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Frequently Asked Questions
Refer to the Related Documents menu to the right of this page to find the Top FAQs
for the last month.
1. How do I enter the Market?
2. What is CVA Qualification?
3. What is SVA Qualification?
4. Does ELEXON have
a Business Continuity Plan in place?
5. What
is the annual cost for monthly metered output for each BMU?
6. What data does
the Market Domain Data (MDD) consist of?
7. What are MPANs and MSIDs?
8. What is a Load Profile?
9. How do you allocate Profile
Classes?
10. What is the process to
validate LLF data?
11. How is CALF used
in the Credit Checking Process?
12. What are the Credit Rules
under the BSC?
13. When does a Credit Default occur?
14. Who is the FAA and what do they
do?
15. How do interconnectors work?
1.
How do I enter the Market?
The
Simple Guide to Market Entry (104Kb)
provides a high level understanding of the processes involved in entering the market.
The document identifies the Legal Framework and processes relevant to Market
Entry, for all relevant roles within the industry. The guide also aims to
help you identify and resolve any issues you may have relating to Market Entry,
and to provide you with details of how ELEXON can help with specific issues. Finally,
the guide will provide you with contact details and information about other related
organisations that you may need to contact in order to participate in the market.
Information of how to enter the market is also available from the
Entering the Market section of this site. Within this section you can select
a role (Trading Party, Supplier, LDSO etc) and be guided through the Market Entry
process.
2. What is CVA Qualification?
CVA Qualification is the process of testing your business systems (electronic and manual) to ensure that they conform to the required interfaces with various key agents. CVA Qualification Testing must be completed in order to formally register you to trade within the CRS. This testing is undertaken between the CRA and yourself. Please see the 'Simple Guide to Market Entry' which is available on the Market Entry section of the BSC (ELEXON) website for further details. The CVA Qualification testing requirements are outlined in the Communications Requirement Document and the CVA Qualification Guide. You can find details of the interfaces in the various BSCPs and the NETA Data File Catalogue, also available within the Market Entry section of the BSC (ELEXON) website. This depends on the capacities involved, but in some instances you may be required to undertake further CVA Qualification testing. Please refer to the CVA Qualification Guide for further information. The potential Party or Party Agent drives this process. The CRA requests one weeks notice for test booking slots. The test slots themselves are for 4 hours each.
For more information and guidance on the CVA Qualification process please refer to the CVA Qualification pages
More information about Entry Processes is available from the
Entering the Market section.
3. What is SVA Qualification?
Under the BSC, SVA Parties, SVA Party Agents and CVA MOAs are required to gain Qualified status by completing the SVA Qualification process. The SVA Qualification process aims to provide assurance that an organisation’s systems, which may interact with the BSC Systems and other participant’s systems, developed outside of ELEXON’s control, are in line with BSC requirements and good practice.
One of the main activities for new entrants in the SVA Qualification process is completion of a Self Assessment Document (SAD) and provision of evidence to support the responses to the SAD questions. The SAD embodies the Qualification Requirements. Applicants are also required to design and execute a program of testing in order to satisfy functional and communications testing requirements. ELEXON (or its Qualification service provider) will review the SAD and supporting evidence (including test evidence) and make a determination about whether or not the Applicant has satisfied the Qualification Requirements. A risk based approach will be taken to reviewing the SAD and supporting evidence. Once the SAD is completed to an appropriate standard ELEXON will present a recommendation to the Performance Assurance Board, the BSC Panel sub-committee which grants Qualification approval.
Once Qualified, market participants are required to maintain their Qualified status through the re-Qualification process. Re-Qualification should be completed prior to a Qualified Person implementing a Material Change to the systems and/or processes that it uses to carry out it obligations under the BSC. As agreed in the PAB meeting in September 2006, no fees will be charged to applicants for Qualification and re-Qualification.
For more information and guidance on the SVA Qualification process (including re-Qualification) please refer to the SVA Qualification pages.
More information about the qualification process is available from the
Entering the Market section of this site.
4. Does ELEXON have a Business Continuity Plan in place?
Yes. The Business Continuity Plan forms part of ELEXON’s response to any potential
disasters, catastrophic failure, or situations where ELEXON’s operational capabilities
are affected.
5. What is the annual cost for monthly metered output for each BMU?
The annual cost is £3000.
To download Registered BM Unit and Registered Participant Data, refer to the
Market Data section available from the menu alongside.
6. What data does the Market Domain Data (MDD) consist of?
Market Domain Data (MDD) is the central repository of Supplier Volume Allocation
(SVA) market information and is essential to the operation of the SVA Trading Arrangements
as it includes critical parameters such as Standard Settlement Configurations, Profile
Classes and GSP Groups. In order for the trading arrangements to operate efficiently
it is essential that all parties utilise the correct data at all times therefore,
the generation, maintenance and distribution of such data needs to be managed in
a secure and auditable manner.
To meet this requirement the SVA Agent acts as the single, central repository for
all such data and is responsible for its maintenance and distribution to all interested
parties, Market Participants and Agents.
Section 2 and 3 of the
MDD guidance document(190Kb)
provide the information stored in MDD.
7.
What are MPANs and MSIDs?
Each point of entry and exit onto a Distribution System Operator’s Distribution
System has an associated Metering Point and each Metering Point has an associated
Administration Number (MPAN) and Metering System Identifier (MSID). MPAN is the
term used in the Master Registration Agreement (MRA), the governance document for
the registration of Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) Metering Points registered
in Supplier Meter Registration Systems (SMRS).
