Elexon Kinnect: our cloud native digital platform explained
A new interactive publication is available called Elexon Kinnect: Our cloud native digital platform explained. It explains how the three elements of Kinnect – the Customer, Settlement and Insights Solutions – work, and the benefits that each will realise.
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Investing in the future
Elexon processes massive volumes of data on our central systems. These systems have served us well, but are still based on architecture designed over twenty years ago. As part of our digitalisation agenda, we’re investing in a new digital platform, Elexon Kinnect.
The cloud-based services that Kinnect offers can be quickly expanded and changed to manage the rapid evolution in the energy sector.
The current BSC Systems will not support swift changes in this way, as they were designed for a centralised market model. There is a significant risk that if our legacy systems were not upgraded, they would not be able to cope with the demands of our customers for quicker BSC rule changes, more support for innovation, and new Settlement functionality in the coming months and years.
Customer Solution removes cumbersome form filling
The document explains how the Kinnect Customer Solution removes cumbersome form filling and paperwork that companies had to complete either to manage their existing account, or to enter the market.
For new entrants, the Customer Solution provides a simple, online process for acceding to the BSC and completing market entry. Active companies can register new assets, register for new roles and manage their own details.
For example, it will be far easier for customers to make changes to ‘authorised signatories’ (colleagues within their company who are designated to make changes to the company’s BSC account) as this will be handled through an automated process.
Settlement Solution can be expanded on demand
As the Kinnect Settlement Solution is born in cloud technologies, it can achieve scalability from the very beginning. We are looking to the future in our design to be prepared for changes in customer base and a reduction in Settlement timescales for Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement.
If 15-minute Settlement or even 5-minute Settlement were introduced in the future, the solution will be ready to change far more quickly than the current systems.
Video explaining the flexible, scalable and modular platform
This short animation shows how our new flexible and scalable platform can expand on demand to enable faster change.
Video length: 1 min, 48 sec
The Settlement Solution in Kinnect also leverages several modular components known as microservices, which will each access data storage and processing technologies that can be developed quickly in response to changes in market rules, without unduly impacting other services.
Video showing how the modular design allows for agile change
This short animation shows how the modular design of our new cloud based digital platform allows for quicker system and BSC rule changes.
Video length: 1 min, 01 sec
Insights Solution builds on BMRS with state of the art service
A growing part of our role is to provide clear transparent, accessible energy data on the wholesale market through the Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service (BMRS), which is the industry’s ‘go to’ source of statistics on demand, generation, System Prices and other indicators.
By 2023, the new Elexon Kinnect Insights Solution will be a go-to source for GB electricity data, providing a reliable, market leading technology platform that delivers timely, accurate and insightful GB electricity data and reporting.
It will deliver value to our customers by providing reports which are accessible through easily adoptable technology solutions, and will continue to evolve with changing customer requirements, while remaining cost-effective and flexible to change.
About the digital platform
By having a strong, scalable digital platform we will support industry innovation, allow faster delivery of change, reduce the need for manual processes, which will ultimately mean we can support the industry in the future as we move at pace to achieve the demands for Net Zero.
Ultimately, deploying Kinnect will result in a much better user experience and better value for money on BSC services, for all of our customers and stakeholders.
Interactive document on our cloud native digital platform