In the most recent report published by the Cabinet Office's Geospatial Commission, Advanced Infrastructure’s LAEP+ tool has been positioned as a solution for Local Authorities and Distribution Network Operators to predict how many charge points are needed, and where they should be located.

The UK government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. A comprehensive and reliable public EV charge point network is critical to greater adoption of EVs. In order for this to happen, the UK’s charging network must expand rapidly so that it is dependable, fair and covers the entire country.

The government estimates that at least 300,000 public charge points will be needed by 2030 and situating chargepoints in the right places ahead of demand is intended to inspire confidence in drivers who have not yet made the switch, thereby accelerating the uptake of EVs, which in turn will stimulate economic growth and support decarbonisation. 

Through the use of Advanced Infrastructure's LAEP+ net zero planning tool, Local Authorities and Distribution Network Operators are now using the tool to plan low carbon technology deployments and inform decarbonisation pathways. 

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LAEP+ combines browser-based geospatial analysis with datasets, such as:

• Electricity network capacity, 
• EV charge point locations, 
• Pavement suitability for on street EV charge points, 
• Demographics,
• And more…

The electricity network is adapting to support net zero and chargepoint rollout is part of this. Recent advances in spatial modelling and analytics offer immense opportunity to direct the efficient delivery of charge points. 

For example, by combining multiple datasets, Local Authorities and Distribution Network Operators can now understand chargepoint demand for a given area, pinpoint the most cost-effective locations and select which of these will best meet the needs of the community.

LAEP+  is currently being used by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), Oxfordshire County Council and Dundee City Council through projects LEO and RESOP. Current LAEP+ users are making use of geospatial data to optimise the rollout of many kinds of low carbon technologies, including EV charge points. 

A new feature is currently being tested by users to take deployment modelling to the next level: through integration with power flow modeling tool NAVI Advanced Infrastructure are trialling providing customers with budget estimates for prospective new connections and an indication of the likely impact of new connection on network constraints. This helps network operators and their customers work together to triage deployment sites and optimise low carbon technology deployment in a way which maximises customer benefit and grid stability.

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Lily Cairns Haylor, Co-Founder and Head of Product commented:

“We’re delighted our LAEP+ net zero planning tool has been recognised by the Government’s Geospatial Commission as a viable solution for EV demand modelling and local energy transition planning . 

“The tool was built around the shared frustration that planning a net zero transition shouldn't be blocked by something as simple as data access and visibility.  

“By bringing LAEP+ to the market, our aim is to support the UK in transitioning to renewable energy by 2035 faster, cost effectively and collaboratively.”

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The Geospatial Commission report released on the 20th December outlines four challenges to effective chargepoint rollout that location data can help overcome which includes modelling future demand, finding suitable sites, creating a seamless consumer experience and tracking rollout.

The recommendations and actions of the report set out that in June 2023 the Geospatial Commission will deliver a feasibility study into how to widen access to demand modelling, including whether existing models can be scaled up. 

Additionally it is stated that the The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is conducting a feasibility study to examine the needs case, benefits, scope and costs of an energy system ‘digital spine’ to support interoperability across the sector.

More information on Advanced Infrastructure’s LAEP+ tool can be found here as well as the full Geospatial Commission Report which can be found here.

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