Data & digital resources
The collection, aggregation and sharing of data is a vital component of how we will reach net zero. It underpins business models and allows for the demonstration of environmental and community benefit. There is no one size fits all approach to how data is recorded but ensuring the interoperability of methods could allow for further growth of renewables in a flexible energy system of the future.
For community energy initiatives at the cutting edge of data sharing, see our case studies section here.
CEE has also collated a number of other key links:
- VoteWind is a new open source source community wind planning map. Bringing together multiple planning constraints and wind speed data into a single visual map, it is designed to make it easier for our members and the wider public to identify sites in their local areas that are most suitable for a community wind turbine.speeding up the early feasibility process and guiding people to the best resources in the sector to take their projects forward. It's 3D visualizer also gives people an early view on how it would look in their local landscape.
- Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) - have launched The Net Zero Future Energy Tool, the tool has been designed to help whole communities to establish a community scale picture of domestic energy usage, carbon emissions and energy costs, and to understand what types of low carbon interventions and scale of action are required to achieve a local net zero energy system by 2050. The tool will help you in setting ambitions, facilitating community scale planning and proposing collective and individual household action for a net zero future. But it is just as much about engaging a community in a vision to reach net zero as it is about planning and taking the necessary actions.
- The Climate Coalition created the Local Intelligence Hub; a platform to analyse and explore data about local MPs, constituencies, public opinion and the climate and nature movement. The Local Intelligence Hub supports national campaigning as well as local organising by community groups and individual campaigners.
- Electricity Networks' Association - summary of the data request tools and other iniatives across DNOs.
- Northern Powergrid - Demand Avaliability Map to help groups map connection capacity in their area. Other DNOs should also offer.
- OpenLV (now closed) - a groundbreaking project started in 2019 opening up energy data to community energy groups (download below, Sept 2020). More info here
