Open energy data isn't sexy, but it's very important Whether it's Chelsea FC using the same databases as all their rivals and deciding not to buy 99.9 per cent of the players available or Groupon describing itself as a child of the cloud, big and open data is the future for consumers, companies... and undoubtedly football players. The annual conference is organised by the eponymous Teradata, a data behemoth that focuses on integrated warehousing, big data analytics and business applications that are scaled for big and small companies alike. One of the more interesting, and dare I say it sexy, verticals of their organisation is in energy and how data will create a revolution in its use and efficiency. Economic benefit will be felt by all if resources in this area are utilised optimally and will have a knock-on effect on local economies, health and even corruption. By using smart meters to not only measure consumers" energy usage, Teradata also using these meters to measure energy data that improves everything along the supply chain. Data from smart meters provides a huge opportunity for utilities that is far wider than just more accurate billing and letting the end customer see detailed consumption figures. Smart meters can also provide data about the network that is useful for the engineers that keep the lights on. Critical to making use of this data is integrating it with other data sources that the utility already has access to. Only with this integrated view of data can the utility make sense of all this new information from the smart meter," saysDavid Socha, Utilities Practice Leader at Teradata International As everybody in the UK who has bought or sold a house in the past five years knows, the energy efficiency of each property is laid out in plain view and is the epitome of open energy data helping financial decisions. The same goes for any corporation that uses big data; energy has a direct relation to cost and procurement. Like homeowners, businesses buy products and services using energy data as a key factor in their buying processes. By connecting data, businesses can see a tangible benefit - reduced costs through energy savings passed down through the supply chain, reduced reputational risk and improved relations due to confidence in business continuity. And that goes for small African companies as well as big European corporations. Nicholas Haralambous is the Founder of Nicsocks, a South African-based fashion brand that sells socks around Africa and is an authority on the use of open data. Energy data, like any other form of data, that is transparent and open can be used by small and large companies, small consumers and everything inbetween. Purchasing decisions up and down the chain will be influenced by all the data that becomes freely available," he says. Another company that uses energy data is Ecodesk, which describes itself as "the world's largest live, free, transparent and user-generated open-data sustainability platform." More than 30 companies have signed-up to Ecodesk's VIP open data supply chain sustainability initiative equating to 2.1 million suppliers in its supply chains. Theses companies include GlaxoSmithKline, Del Monte, Eurostar, Verizon, MGM Resorts, Reed Elsevier and many others. Its CEO Robert Clarke takes no prisoners when it comes to making data as accessible as possible. What is the point in measuring and reporting energy data if you then close it off and don't share it? Transparency in trade throughout supply chains is the only way in which businesses can grow, safe that there is continuity of supply and that costs are not going to run out of control. Open energy data connected to customers and suppliers is the most efficient measure of business responsibility. Why wouldn't you want to share it? Why wouldn't you want to show customers and suppliers on-going improvements in energy efficiency regardless of your starting point?," he says. There are also pressures on business to become involved. Companies such as GSK, ISS and Microsoft are all demanding that their suppliers are part of a programme of energy supply chain transparency and accountability and will only work with those that openly report data. Then there is The Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Directors' Reports) Regulations 2013 and legislation for 1,370 LSE-listed businesses; within this there is the Mandatory GHG emissions reporting regulation. More pressure on cleaning up the supply chain.