London, UK – 19 October 2016: ElectraLink, provider of data transfer, governance and data analytics services to the UK gas and electricity markets, has today announced the launch of its Renewable Energy Insight service removing the renewables ‘blind spot’ which until now has hidden 40% of total renewable output from view.
Renewable energy sources now provide over 25% of electricity to the UK, according to the figures from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – a four-fold increase since 2008. ElectraLink data indicates that around 40% of total renewable electricity generation is connected to regional Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) rather than directly to the National Grid, which means that historically there has been no comprehensive, national source of data on this vital sector of the energy market.
As the majority of renewable electricity generation is produced using wind and solar technologies, it is subject to prevailing weather conditions and therefore volatile and difficult to predict. The significant growth in the DNO-connected renewable generation sector has further exacerbated the problem.
Nick Blake, Head of Data Analytics at ElectraLink commented, “It is an exciting time for the energy sector, which is undergoing significant and rapid change but this has not been without its challenges. The growth in highly volatile renewable generation has made it increasingly difficult to balance supply and demand; as well as to make informed decisions about where to invest in new technologies – such as smart grid and storage without access to data on the significant and growing DNO-connected generation sector.
Our analysis and insights enable forecasters and planners to drill down regionally and by generation technology to reveal renewable generation geographical hotspots which can create new opportunities for this growing sector.”