GIS Boundaries for GB Grid Supply Points

This dataset contains approximate GIS (geographic information system) geospatial boundaries associated with each of the Grid Supply Points (GSPs) on the transmission network. The boundaries have been derived by generating Thiessen polygons around the lowest level grid asset for which we have a topological lookup back to GSP. In some cases, this means Thiessen polygons have been generated around Distribution Network Operator (DNO) assets (e.g. Bulk Supply Points, Primary Substations etc) and these Thiessen polygons have been aggregated up to GSP level using topological lookups provided by the DNOs, in other cases no DNO asset GIS data was available in time for the dataset release and the GSP boundary is a single Thiessen polygon. The GSP boundaries have been clipped to the DNO License Area boundaries, apart from where GIS data from DNOs provided evidence of a DNO serving demand in a neighbournig DNO License Area through bilateral agreement with the neighbour DNO.

This dataset also includes a lookup between GSPs and so-called Gnodes and Direct Connects. Gnodes are an entity used by teams within National Grid ESO for the purposes of modelling and monitoring the transmission network. In most cases there is a "ONE : ONE" relationship between "GSP : Gnode", but occasionally a Gnode can represent several GSPs ("ONE Gnode : MANY GSPs") and in some cases a Gnode represents an asset on the distribution network. In general, the relationship between GSPs and Gnodes is "MANY : MANY". A Direct Connect represents demand connected directly to the transmission network. They are included in this dataset because they may theoretically host embedded generation and/or may form part of a MANY:MANY relationship with a Gnode.

The GSP boundaries are used for regional modelling of the GB electricity transmission network, for example to aggregate distributed embedded generator energy flows onto the transmission network. A good example of this is the Regional PV_Live outturn estimates published by The University of Sheffield (https://www.solar.sheffield.ac.uk/pvlive/regional/).