Future Networks Forum
The purpose of the Future Networks Forum (FNF) is to harness the collective power of the distribution sector to help Aotearoa reach its climate change goals.
The FNF identifies opportunities where Electricity Distribution Businesses (EDBs) can align to help Aotearoa reach our climate change goals and create value for customers. Below is a short summary of the initiatives that are currently being worked on.
The FNF is co-chaired by Sam Elder from Orion and James Tipping from Vector and the group is made up of representatives from across 23 lines companies.
New EDB members are encouraged to join the Future Networks Forum so we can form a comprehensive view of opinions from across all our lines companies. If you are from an EDB, and you want to find out more, please email us at FNF@electricity.org.nz.
- ENA members can login to the full FNF pages here.
- A slide pack summarising FNF's overall objectives, structure and current activities can be viewed here.
If you’d like to hear more about the FNF – or a particular project – email FNF@electricity.org.nz
Innovation forums
The FNF run three innovation forums per year. These are two day forums to engage with the sector and have valuable kōrero about each of the projects and their progress. These are generally held in Wellington (with an online option).
All ENA members are welcome to attend. Our next forums are pencilled in for 2-3 July, and 13-14 November. More details including agendas and RSVP forms will be available soon.
A picture from our second innovation forum in March 2024
Current FNF initiatives
Roles and functions to enable distributed flexibility
The purpose of this project is to improve understanding and alignment between EDBs on the roles, functions and industry architecture to enable distributed flexibility. There’s been fantastic EDB engagement on this project so far with a webinar on early insights from a literature review and an online workshop on roles and functions, using case studies of various applications of flexibility in New Zealand. Engagement on this key initiative will keep coming, and a discussion document will be released for EDB feedback next month.
Customer segmentation
We’re building a shared understanding and common language amongst EDBs about who our customers are, their current and future needs, and the pain points in their customer journeys – which EDBs may be well-placed to address. This is a core foundational piece, and will ensure a customer-centric approach to FNF’s ongoing prioritisation and work programme.
Connections journey mapping
The primary objective of the connections journey mapping initiative is to create consistency and alignment for customers in their engagement journey with their host EDBs. The key is to facilitate an easier transition for the customer from inception to delivery of large connection projects, providing the best possible experience for these customers.
The first phase of this project will likely take about eight weeks and will focus on journey discovery with the customers, and creating EDB guides and templates for the pre-application and quoting phases. These will be well consulted on across the sector and customers.
There are other initiatives under development in this area – particularly the EEA’s project on common connection guidelines and the EA’s new Network Connections Technical Group. The FNF will work closely with those orgs (and others) to make sure the projects are aligned and effort isn’t duplicated.
Flexibility opportunities project
This initiative is exploring commercial mechanisms and enhancing an initial evaluation calculator for flexibility projects, developed by Wellington Electricity and Orion through their Resi-Flex project. The FNF project is identifying potential additional commercial mechanisms and developing a standardised assessment framework for EDBs to compare traditional (infrastructure) network solutions with non-network flexibility solutions.
Development of aligned solutions
Workstream 3 of the FNF is called 'aligned solutions' and currently has three initiatives underway:
- develop consistent approaches to sharing DER information between EDBs and other parties
- explore the evolving role of HWC load control and investigate DER data exchange needs between EDB↔SO
- investigate how EDBs enable optimised EV charging.
The mahi kicked off last year with a survey of existing and future practices by New Zelaand EDBs, and then an international survey and round of interviews which has just been completed. Depending on the requirements of the large connection process project, the next steps in this work are benchmarking and compiling a summary report and next steps.
Outreach with purpose
Across all of these projects, we are constantly assessing who our key stakeholders are to ensure we are engaging, listening and collaborating as well as we can externally. We have a 12-month view of FNF deliverables, and this will help us make decisions about content for future Innovation Forums, speakers, and workshop topics.
