind and solar PV farms, smaller scale generation connected to distribution networks, and microgeneration in customers’ premises.

Currently, electricity network operators have limited information about power flows on local electricity networks. This can act as a barrier to the installation and operation of distributed generation devices. The OpenLV project will, for the first time, open up data from local substations, so that Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and third parties – such as owners or installers of distributed generation devices – will have more information about how networks can best cope with rising installations, and how the devices can be operated to provide maximum benefit to all parties.

LV-CAP™, provided by the OpenLV project, could be utilised by the generation community as a single monitoring, reporting and control platform to manage energy export within agreed limits. The LV-CAP™ platform allows third parties to develop their own apps. For example, an app could be developed to utilise automation strategies that make the best use of renewable and storage assets. This could help maximise revenue by deciding when to charge on-site battery storage or how to minimise losses during curtailment periods.

The OpenLV project, led by project partners Western Power Distribution and EA Technology, is inviting the submission of ideas for how data from local electricity networks could be used to develop new apps.

A well-known case study relates to the opening up of data by Transport for London (TfL) to allow commercial organisations to develop apps to assist people with travelling across the capital. There are now hundreds of apps built on the back of TfL’s data, which reach millions of London transport users and deliver tens of millions in monetised time savings to its core customer base, all for relatively low investment.

Mark Dale, Innovation Manager, Western Power Distribution, comments: “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.”

Richard Potter, EA Technology’s OpenLV Project Manager, adds: “We’re at an exciting point where different sectors such as energy, the built environment, automotive 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 OpenLV should complete a survey to register their interest at  www.openlv.net/about/the-project/for-business-and-academia or contact the OpenLV team to discuss the project in more detail.

To watch a short video that explains the OpenLV project visit: www.openlv.net/resources

For more information about OpenLV visit www.openlv.net

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