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gb_spen_heatmap_spd

SP Energy Networks Capacity Heatmap — SPD

Published by SP Energy Networks · GB · Twice a year

Grantedcommercial_use_with_attributionHealthy

Demand, generation and reverse-power-flow headroom (MVA) at SP Distribution's 390 primary substations in central and southern Scotland, with firm capacity, RAG status, limiting factor and LTDS Table 6 connection activity.

What is withheld, and why

Nothing is withheld. Values are served with the attribution the licence asks for: SP Energy Networks, Capacity Heatmaps Information Model SPD, https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/distribution-capacity-heatmaps-spd/, SP Energy Networks Open Data Licence (based on CC BY 4.0). Keep it with any figure you show.

The dataset metadata says CC BY 4.0; the portal licence it points to is SPEN's own, based on CC BY 4.0, with no non-commercial restriction. SPEN prescribes no attribution wording (§5.1: creator, a licence notice, a link). "SPEN may at any time revise this Licence without notice": the licence page should be re-read on review.

Licence and rights evidence

Licence
SP Energy Networks Open Data Licence (based on CC BY 4.0) (opens the operator’s site)
Attribution
SP Energy Networks, Capacity Heatmaps Information Model SPD, https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/distribution-capacity-heatmaps-spd/, SP Energy Networks Open Data Licence (based on CC BY 4.0)required
Technical access
Yes
Commercial use
Yes
May be cached
Yes
May be redistributed
Yes
Derived data allowed
Yes

Evidence

Methodology

2 version(s)

SPEN Capacity Heatmaps Information Model

gb_spen_heatmap_spd_2026 · v2026-06 (LTDS November 2025, Load Index 2025, LTDS Table 6 May 2026)

Headroom per substation "based on the current connected position at SPEN substations and including LTDS connection activity", from the November 2025 LTDS, the 2025 Load Index tables and LTDS Table 6 (May 2026). Not a forecast: SPEN points to its NSHR for future headroom. Firmness of the headroom is not stated.

Capacity basis
operator calculated
Network state
unknown
Binding
No
Additive across assets
No — do not sum these figures
The method accounts for
reserved: not stated · allocated: not stated · pre-reserved: not stated · pending requests: not stated
Comparability class
gb_spen_heatmap
Documentation
Operator’s method (opens the operator’s site)

The operator’s own caveats

  • "The data are indicative only; hence must not be used for safety-critical purposes and cannot be used for accurate connection assessments." (SPEN)
  • "Demand headroom is also dependent on upstream network capacity, and generation headroom is influenced by voltage‑control constraints on export" (SPEN)

SPEN connection activity (LTDS Table 6), SPD

gb_spen_heatmap_spd_activity_2026 · v2026-06 (LTDS Table 6, May 2026)

Number and MVA of budget estimates provided, connection offers made and connection offers accepted per substation and proposed connection voltage, from LTDS Table 6 (May 2026), plus SPEN's own "Past Connection Activity Total" columns. A flow over a past period, not capacity available now. SPEN does not state the period.

Capacity basis
operator published
Network state
unknown
Binding
No
Additive across assets
No — do not sum these figures
The method accounts for
reserved: not stated · allocated: not stated · pre-reserved: not stated · pending requests: not stated
Comparability class
gb_spen_connection_activity
Documentation
Operator’s method (opens the operator’s site)

How the publication maps to the model

availability types
["available","total","requested","contracted","unknown"]
binding
false
directions
["offtake","injection"]
firmness
["firm","unknown"]
geometry precision
exact
includes reserved projects
null
non additive
true
notes
["Not the nested standard: one flat row per primary substation with the standard's field names, LTDS Table 6 connection activity merged on (one proposed connection voltage per row, 11 kV today). Bare NaN tokens mark what the merge left empty and are read as not published.","The id is mGRID (\"Master Resource ID\"), which equals the substation name in SPD: it is the only key SPEN gives. Assets are keyed SPD/<mGRID>.","Generation firm, available and reverse-power-flow capacities are strings: numeric, or \"unknown\" at 123 of 390 sites, served as an explicit unknown (value null, source_value \"unknown\"), never zero.","Negative available capacity is published at 7 sites for generation and 1 for demand (deficits, flagged in details).","SPEN's reverse-power-flow figures equal its generation figures on every row (total = generation firm, available = generation available): they are published, and served, as SPEN's own reverse-power-flow series, but they carry no information of their own.","RAG (`Green|Amber|Red|unknown`) and limiting factor (`thermal`, `fault level`, lower case) are verbatim in details and attributes. OtherConstraints is one text for every site: demand also depends on upstream capacity, generation on voltage control and fault-level contribution.","\"Past Connection Activity Total …\" columns are SPEN's own summary outside the standard, described only as \"connection activity\"; served with availability `unknown`."]
spatial scope
substation
technologies
["generic_load","generic_generation"]
units
["MVA","count"]

Query this source

curl "https://api.gridcapacityapi.com/v1/capacity/search?source=gb_spen_heatmap_spd&limit=20" \  -H "Authorization: Bearer gc_live_..."