SENTINEL

The platform for GB Balancing Mechanism and more.

Sentinel provides a comprehensive solution for businesses engaged in the delivery of balancing services in Great Britain. It includes applications designed to support interaction with Elexon and NGESO throughout the business cycle, ensuring BSC and Grid Code compliance in all aspects of your balancing services provision including the Balancing Mechanism and Ancillary Services.

Essential Balancing Mechanism Interfaces

Sentinel is the market leader for the key interfaces you need to participate in the BM. Regardless of whether you are a generator, supplier, aggregator or VLP we can tailor Sentinel to deliver the right level of automation for your portfolio.

EDT

  • Validation and submission of market (PN, MEL, MIL) and Bid Offer Data in accordance with NGESO Balancing Mechanism rules.
  • Input via user interface, file upload or API
  • Deployed as part of a wider Sentinel solution or integrated to established systems.

EDL

  • Submission of MEL / MIL and dynamic data after gate closure
  • Receipt and processing of BOAs, frequency, MVar and reason code instructions
  • Calculation of target import / export values
  • Automated and manual modes for acceptance and execution of Balancing Mechanism instructions
  • Custom features for wind, gas or battery storage assets

Elexon Interface

  • Enables interaction with the Elexon Central System
  • Supports CVA Qualification
  • Provides a certified means of submitting ECVN and MRVN data to Elexon, for BSC Parties and Party Agents
  • Integrates with ETRM systems to enable Forward Contract (7-day report) checking and reconciliation
  • Manages “P flows” required by VLPs.

Portfolio Dashboard

  • The primary user interface to Sentinel
  • Configurable KPI and graphical displays for your portfolio
  • Drill down to individual Balancing Mechanism Units
  • Manage auto or manual dispatch modes for each BMU
  • Create custom views of data for different user groups
  • EDL functions embedded for easy access
  • Presents feedback including actual generation or state of charge in real time
  • Differentiates between units BMUs and other assets.
Sentinel dashboard screens

BM and PPA Settlement

As energy systems decentralise and the range of revenue streams available to market participants grows, so too does the complexity of the settlement process. Sentinel provides a range of settlement solutions, including proven applications aligned to the GB Balancing Mechanism and Ancillary Services markets, plus bespoke applications to support the settlement of contracts and PPAs in the UK and other countries.

BM settlement relies on data delivered to the Elexon central system from a number of sources, including National Grid. Sentinel BM Settlements can emulate the settlement calculations carried out by Elexon to provide you with early visibility of your settlement position, some 4 to 8 days ahead of the Interim Information run provided by Elexon. This synthesised view provides an estimate of BM cashflow and flags any issues regarding credit cover.

Once Elexon settlement flows are available, Sentinel Settlements enables you to track and reconcile variances for each successive settlement run from II to DF to ensure that these are addressed before your final BM settlement position is confirmed. Sentinel Settlements also allows the capture of Ancillary Services settlement data (for the Mandatory Frequency Response and Reactive Power services) published by National Grid providing a comprehensive view of your balancing services settlement position.

The Settlements application provides snapshots of data from different metering flows (OMS, FMS and CDCA) to aid the identification of variances so that these can be addressed. Difference reports are provided to ensure such variances can be easily identified and comprehensive backing data ensures that your settlement position is fully auditable and defensible.

PPA and Contract Settlement
Energy systems are evolving fast and with them the need for effective management and settlement of complex contracts is growing.

We have provided PPA and contract management solutions in different countries and markets for over 10 years and we have continually developed the capabilities of our Contract Management System (CMS) to meet the needs of a diverse range of energy market participants to deliver secure, scalable solutions tailored to reflect each contract precisely.

CMS provides a tried and tested framework for configuring complex settlement calculations and processes that reflect specific PPAs, O&M contracts and other bilateral or multi-party contracts, automating their operating and settlement processes.

As traditional market boundaries are blurred by the growth of demand response, aggregation, peer to peer arrangements and the wider adoption of renewables, storage and VPPs, our energy market experience and track record in the delivery of contract and PPA management solutions means we are uniquely placed to support you through the design, delivery and operation of your system.

CMS supports a range of industry standard interface protocols making it open to integration with many plant control and metering systems, third party data services including weather, market pricing, ETRM, ERP and accounting systems. This openness enables CMS to acquire and organise large volumes of time series data via a structured, scalable data dictionary, making it available to the embedded calculation engine to power bespoke algorithms that reflect the terms of your contracts.

Integration

Sentinel supports a range of interfacing options, the primary method being the Sentinel API. The API is a collection of JSON/RESTful web services that supports key processes throughout the business cycle from EDT submission to automated dispatch on receipt of an instruction from NGESO and position monitoring via the collection of values including actual generation and state of charge.

All services that make up the API are documented online using Swagger, a resource that facilitates rapid development of the counterparts to the API that you wish to use. Available as read only and read-write versions, the Sentinel API provides a mechanism for embedding Sentinel and SOLV applications within your existing IT landscape to deliver process efficiencies and reliable results.

In addition to the Sentinel API, we have extensive experience of integrating to legacy systems and plant controllers via a range of options including OPC, Modbus and shared databases. Should you wish to use any of these technologies, we can engage with you to develop the required services.

Some Sentinel Users

Orsted
Orsted has used Sentinel since 2009 to provide BM access for its offshore wind portfolio and has subsequently extended the scope of its use to battery storage assets. The system features automated dispatch and REMIT disclosure functions that enhance productive and ensure complaince with industry transparency regulations.
EDF Energy
Sentinel provides BM access for EDF's fleet of nuclear power stations and its growing Powershift and battery storage portfolio.
Flexitricity
Flexitricity pioneered the demand side response industry in Great Britain. Over the last 15 years the company has become a thriving business, leading the energy revolution and becoming the first VLP in 2020. Flexitricity uses Sentinel to provide BM access to its customers via both its supplier and VLP offerings.
Previous
Next

Arrange a demo