The ENA Connect Direct platform has successfully processed applications from 1000 installers in its first month of operation.
ENA Connect Direct aimed to modernise and simplify the application process, which used to be slow and reliant on manual processes. For installers of domestic low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels, ENA Connect Direct upgrades the process with an intuitive interface and by automating many of the inputs which speeds up the application creation time. It provides a streamlined system which uses artificial intelligence to provide instant approvals for most routine applications. When transferred to the DNO, the system has an average processing time of 1.5 days, reflecting the additional time more complex applications take to review and process. The digital system has also helped eliminate the manual transposing issues that potentially slowed applications in previous years.
ENA Connect Direct is also succeeding in providing the efficient delivery of accurate data to network operators. In turn this provides increased visibility to aid network design and operations, a major step forward in creating a smarter UK energy system.
With the uptake of low-carbon technologies anticipated to continue at a considerable rate in the coming years, ENA Connect Direct supports installers with completing faster and safe installations.
Dan Clarke, Head of Innovation at Energy Networks Association, said:
“I am delighted so many installers have made use of the platform already, and the feedback from users has been incredible, with one installer stating, ‘this platform is a dream come true!’ It is the sort of tangible improvement that the installers, manufacturers, the distribution network operators and ultimately the customer, will benefit from. The insights and data the system helps to centralise also supports network operators in having a live overview of LCT installations that they need to operate a smarter and more efficient network in the years ahead.”
Notes to editor
Installers can logon to Connect Direct via the ENA website.
About us
Energy Networks Association (ENA) is the industry body representing the energy networks. Our members include every major electricity network operator in the UK. The electricity networks are at the heart of the energy transition. They directly employ more than 26,000 people in the UK, including 1,500 apprentices. They are spending and investing £33bn in our electricity grids over the coming years, to ensure safe, reliable and secure energy supplies for the millions of homes and businesses reliant on power every day.
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