All Live Projects
Consumer vulnerability
Power Protect
Power Protect is developing and trialling a new service to offer portable battery packs to customers who are medically dependent on electricity and ex
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Welcome
Welcome to the home of innovation
We’re fostering a culture of innovation that serves our customers and stakeholders well, delivered by people who are passionate about innovation.
Numbers that add up to positive change
£0 million
of NIA funding going to third party innovators (75%)
0+
innovation projects brought into business as usual, more than any other network
£0m+
of smart savings between 2015 and 2020
How are we doing it?
Innovation is a driving force behind our performance, ensuring that we are the safest, most reliable and cost-efficient electricity network in the UK, leading the way in tackling Net Zero and the Energy System Transition challenges, whilst protecting vulnerable customers. To help turn this vision into a reality, our innovation strategy has focused on six fundamental themes.
Consumer vulnerability
Delivering best value and excellent service for all our customers, both in our normal operations and in the transition to Net Zero.
Outcomes
- Understanding vulnerability through innovative data analytics
- Digital inclusion
- Making Net Zero inclusive
- Policy
Net zero and energy system transition
Facilitate the timely and cost-effective roll-out of low carbon technologies (LCT) and removing barriers impeding the Net Zero transition.
Outcomes
- A network prepared for an uptake in LCTs.
- Simplifying the LCT connections process for customers and their installers
- A fair and just transition for all
Whole energy system
Looking beyond our own networks and developing our understanding of how we interact with and impact on the wider energy system.
Outcomes
- Supporting local and national planning
- Benefiting customers through improved interactions across the electricity system
- Finding innovative ways to decarbonise transport
- Finding innovative ways to decarbonise heat
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Our DSO philosophy is flexibility first, delivering affordable capacity through competition and choice; and maximising the utilisation of the network through the use of service solutions.
Outcomes
- Driving forward market platform development
- Innovating new flexibility product design
- Testing and proving the case for real-time and Net Zero operations
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Improved asset understanding to optimise the operation of our network.
Outcomes
- Improve resilience
- Improve maintenance activities
- Maintain asset health
- Increase capacity / maximise utilisation
Data and digitalisation
Using data to leverage value and optimise our network
Outcomes
- Harnessing the power of emerging technologies
- Optimise the use of our existing assets
- Facilitating the sharing of our data
Our Innovation Projects
OVERVIEW
The Consumer vulnerability is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
OVERVIEW
The Net zero and energy system transition is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation (CLEO) will develop a self-service digital tool that enables local authorities to make the best choices for th
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All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
White Van Plan
White Van Plan aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their electric transport journey. This could result in quicker, easier and
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All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Skyline
Skyline is making coordinated electric vehicle data from car dealerships, charge point operators and electricity networks available for the first time
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All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift 2.0
The rapid uptake of LCTs means there will be increased demand in certain parts of the network as well as challenges like secondary peaks and herding b
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All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift
Shift is a nationally-significant trial that could revolutionise the electric vehicle industry. The project is at the forefront of the fundamental cha
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All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Optimise Prime
Optimise Prime is the world’s biggest trial of commercial EVs. It seeks to understand and minimise the impact that the electrification of commercial
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OVERVIEW
The Whole energy system is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
HyCompact
We are working collaboratively with gas network Wales & West Utilities to trial new hybrid heating systems which lower carbon emissions.
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Strategic Innovation Fund
Net zero and energy system transition
Whole energy system
Connectrolyser
Connectrolyser aims to scale hydrogen electrolyser hub development by developing a novel operational approach to expedite new connections and support
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All Live Projects
Whole energy system
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Data and digitalisation
Automated Tunnel and Shaft inspections
An innovative new trial alongside engineering and built environment consultancy, Arup is seeing Boston Dynamics’ robotic dog ‘Spot’ deployed in
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OVERVIEW
The Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO) is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift 2.0
The rapid uptake of LCTs means there will be increased demand in certain parts of the network as well as challenges like secondary peaks and herding b
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift
Shift is a nationally-significant trial that could revolutionise the electric vehicle industry. The project is at the forefront of the fundamental cha
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Optimise Prime
Optimise Prime is the world’s biggest trial of commercial EVs. It seeks to understand and minimise the impact that the electrification of commercial
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
High Voltage (HV) Auto Quote
HV Autoquote is a nationally significant trial that could revolutionise the customer experience for HV connection requests by developing an online sel
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All Live Projects
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Energy Exchange
In the transition to Distribution System Operator, we are increasingly connecting distributed generation customers. Distributed Generators – mainly
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All Live Projects
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Data and digitalisation
Constellation
Constellation will create revolutionary smart substations which free up capacity for renewable energy to facilitate Net Zero emissions.
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OVERVIEW
The Proactive optimised assets and practices is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
VHF Radios for Teleprotection
This project will test a new type of radio technology to lower the cost of new generator connections – most of which are renewables – and make our
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All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Underground Fault Predictive Model and Earthing Assessments
A review of soil characteristics in combination with rainfall is likely to provide detail to be able to develop an operational faults forecast model.
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All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Transformer Care
New non-intrusive condition monitoring equipment which monitors the voltage and current of transformers are being installed. This equipment uses a sel
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All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Thor Hammer
Thor Hammer is a new assessment tool that allows our overhead line inspectors to quickly and safely test the condition of wooden poles.
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All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
SYNAPS Phase 2: Fault Detection, Classification and Location Solution
SYNAPS Phase 1 demonstrated that our AI-powered SYNAPS system can reliably predict faults on our networks. Phase 2 will develop next generation sensor
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All Live Projects
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Storm Resilience
Storm Resilience is developing new software to help restore power supplies caused by lightning strikes up to 90% faster, and ensure we have engineers
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OVERVIEW
The Data and digitalisation is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation
Collaborative Local Energy Optimisation (CLEO) will develop a self-service digital tool that enables local authorities to make the best choices for th
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Data and digitalisation
Skyline
Skyline is making coordinated electric vehicle data from car dealerships, charge point operators and electricity networks available for the first time
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift 2.0
The rapid uptake of LCTs means there will be increased demand in certain parts of the network as well as challenges like secondary peaks and herding b
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
Shift
Shift is a nationally-significant trial that could revolutionise the electric vehicle industry. The project is at the forefront of the fundamental cha
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)
Data and digitalisation
High Voltage (HV) Auto Quote
HV Autoquote is a nationally significant trial that could revolutionise the customer experience for HV connection requests by developing an online sel
View project
All Live Projects
Net zero and energy system transition
Proactive optimised assets and practices
Data and digitalisation
Envision
Envision is developing a software based machine learning tool that will generate greater Low Voltage (LV) network insights faster and cheaper compared
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Share your ideas
If you have an idea that could reshape or revolutionise the way we work, we want to hear from you.
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