Smart Networks
The Connections Lab
Key deliverables
- Provide web application for connection studies: https://curtailment.ukpowernetworks.co.uk
- Automate data creation and publishing for new DERs
- Enable reproducible study configurations
Target outcomes
- Reduce application fees and wait times for connections
- Support Connections Reform and CSAT journey
Measures of success
- Number of studies completed
- Total application fees and wait time saved
- User satisfaction with application process
Stakeholder Engagement
Connections Lab working group of customers who helped design the application. DSO Data in Action webinar.
Timeline
Status
ExtendedMilestones
- Automated creation and publishing of data for new connected DERS (Oct 25)
- Migration to new planning database (Nov 25)
- Reproducible and replicable configuration IDs attributed to all studies so that customer can recreate what the planner did (Nov 25)
- Personalisation using bespoke profiles assigned to the queue (Jun 26)
- Adaptation to enable Connections Reform (Jun 26)
- Expansion to include more standard technology profiles (Sep 26)
- Conversion to API service (Dec 26)
- Incorporation of LTDS CIM and mapping visualisations (Mar 27)
- Scenario-based curtailment analysis (Mar 27)
- Cost estimator inclusion (Jul 27)
Change log
Featured Projects
Assets and OperationsClick & Quote - Major Connections (Phase 1)
In the Competitions in Connections (CiC) business, there is a currently a 15% acceptance rate of quotes. This means that 85% of time spent results in wasted effort, and thus higher costs for customers, affecting our competitiveness when compared to the rest of the market. Therefore, UK Power Networks requires a simple, cost-effective way to prevent this duplication of efforts, leading to improved timelines, lower prices, and higher satisfaction for customers.
Assets and OperationsClick & Quote (Phase 2)
Click & Quote Phase 2 will help eligible customers receive electricity connection quotes faster by automatically checking whether a previous quote exists for the same site and requirements. Where a suitable match is found, a digital tool (built, deployed and trialled through this project) will provide an anonymised existing quote instantly, reducing duplicated work and improving the speed, consistency and fairness of the quoting process.
