Welcome & Introduction
In this video I will be taking you through the various elements of the ConnectMore Interactive Tool, showing you the basic functionality, and how to customise the map layers to provide more detailed information, depending on your requirements. More extensive explanations of each section, and interpretation of the data provided, are available in other videos.
The tool is being developed as part of the Charge project. It provides users with access to EV charging demand heatmaps and data and Electricity Network capacity heatmaps for the low and high voltage networks. The ConnectMore tool covers Merseyside, Cheshire, North Shropshire, North and Mid Wales -the SP Energy Networks MANWEB licence area.
When first accessed, the tool will open with the view shown here, centred on SP Energy Network's Prenton office. The starting view is of just the map layer, with no additional information showing.
The map zoom controls and scale bar are at the bottom left of the screen.
Feedback can be left by clicking on the speech bubble icon at the top right of the screen – this is ideal for more detailed suggestions. A screen shot of the page is automatically attached to the message. You can add as much detail as you want to explain your suggestion or the problem that you are experiencing.
A quicker method of leaving feedback is to click on the appropriate smiley face at the bottom of the sidebar. You can choose whether to leave a message.
if you notice anything not working as expected or have any thoughts on how it could be more user friendly please tell us. ConnectMore Tool is currently under development, and We are keen to incorporate any user feedback provided where possible.
Basic Side Bar Functionality
The side bar can be retracted, or restored, by clicking on the vertical bar down its left-hand side.
You can use the ‘search map’ function at the top of the right-hand tool bar to find specific locations within the MANWEB area. It will suggest locations once text is entered into the field. For example, beginning to enter Treardur Bay into the search bar, offers several possible results. I'll select the bay for the purposes of this demonstration.
The map will automatically zoom to a level appropriate for the location selected from the suggested list, but as you would expect, the zoom level can be manually adjusted using through the standard zoom controls.
Alternatively, the focus of the map can be panned around as would be expected in a map tool like this.
Below the "search map" field, we can see two sections for configuring the content of the main map area.
EV Charging Demand
The EV Charging Demand heatmaps allows you to define scenario characteristics, covering charger location types, EV Uptake profiles and levels of infrastructure deployment, looking forward in 5-year intervals to 2050.
Throughout the ConnectMore Tool, where you see small question mark symbols like this, selecting them will provide more information on the item in question, enabling you to make a more informed decision through a greater understanding of the assumptions and intentions inherent within the tool.
Once you have set up your chosen scenario, the map will be populated showing the various Lower Layer Super Output Areas, or LSOA's , coloured in accordance with the key shown at the top of the sidebar if you have selected public residential, destination or private workplace charging infrastructure, or the motorway, A and B road network for en-route charging. The two map layers can be viewed separately or together by clicking the tick boxes at the top of the right-hand menu.
Selecting any LSOA or stretch of road on the map will cause the sidebar to be populated with data specific to it and the previously defined scenario. These settings are also available at the top of the side bar, and can be changed as required, with both the map, and charts in the sidebar updating to reflect your changes.
A separate video is available providing an explanation of the charts, so this won't be covered here.
Electricity Network Capacity
The Electricity Network Capacity heatmaps provides a general overview of the network to identify where there is existing capacity to accommodate new connections. They can be configured to either show the LV or HV network. Both work in the same way. You can navigate between them using the tick boxes at the top of the menu bar.
On first opening of the tool and selecting an option, the map zoom level will be such that the transformers are shown, but not the cables. The key for the colour status is provided at the top of the sidebar.
Here it can be seen that the tool defaults to a new connection rating of 25 Kilovolt Ampere, but this can be adjusted in the sidebar with the network asset status changing accordingly.
Increasing the zoom level to above 16 will show the cables as well as the transformers. When you click on an asset on the map, the sidebar will be populated with data specific to that asset and the previously selected capacity to be connected.
Combining Both
Both the EV Charging Demand and Electricity Network Capacity functionality can be combined, using the tick boxes at the top of the menu allowing you to overlay EV charging infrastructure forecasts and network capacity data.
At all locations within the tool, the 'previous' or 'clear heatmap' buttons will take you to the previous screen, or reset the heatmap, as required.