LEMAP a tool for smart local area energy systems
- Low Carbon Building Group
- May 6, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 22, 2022
LEMAP stands for Local Area Energy Mapping. It allows residents and operators to visualise energy flows in their local area.
The concept of energy transitions isn’t new. From pre-industrial technologies like windmills to the complexity of fusion power, transitions that are largely driven by newly available fuels, together with the development of technologies and markets seeking to exploit them.
Smaller scale, decentralised technologies associated with solar, wind, storage, sensors and control systems are developing at a much more rapid pace than larger-scale infrastructure, generating new market opportunities. An estimated annual of two trillion dollars is invested in the global transition to low carbon power, transport, heat and localised, digitally-connected energy systems is driving an imminent energy revolution to smart local energy systems (SLES).
User participation in smart local energy systems is imperative for their successful deployment, as affirmed by the ‘consumer pull’ approach to energy innovation promoted by the Prospering from the energy revolution (PFER) programme [video]. However, many users rarely engage in energy markets for lack of understanding or other reasons including novelty, demand inelasticity or market heterogeneity and regulatory constraints.
User participation can be enhanced by the communication, and visualisation of local energy flows and interactions. It can also enable them to understand themselves, their activities, resources and energy use in a more joined-up way, so as to manage, directly or through delegation, their consumption, production and storage of energy, contributing to network and grid balancing at the same time as gaining value for themselves and their communities.
LEMAP is part of the EnergyREV Plus project that aims to radically enhance users to accept smart local energy systems by deploying a suite of smart and inclusive tools that actively communicate local interactions between power, heat and transport. It is a spatial mapping tool created to visualise local energy flows and promote more efficient and effective use of energy resources.
Energy flows need to be visualised through different representation forms depending on its type and on how these are related to their context. Mapping energy flows with social data and forecasting scenarios create a direct relation to the community and local energy agents. We supported maps with graphics and other visual aids to generate a richly informative and interactive tool.
LEMAP is constructed by the following elements to provide a clear understanding of the different energy flows present in a neighbourhood scale:
Baselining — presents the local area energy flows in relation to socio-economic and dwelling characteristics.
The following map shows the current socio-economic conditions of the area. It is important to understand how low carbon technologies can be implemented.
(Context map)
Targeting— Identifies which dwellings are suitable to deploy different low carbon technologies (LCTs), which could photovoltaics, heat pumps, EV chargers and batteries. This map is showing the dwellings suitable for ground and air source heat pumps.
(Heat pump scenario map)
Forecasting— shows energy demand profiles at postcode level for LCT scenarios. This map is showing the potential electricity production if targeted dwellings install 8 solar photovoltaics each.
(PV scenario map)
LEMAP also has a forum and free chat non-mapping elements focused on engaging users and creating community. It consists of a forum and a chat interface open to any user, including neighbourhood outsiders and energy distributors.
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