The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) has awarded a contract to Urban Tide to develop a data platform for the Energy Revolution Integration Service (ERIS).

The £500,000 deal with the smart cities data specialist is to produce system for data storage on projects run by itself and its partners, with the capability to make it privately or publicly accessible.

The role of the ERIS is to provide guidance and support for selected projects on the development of smart energy systems. The ESC - one of the so-called 'catapult bodies' set up by Innovate UK - identified a gap where various projects it was sponsoring were using common datasets and services, but not retaining project data.

It responded with the procurement for an energy data platform to include a storage back end and a front end application to make it as easy as possible to submit and access data.

The contract award notice explained: “It is anticipated that the data platform shall become a data hub for energy system operations and for innovators to submit future project data, and will become a tool for future services to be provided by ESC."

UrbanTide is one of the UK's leading smart cities specialists and creators of the U~SMART data platform. It was formed from members of the team that helped bid, plan and deliver the Innovate UK’s £24 million smart cities demonstrator for Glasgow.

Among the aims of the ERIS is to promote the interoperability of data and communications in energy innovation projects. The underlying aim, along with that of the ESC, is to provide cleaner, cheaper and more resilient energy to consumers. This involves low carbon power, heating and transport systems, with energy storage and advanced IT to create intelligent, local energy systems and services.

Last month, it launched a consultation on the development of a best practice guide for handling energy data, trying to provide specific descriptions of what is required from the sector together, with more detailed guidance on illustrating how the recommendations can be adopted and adhered to.

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