Data HUB-OS is the centralized information exchange system that speeds up, simplifies, and clears complex market processes like supplier switching, moving or preparing settlement. At the same time data hub is a cost-efficient solution for handling (interval and traditional) metering data and providing a solid, flexible and simultaneously available platform for satisfying consumer needs, including the implementation of innovative smart future products.
Background: The new challenges
Market liberalisation with unbundling and the increasing number of market players introduces new challenges to regulators and energy companies:
executing complex market processes like supplier switching, increased data exchange needs, and the handling of increasing number of metered data due to the rollout of interval meters.
These together, when managed by decentralized bilateral communication within the market players become extremely resource intense, with many stages, while also slow and non-transparent.
To tackle these problems many countries have decided to adapt a centralized information exchange model known as a data hub.
Denmark already implemented a data hub in the Danish electricity retail market, while Norway, Finland and Sweden are moving ahead in their planning process. In Hungary, a data hub concept with a solution for the natural gas market was developed.
Data Hub in action
Data hub is a database for measurement, customer, and metering point information. Market players communicate only with data hub rather than bilaterally. They submit and retrieve information to and from the hub depending on their market roles. This way a data hub enhances the efficiency of all involved parties’ operations.
Core features at a glance
Reliable data on common format. DataHub-OS administers metering points and metering values. It collects and distributes data flexibly. The collected data is evaluated and cleared. Market players have various ways to upload and download data. DataHub-OS supports multiple data sources and different data delivery requirements. Big players can mass upload their data through API, while other parties can choose a web application or send in data directly. Data can be retrieved in Excel, XML, pdf or other customized formats.
With systematic (automatic or manual) data collection DataHUB-OS provides regional or balancing zone daily energy-statistics on capacity and flow data and commercial data by shippers or PODs. DataHUB-OS publishes proper dataset (using reports created by report Designer) to various targets like Portal, ACER or ENTSO-G/E.
DataHub-OS’s functions are accessible for market players according to their market role and purpose. Consumers can access their own metering data and manage the access to their own data for other parties.
DataHub-OS can function as a consumer educational tool reaching consumers via a webportal. The system provides information for consumers on its own contract deadlines, suppliers, meter information and metering data. A complete overview is provided over energy usage habits. This can be supplemented with suggestions for more energy efficient consumption and provides a basis for the introduction of demand side management measures.
The implemented solution can track customer switching events between suppliers. It can keep records related to the meters such as date of change, ‘moving-in’ and ’moving-out’ and switching events, or the newly available supplier at that location. It supports the process of switching and moving centrally, reducing the number of information exchange needs.
ALLOCATION: on the natural gas market DataHub-OS supports allocation process among shippers and system operators in both market models (four contract and two contract model). It provides data that serves as a basis for imbalance settlement, and for the within-a-day balancing activity as well. SETTLEMENT: Provides aggregations and reconciliations of metering data to market players that can be used in settlement of market transactions.
Based on the stored data, the system can create profiles of consumers and/or refine existing profiles.
By combining physical data and third party’s weather data with customer profiles, the forecasting module provides intraday/day-ahead consumption forecasts for non-daily metered consumers as well.
The time series of metering values from TSOs, DSOs, and consumers enables for example the calculation of network losses, or the exploration of network development needs.