Energy Systems Catapult, alongside the University of Oxford, is leading the delivery of SENSE, a brand new data service. SENSE will help accelerate the UK’s transition to Net Zero by unlocking crucial datasets and insights about electric vehicle access and energy use patterns across the country.

SENSE is backed by Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It is part of a new £30 million cohort of six data services funded to help address societal challenges using ‘smart data’ – data generated through everyday digital interactions, from smartphones to smart home devices.

The programme objectives align with the UK government’s ambitious AI Opportunities Action Plan, showcasing how data innovation can address complex challenges in achieving the Government’s clean energy and Net Zero mission.

The challenge

SENSE will focus on gathering data two address two key challenges:

1. Equitable energy transitions – Exploring how public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure can support fair and inclusive access for rural and underserved communities.
2. Energy behaviours and efficiency – Examining how societal behaviours impact energy use in public and commercial buildings, enabling more effective energy management and tax funds to be spent on vital public services rather than on unnecessary energy bills.

Our approach

SENSE will be delivered in collaboration with academic institutions including University of Oxford, University College London, University of Reading, University of Bristol, Leeds Beckett University, University of Leeds and University of Birmingham.

The Hartree Centre, part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), will develop a data platform which will host the available data. Counting Lab (data processing experts) will work together with several industry partners who are committed to furthering our ability to share data on this innovative project.

To make sure we deliver a high-quality data service, we will focus on the following areas:

• Acquiring, stewarding and enabling safe access for academics to key data sets that will help them undertaking ground-breaking research to accelerated Net Zero.
• Building a user-friendly platform where the data can be accessed to enable new and innovative research collaborations.
• Ensuring that the data is always used responsibly, including ensuring the highest standards of data ethics and measures to safeguard public trust.
• Building capacity across the research community, including policy makers and innovators, by providing training, hackathons and summer schools as well as reverse mentoring.
• Becoming a ‘Centre of excellence’ for smart data research.

Next steps

SENSE launched in March 2025 and will run until September 2027.  If you would like to hear more about the six data services, please sign up to the Smart Data Research UK newsletter here.