Visioning Lab has engaged key stakeholders to co-develop an overarching view and vision of how energy moves through a country.
There is growing demand for a modern conceptual model of every country’s energy infrastructure incorporating net zero and energy security aspirations.
A high-level, non-technical vision for energy provides the overarching structure from which carefully defined language and terms such as glossaries/ontologies can be supported by Visioning Lab’s Ontology Maker product/service.
This vision also supports an eco-system of service suppliers and product providers creating opportunities for countries to lead internationally.
Vision for UK Energy as a case study
An overarching view and vision of how energy moves through the UK provides the basis upon which communication can be facilitated and solutions developed. A UK-defined modern conceptual model of a country’s energy infrastructure incorporating net zero and energy security aspirations alongside an eco-system of service suppliers and product providers also creates an opportunity for UK plc to lead internationally.
The recent establishment of Great British Energy Ltd and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) marks a transformative moment for the UK’s energy sector, reflecting the nation’s commitment to leading in renewable energy and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As these twin entities accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies and drive innovation, there is a compelling need for a conceptual model of the UK energy flows that shows how service providers and operators fit together. An integrated, systematised model will facilitate the data flow and interoperability of the multiple systems and processes that constitute the energy infrastructure of a country.
At the moment, there is not currently an overarching vision for UK energy flow. There are many initiatives, standards and projects covering different aspects of the energy infrastructure – including the ongoing Data Sharing Infrastructure consultation. But there is also a need for a simple, non-technical vision that C-Suite and senior decision makers can understand, buy into and ideally be involved in its development. To use a philosophical reference, we need to see the wood, not just the trees.
In The New Philosophy of Society, Manuel De Landa provides an analytical model for understanding how different parts of a city connect together. He proposes to conceptualise cities as a series of nested and interconnected parts. For example, a table is assembled from wooden pieces, pieces made up of wood particles. That table sits in a room which sits in a house, which sits in a road, suburb, city, country, continent, world. While this model is not perfect, it provides a conceptual framework for understanding and analysing the different parts that make up a given context.
If we take a similar approach to how energy flows through a country, we can consider the different parts used to generate, manage and distribute energy in its widest context so we can understand the relationships between them. People working in the energy industry can find themselves on the model and see others there as well.
If this sounds interesting, please get in touch. We are keen to work with UK and partners from elsewhere to develop comparative country models.