Inform Project

EA Technology, together with project partners Northern Powergrid, Energy Systems Catapult, Newcastle NHS Trust, City of York Council and Kensa Consulting have successfully delivered the Alpha Stage of the Inform Project. This project was funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem managed in partnership with Innovate UK.

The Project:

The project aims to develop a self-serve, online, High Voltage (HV) Connection tool to be hosted on Northern Powergrid’s website. This is to be used by developers of complex sites. At the Alpha phase, a successful Proof-of-Concept (POC) demonstrator tool was developed for a limited section of Northern Powergrid’s network, centred around the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

The project built on an earlier SIF feasibility phase, where analysis of the benefits of developing the self-service, HV connection tool was performed. This revealed the development of the tool would enable faster connections of Low Carbon Technologies (with focus on heat pumps), which in turn would help to accelerate the transition of complex sites to the Net Zero operation.

The Alpha stage of this project built upon the successful Discovery stage and involved the development of the POC Inform tool. It demonstrated that novel optioneering functionality built into Inform gave site developers potential options to reduce connection costs via methods such as energy efficiency and on-site energy storage.

Our Approach:

The Inform project used an agile methodology to develop the online POC software tool, building further on our experience successfully deploying self-serve connection tools for multiple GB DNOs. To ensure that the tool is fit for purpose and ready to use, there were regular feedback sessions with stakeholders. This feedback was then incorporated into the bid submitted for the next round of funding. If successful in this bid, together with the project partners, we will scale the POC tool developed in the Alpha phase, further expanding the scope to the entirety of Northern Powergrid’s two licence areas.

We drew on our previous experience in developing the online self-serve connection tools, such as AutoDesign and ConnectMore, to ensure efficient delivery during tight deadlines. Energy Systems Catapult brough their extensive knowledge of building projects, through work such as Modern Energy Partners (MEP), to make sure their expertise in building decarbonisation was incorporated into the tool.

Benefits:

If funding is secured to scale the tool across Northern Powergrid’s full licence areas, Inform is anticipated to offer savings to the customer through reduced connection costs and quick free budget estimates. General electricity customers will benefit through reduced costs for socialised network reinforcement, the accelerated adoption of Low Carbon Technologies and the decarbonisation that this project will accelerate.

Why this is relevant to your project

We are always looking for ways in which we can assist in the transition to Net Zero. Self-serve connection tools have been proven to provide efficient methods to accelerate connections of Low Carbon technologies to electrify the grid. Inform goes even further, demonstrating that it can also help reduce connection costs via its optioneering functionality.

For more information regarding EA Technology’s self- serve software solution, or for information regarding other services and products please contact us here.