A decentralised, data-driven energy system is built on trust

Our customers and partners want to use digital strategies to push the boundaries of energy system transformation to build a data universe that prioritises benefits for end users and the environment. Yet, the challenge of building data infrastructure for the whole GB energy system is complex, even for a central body like ElectraLink with relationships across retail, distribution and transmission.

Whilst there is a large amount of energy data currently available, effective deployment requires deep industry knowledge and a wide grasp of the possibilities of both existing data and collected but as-yet unshared data from disparate sources. According to a Which? Consumer Insight Tracker, trust in the energy sector is currently low following high prices and mass supplier exits, and this mistrust often unfairly impacts suppliers as the customer-facing entities of the market. Improving trust to improve access to end users’ data is now an industry-wide priority.
The current fragmented data ecosystem makes it difficult to solve these challenges and work towards these goals in a timeframe which suits innovators. This is compounded by a necessarily complex regulatory landscape, which means that change cannot always happen at the pace required by the fastest moving innovators, technologies and business models.

Overall, whilst there is an absolute need for a whole system improvement of data infrastructure, challenges will always remain at the edge of the system. These challenges need to be nurtured now as a small percentage turn into the whole system challenges of the future.

ElectraLink is as a trusted party that can curate datasets from many different public and commercial sources and integrate this data in cohesive formats and structures. Exercising these capabilities and upholding trust in the legal sense – our data trust enshrined in the Data Transfer Services Agreement – is key to accelerating innovators’ access to data and proving their business models.

By combining our knowledge of energy data with our understanding of regulation and its constraints, and the governance to confidently work with innovators, ElectraLink’s mission is to provide access and insights across a nationwide dataset under our trust. We know the challenge is not easy, but our 25 years of experience in managing retail and network data means we are perfectly placed to provide access and insight and ensure the quality of the data, including the identification and correction of errors or inconsistencies.

For more information, email: communications@electralink.
co.uk. Or visit: https://www.electralink.co.uk/