Chester-based EA Technology, a world-leading company in power systems engineering consultancy and support, had reason to celebrate last week. The prestigious Gamechanger Award was presented to a project that the company delivered with Northern Powergrid, to improve and accelerate the process for customers to connect to the low voltage (LV) network.
The Gamechanger Award was one of the categories in the Network Awards 2020, an awards ceremony aimed at the energy networks industry and its supply chain. Northern Powergrid was recognised for its ground-breaking AutoDesign software, which was developed and deployed with EA Technology and is built on EA Technology’s world-leading network assessment technology.
As energy networks prepare for a radically different future, they are seeking new products and technologies that will help them meet changing customer needs efficiently and effectively. The Gamechanger Award recognises the new technology or product that is most likely to change the game for networks, with potential to create lasting benefits for the business, its customers and other stakeholders.
The judging was based on evidence of innovation, quantifiable results and proof of applicability across the industry. AutoDesign is a revolutionary online software tool that simplifies the process of creating new electrical connections. Led by Northern Powergrid, the project aimed to improve and accelerate the connection process, particularly to meet growing needs around installing electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints and servicing new housing developments.
EA Technology was responsible for the software development for AutoDesign, a free, web-based tool which provides customers with visibility of the LV network. The software shows customers where new connections are possible and allows them to design new connections by drawing what they require using a simple and intuitive interface.
Speaking about the award, EA Technology’s Technical Director, Dave A. Roberts, said:
“The development of AutoDesign was a fascinating project to work on with Northern Powergrid. AutoDesign simplifies a process which can take up to 10 days, by enabling users to quickly establish where capacity exists in the network and providing instant budget quotations for new connections in a matter of minutes. We felt strongly that it would be an industry gamechanger and receiving this award reinforces our belief.”
AutoDesign will help Northern Powergrid to manage increased demand for new connection requests, especially for EV chargepoints and housing developments, by allowing customers to self-serve for budget estimates. Accessible via any modern web browser, AutoDesign automatically performs the complex engineering calculations for the user.
Further to the initial release, EA Technology will continue to advance AutoDesign’s capabilities and provide ongoing maintenance and support. This will ensure that the tool continues to offer a better experience for its users and remains functional and up-to-date.
For more information on EA Technology and AutoDesign, contact Helen Hanratty, Head of Marketing, on helen.hanratty@eatechnology.com