To find out more about the MPANs and MSIDs, refer to the MSID/MPAN Guidance article,
available from the
ELEXON LINK - March 2003 (69Kb)
edition.
8. What
is a Load Profile?
Load Profile is a broad term that can refer to a number of different forms of data.
It can refer to demand and consumption data or it can be a reference to derived
data types, such as Regression and Profile Coefficients. However, all these data
types have one thing in common; that they represent the pattern of electricity usage
of a segment of supply market customers. A load profile gives the Half Hourly (Settlement
Period) pattern or ‘shape’ of usage across a day (Settlement Day), and the pattern
across the Settlement year, for the average customer of each of the eight profile
classes. It is the proportion of demand in each Settlement Period that is of interest
to the Settlement System.
For more information about Load Profiles refer to the
Load profiles and their use in electricity Settlement(208Kb)
document.
9. How do you allocate Profile Classes?
The method of allocating a Profile Class is dependent on whether:
- i. the Metering System Identifier (MSID) is Import or Export;
- ii. meter usage is Domestic or Non-Domestic;
- iii. meter has ‘switched load’ capabilities;
- iv. Maximum Demand (MD) is recorded.
The Profile Class suite currently consists of 8 Profile Classes (as defined in Appendix
4.1 - Allocation of Profile Classes to NHH MSIDs), two of which are for Domestic
usage (codes 01 and 02) and 6 of which are for Non-Domestic usage (codes 03 to 08).
Each NHH MSID will be assigned to a Profile Class.
The allocation of SSCs to NHH MSIDs is described in Appendix 4.2 - Allocation of
NHH MSIDs to SSCs.
Information of how to allocate Profile Classes is available from
BSCP516(65Kb)
.
10. What is the process to validate LLF data?
This BSC Procedure (BSCP) defines the means by which the SVA Line Loss Factors (LLF)
attributable to each Line Loss Factor Class (LLFC) Id for Half Hourly and Non-Half
Hourly Metering Systems registered in the Supplier Meter Registration Service (SMRS)
are submitted by Public Distribution System Operator (PDSO) for approval by the
Panel or its nominated representatives and communicated to the Supplier Volume Allocation
Agent (SVAA), Half Hourly Data Aggregators (HHDAs) and Suppliers.
It describes the key interfaces, timetable and responsibilities of the various parties.
For a given Metering System this BSC Procedure covers the following:
- i. notification of SVA LLFs for a new LLFC Id;
- ii. update, annually or as required, of SVA LLFs for an existing LLFC Id; and
- iii. format for submission of SVA LLF data and the Panel approval process.
This BSC Procedure does not cover the notification of LLFs for Metering Systems
registered with the Central Meter Registration Service (CMRS), which is covered
by BSCP28, or for ERS registered Metering Systems, which is covered in BSCP128.
The notification of new LLFC Ids for Metering Systems registered in the Supplier
Meter Registration Service (SMRS) is covered in BSCP509, Changes to Market Domain
Data.
For more information on how to validate LLF data, please see
BSCP528(86Kb)
.
11. How is CALF used in the Credit Checking Process?
Download the
CALF Guidance(735Kb)
document and refer to section 1.5.6 Appendix 1 of
Section M(223Kb)
of the BSC.
12. What are the Credit Rules under the BSC?
Under the BSC arrangements, payments to and from Trading Parties in respect of Trading
Charges arising on any particular Settlement Day are made, on average, twenty-nine
calendar days later. Thus, at any given time, Trading Parties may have debts (or
be due payments) in respect of Trading Charges incurred, on average, over the previous
twenty-nine days. The purpose of Credit Cover is to ensure that, should a Trading
Party default, sufficient collateral is available to pay these debts.
The BSC does not stipulate the amount of Credit Cover that Trading Parties must
provide. Instead Trading Parties decide on the level of Credit Cover that they wish
to provide, and credit checking is intended to ensure that a Trading Party cannot
accumulate a debt over the twenty-nine day period that exceeds the amount of Credit
Cover provided.
For more information refer to the Information Sheet
Overview of Credit Cover(47Kb)
and
Section M(223Kb)
of the BSC.
13. When does a Credit Default occur?
The Credit Default processes are triggered when a Party’s Credit Cover Percentage
(CCP) exceeds a number of thresholds. The Level 1 Credit Default process is triggered
when the CCP exceeds 80% and the Level 2 Credit Default process is triggered when
the CCP exceeds 90%.
For further information on how the CCP is derived please refer to the Information
Sheet ‘Overview of Credit Cover’
Information about Credit Default can be found from section 3.2 and 3.3 of
Section M(223Kb)
of the BSC.
14. Who is the FAA and what do they do?
The role of the FAA(Fund Administration Agent) for the electricity trading arrangements
is carried out by Logica. As such, they arrange the financial Settlement of electricity
traded through the balancing mechanism and any energy ‘spilled’ on or ‘taken’ from
the system that was not in a contract prior to the Trading Period, in accordance
with the Service agreement with ELEXON and the BSC.
Queries relating to Credit Cover, and invoices sent out by the FAA should be directed
to the
FAA Helpdesk.
15. How do interconnectors work?
Download the guidance document
BSC Interconnector Trading(347Kb)
which was produced to assist BSC participants in understanding the operation and
general terminology used in relation to Interconnectors under the auspices of the
BSC. Please note that detailed obligations are set out in the Balancing and Settlement
Code and Code Subsidiary Documents (CSDs).