Renewable energy developers and low-carbon technology providers across the UK face increasingly complex challenges in identifying suitable locations for their projects.

A critical hurdle lies in assessing available capacity within the electricity grid, which is essential for both integrating renewable energy generation and deploying innovative low-carbon solutions to drive the transition towards a sustainable energy future.

In this blog, Advanced Infrastructure’s Energy Modelling and Data Lead, Pardis Sheikhzadeh explains how leveraging Electricity Substation Supply Area Data (ESSA Data) can help Renewable Energy Developers identify optimal locations, significantly reducing the time spent on applications for unsuccessful sites.

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The Challenge: Accessing and Understanding Grid Capacity

In the journey toward advancing renewable energy development and integrating low-carbon technologies, accurate and comprehensive electricity network data is indispensable. Datasets such as Demand Headroom and Generation Headroom play a crucial role in this process.

‍Demand Headroom Data helps identify the spare capacity within the grid to support new load connections without exceeding demand limits, while Generation Headroom Data assesses the potential for accommodating additional renewable generation without surpassing the network’s capacity and stability. However, preparing these datasets poses significant challenges for developers. Data inconsistencies across Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), coupled with variations in formatting and availability, complicate efforts to accurately model and evaluate grid capacity, hindering the efficient deployment of clean energy technologies

Advanced Infrastructure’s Electricity Substation Supply Area (ESSA) Datasets offer an effective solution, by providing a geographical map of substation service areas and crucial metrics such as Demand Headroom and Generation Headroom. These metrics enable developers to evaluate the capacity of substations to accommodate additional demand or generation without compromising grid stability. By pinpointing areas with sufficient capacity and avoiding overburdened substations, Electricity Substation Supply Area Data streamlines the site selection process.

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How does Advanced Infrastructure’s Electricity Substation Supply Area Data support faster grid applications?

‍One of the key benefits of using Electricity Substation Supply Area Data is the ability to speed up the grid connection application process. Through thorough electricity network data collection and analysis, developers can significantly reduce the time spent on investigating and applying for grid connections in areas with limited capacity. Here's how:

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1. Comprehensive Data Collection: Electricity Substation Supply Area Data  compiles and processes all critical datasets from Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) data portals, incorporating the most recent updates to ensure accuracy and relevance. This includes Substation Network Capacity and Headroom maps, Heatmaps, Distributed Future Energy Scenarios, Long-Term Development Statements, and substations geospatial datasets.
   
   Together, these datasets form a comprehensive repository, enabling detailed headroom analysis and the identification of optimal geographical locations for grid connections. By determining which data fields are most pertinent, ESSA Data streamlines the process of assessing grid dynamics and accelerates decision-making for deploying small and large, grid-connected or distribution system-connected assets  effectively.
   
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2. Data Cleaning and Standardisation: To create an accurate, unified dataset, we addressed challenges such as inconsistencies in substation IDs, names, terminologies, units of measurement, and formats. A major hurdle was obtaining consistent and comprehensive information for each substation from multiple data sources that used differing codes and naming conventions.
   
   This was particularly challenging when integrating non-geospatial datasets with polygon geospatial data. Through rigorous standardisation and cleaning processes, we created a reliable, consistent dataset that supports seamless analysis and accelerates decision-making.
   
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3. Accurate Headroom Calculations: Using GIS tools, we developed and mapped two distinct datasets: one for Demand Headroom and another for Generation Headroom. These datasets represent entirely separate analyses, tailored to assess each substation's service area. They include the required information to calculate headroom based on the common methodologies used by DNOs and incorporate current headroom evaluation considering constraints provided by operators.
   
   By spatially assigning these values to Electricity Supply Area (ESA) polygons, users gain a comprehensive understanding of the network’s status and the specific conditions of each electricity supply area. This clear, up-to-date data empowers developers to identify sites with sufficient grid capacity, improving the likelihood of project approval without extensive network upgrades.
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4. Targeted Site Selection: With Electricity Substation Supply Area Data, developers can quickly identify areas where grid connections are likely to be granted efficiently and cost-effectively. This eliminates the need to apply for grid connections in areas where capacity is already maxed out, reducing both application time and the likelihood of delays.

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Key benefits of Electricity Substation Supply Area data:

1. Optimised Site Selection: By analysing Electricity Substation Supply Area Datasets (Demand Headroom / Generation Headroom), developers can pinpoint locations with sufficient headroom to support new projects. This allows them to avoid overburdened substations and focus on areas where grid connections are more likely to be approved quickly and cost-effectively.
   
   
2. Reduced Costs and Delays: Electricity Substation Supply Area Data helps developers avoid the costly and time-consuming process of securing grid upgrades. By selecting sites with adequate capacity, they can reduce both the financial burden and the likelihood of project delays, enabling faster deployment of renewable energy projects.
   
   
3. Enhanced Access to Accurate Network Data: Electricity Substation Supply Area Data provides developers with detailed, up-to-date information on the electricity network, offering a clear view of grid capacity and potential constraints. This accuracy is crucial for making informed decisions, allowing developers to assess the feasibility of projects before significant costs are incurred. With reliable data at their disposal, developers can better navigate the complexities of the grid, reducing risks and improving project outcomes.

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How is Electricity Substation Supply Area Data visualised?

At Advanced Infrastructure we build, source and clean data that can be combined with our cloud based net zero planning tool LAEP+ (Local Area Energy Planner Plus), or purchased as stand alone datasets available as an API or exportable file format.

Get Started Today: Ready to speed up your grid connection applications? Request a sample of Electricity Substation Supply Area Data or book a demo to see how this powerful data can be applied in GIS visualisation software to help renewable energy developers make faster, smarter decisions.