Energy System Data

Learn what energy system data is, who produces it, how it flows from the national smart-meter estate through settlement to your bill, and why it matters for Clean Power 2030.

Start at the top, move stage by stage, then use practice and stage tests when you want a stronger check.

17 hours4 stages, 31 modulesBeginners welcomeFree, no account
Start with Module 1
High-voltage substation bushings, disconnectors and busbars against a clear sky

What you will learn

  • Explain what energy system data is, why it matters, and what the five key tensions shaping the sector are
  • Identify the 40+ organisations that produce, consume, and govern energy data and describe their data roles
  • Describe how the physical electricity and gas networks generate data at every voltage level
  • Navigate the complete 87-type data taxonomy across 13 categories with correct sensitivity classifications
  • Explain how the national smart-meter estate works, including SMETS1 vs SMETS2, DCC WAN architecture, and DUIS service requests
  • Trace the 7-stage meter-to-bill chain from capture through settlement and billing

Single learning path

  • People who are new to energy data and want a precise mental model instead of memorised acronyms
  • Data engineers, analysts, and architects working in or entering the energy sector
  • Regulatory professionals, policy advisors, and compliance officers in energy governance

Prerequisites: None. The course starts from first principles and explains every acronym before using it.

The route through GB energy system data, from meters to certification

Each stage answers one question and hands the next what the pill under the arrow names, so the exam at stage four is asked of the vocabulary, the lifecycle and the judgement together rather than of the last stage alone.

Four stages run from vocabulary to proof: foundations, the data lifecycle, markets in motion, then exam and certification, with codes, Ofgem and data policy governing the route from above. Source: this course's syllabus, 31 modules across four stages.

The route through GB energy system data, from meters to certification Four stage nodes run left to right inside a thin frame: stage 1 Foundations, 6 modules, asking what the system and its data are; stage 2 The data lifecycle, 8 modules, asking how a reading becomes money; stage 3 Markets in motion and strategy, 8 modules, asking where the market is going; stage 4 Exam and certification, 3 exam surfaces, asking whether you can prove it. Labelled arrows between the stages read builds the vocabulary, follows the data and applies the judgement. A governance band above stages 1 to 3, labelled codes, Ofgem and data policy, drops into stage 2 (rules) and stage 3 (strategy). CODES · OFGEM · DATA POLICY stages 1 to 3 rules live in stage 2 strategy lives in stage 3 STAGE 1 Foundations 6 modules What is the systemand its data? STAGE 2 The data lifecycle 8 modules How does a readingbecome money? STAGE 3 Markets in motionand strategy 8 modules Where is the marketgoing? STAGE 4 Exam andcertification 3 exam surfaces Can you prove it? builds the vocabulary follows the data applies the judgement

Every figure in the course is catalogued in the energy system data toolkit, faceted by data lifecycle stage and fuel.

Course curriculum

Read the modules in order on the first pass. Use the practice and stage tests when you want a stricter check on what stuck.

1

Energy data foundations

8 modules · 4.17 hours

1The big picture: why energy data matters25 min2Meet the players: who holds which data30 min3Identifiers and registers: MPAN, MPRN and the system's spine35 min4The wires and pipes: physical infrastructure to data35 min587 types of energy system data40 min6Smart meters: the national instrument35 min7Foundations stage summary20 min8Foundations scenario practice30 minPracticePractice testUntimed
2

The data lifecycle

10 modules · 5.83 hours

9From meter to market: settlement under MHHS45 min10Switching and registration: the CSS data spine35 min11Export data: microgeneration, SEG and storage30 min12The rulebook: legislation, codes, and RIIO35 min13Who controls the data: governance and triage30 min14Your data, your rights: privacy and consent35 min15Show me the money: settlement, markets and network charges45 min16Hands on with market data: Insights, IRIS and the open APIs45 min17Data lifecycle stage summary20 min18Data lifecycle scenario practice30 minPracticePractice testUntimed
3

Markets in motion and strategy

10 modules · 5.75 hours

19Flexibility market data: the new asset layer40 min20Devices and tariffs: data at the edge35 min21Gas data in depth: UK Link, Gemini and UIG40 min22GB in context: international comparison35 min23The digital future: the transformation programmes35 min24Digitalisation framework: governance architecture30 min25CIM and interoperability: the common language40 min26Planning tomorrow's grid: FES, SSEP and RESP40 min27Markets and strategy stage summary20 min28Markets and strategy scenario practice30 minPracticePractice testUntimed
4

Exam and certification

3 modules · 1.67 hours

29Revision guide40 min30Exam practice30 min31Mock exams and certification30 min

Standards and references

This course is aligned to the following standards, frameworks, and certification objectives.

  1. 1Ofgem Data Best Practice Guidance and Supporting Information (April 2026)
  2. 2IEC 61970-301:2022 Common Information Model (CIM)
  3. 3IEC 61970-600 CGMES v3.0 grid model exchange profiles
  4. 4Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) Sections K, S, T, Q, V
  5. 5Retail Energy Code (REC) and Smart Energy Code (SEC)
  6. 6UK GDPR and Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
  7. 7RIIO-ED2 and RIIO-3 licence conditions including SpC 9.5
  8. 8Ofgem DAPF tiered consent model
  9. 9NIS Regulations 2018 and CAF v4.0 (August 2025)