- OpenLV project is opening up live local electricity network usage data – for the first ever time
- This will provide digital communications technology to monitor, manage and enhance the understanding of the Low Voltage (LV) network supplying electricity to commercial and domestic properties
- Third parties will be able to gain access to LV network data and use it to improve the experience for residents, workers and visitors
Technology can play an important role in tackling many of the challenges facing cities, as it can be used to help identify opportunities to improve the delivery and efficiency of the electricity network, providing an improved service to the public.
Data from real-time systems on the electricity network will enable network operators, businesses, companies and local residents to gain a better understanding of the LV network.
To support the transition to Smart Cities, the OpenLV project will, for the first time, open up data from local substations. This will provide third parties with the ability to access LV network data from the LV-CAP™ platform. One potential use of this data could be to provide signals to homes or office blocks that generate their own electricity to automatically tell them when to export energy to the LV electricity network. This could help protect the electricity network in times of stress and potentially optimise the financial return on exporting electricity for the building owner.
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
