This is a small scale demonstrator project which will make near real-time data available to stakeholders. This will be tested by engaging with stakeholders including those already involved in ongoing Local energy innovation projects.
Objectives
The project will make near real-time data for the Oxfordshire area available to stakeholders and will assess its usefulness to them.
This will be enabled through the implementation of a technology solution for near real-time DNO data within the SEPD licence area to enable its collation and presentation through an Application Protocol Interface (API).
The project will assess the usability of the data through this API with stakeholder groups such as local community energy action initiatives Local Energy Oxford (LEO) and Flexr Beta User Group (BUG).
Learnings
Outcomes
NeRDA demonstrates a UK first for a DNO, making network loading information, including at LV, available to external users in near real time. To ensure data compatibility, NeRDA uses the Common Interface Model (CIM) format to make network loading and topology data available to improve the user experience. This enables stakeholders to derive maximum value from the use of the data. For example, a local energy project can now access near real-time data and can identify opportunities to connect and also areas of network constraints (which could restrict low carbon technologies being installed), thus allowing them to make better informed decisions.
The data provided via the NeRDA platform has been critical in the success of SSEN’s TRANSITION project. The TRANSITION Project’s aim was to test and validate the operation of LV flexibility markets on the distribution network. Specifically, NeRDA has been instrumental in providing the data that facilitated a number of the TRANSITION technical trials during its last year.
NeRDA provided the data that populated the network model used within TRANSITION to provide an accurate representation of the network configuration and loading, which allowed the Power Systems Analysis (PSA) to assess loads flows across a range of different near-term topology changes and forecast scenarios including the use of LV flexibility.
The introduction of real-time data allowed the TRANSITION project to better assess and validate the accuracy of forecasts, as opposed to the traditional method of using pre calibrated models. It demonstrated that the introduction of real-time data was essential to capture short-term and longer-term variations of consumption, both in magnitude and shape to avoid disruption to consumers and fully assess the impact of LV flexibility.
This has resulted in the success of the TRANSITION technical trial, which saw the near to real-time dispatch of flexibility, including the recruitment and implementation of 130 flexibility contracts, which utilised 1.6MW of flexible resources across 16 Distributed Energy Resources (DER), all of which were facilitated by the digital transformation of near real-time data provided by the NeRDA project.
A follow on project NeRDA 2 has been registered in ED2 to look at how we increase the amount of LV data that we can make available to stakeholders and the uses cases around sharing LV data and the value that sharing that data will create for our stakeholders.
Lessons Learnt
1. Regular meetings to include all technical resources- these were set weekly but perhaps greater frequency could have helped move things faster.
2. Dedicated resources (Open Grid Systems & SSEN side)- voids distractions and loss of momentum with people being pulled into other activities.
3. More robust delivery plan, with clear dates set out to deliver for User Anticipated Tests, testing, & sign off. This could have aided momentum.
4. Better understanding of the target end-state architecture would have helped with performance, architecture, expectation setting, & delivery approach.
