Energy Security Safeguard Platform – The data to power a sustainable future

The challenge was identifying key requirements to implement a new energy savings platform, considering the state of existing systems and the increased scope of the Safeguard. Prior discovery research found key risks for the implementation of the Safeguard. Fragmented legacy systems, incomplete information, and manual repetitive tasks created barriers to achieving increased energy savings targets. Existing thinking was that a single platform could consolidate and streamline the end-to-end process of delivering energy savings. FF's brief was to define key system requirements and test these requirements through rapid prototyping and testing with Safeguard stakeholders following the NSW and Commonwealth design systems.

Within a 14-week Alpha, FF worked alongside the Safeguard team - prototyping and testing potential requirements such as standardised processes, automation, improved data collection, and improved information access. Testing outlined there is no 'one-size-fits-all' process for energy savings, and that standardising processes across all stakeholders would be actively detrimental to the Safeguard's delivery. However, while all parties have different processes, the required information is the same. This powerful insight led to the true answer. The most effective way to fight fragmentation is through access to clean, consolidated data rather than trying to control and manage tasks.

Access to clean, consolidated data creates the critical efficiency required to scale energy savings. For policy-makers - Clean data enables informed evidence-based decisions. Understand energy-saving trends in real-time, to support developing better legislation underpinning Safeguard delivery. For regulators - Clean data enables reduced administrative burden, and streamlined risk profiling - so teams can know where to focus their efforts. For front-line teams - Access to real-time data that augments and supercharges (rather than replaces) existing business processes. The findings from the Alpha allow for the flexibility and power of a dynamic marketplace, without the inefficiency of fragmentation.

Our strategy was built around clean, consolidated data - but data is meaningless if it can't be used. So, we designed the tools to enable everyone to use the data effectively. - Simple dashboard - summarising information, statuses, and legislative changes. - Streamlined upload process - improving data capture and validation. - Expanded data-model - capturing new data to supercharge regulation. - Payment gateway - facilitating the real-time payment of energy saving certificates. - Centralised implementation details - An end-to-end view of every energy-saving certificate. A single source of truth for all energy-saving activity. - ACP compliance history - a comprehensive history of each Accredited Certificate Provider, allowing for automated risk-profiling. - Open scheme data - to explore energy-saving trends across sectors, methods, and locations. Quotes from the research: "The key things here are consolidation and clarity. Having it all in one place is easier for us to do our job." - Front-line team-member "This is way better than what we have now, life-changing. We've got all the right indicators to detect risk, but we don't have the information in one place." - Auditor "Having good, well-presented information will improve our ability to administer the scheme. For individual staff to process things quicker, make better decisions" - Policy-maker