Energy Systems Catapult has launched Net Zero Data range of new prepackaged datasets developed to streamline the design and delivery of local Net Zero projects.

The Catapult’s data bundles have been developed by drawing on 30 years of collective data modelling expertise provided to local authorities, network operators, and renewable technology installers, delivering unparalleled insights that open data alone cannot provide.

These datasets have been applied, refined and tested in various real-world scenarios and projects by the Catapult, such as understanding the baseline of a local energy system prior to full Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP), and are now available standalone.

The datasets are built to match the needs of different types of low carbon projects and support common use cases, such as identifying:

Buildings suitable for Net Zero retrofit
Buildings suitable for installing low carbon heat or renewables
Land with potential for renewables or electric vehicle infrastructure.

The datasets fill the gaps in common open data sources and enable the initial feasibility assessments at the individual project level.

Covering GB-wide Local Authority regions, Net Zero Data offers low cost, ready-to-use, regularly updated information, minimising resource overheads. No more waiting for bespoke datasets to be built, or using data that is out of date when developing project feasibility studies. 

Datasets and bundles from Net Zero Data can be visualised using any Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. However, for Local Authorities that don’t have a GIS platform, the Catapult is able to offer cost-effective access to the LAEP+ GIS platform powered by Advanced Infrastructure Technology Ltd (AITL). Using open and data sources such as ESC’s Net Zero Data, AITL’s LAEP+ platform uses digital twins to support decision making by local stakeholders and forecasts network capacity, building retrofits, heat networks, and EV rollouts all in one platform.