energy-grid-viewer-uk

GB Grid Battery Storage Dashboard

Real-time monitoring of UK grid-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
Data sourced from the Elexon Insights API — no API key required.

What it shows

• Live charge/discharge state of the GB transmission-level BESS fleet
• Net output in MW (positive = discharging to grid, negative = charging from grid)
• Today’s full output history at 5-minute resolution
• Hourly average breakdown showing the typical daily rhythm
• Pumped hydro storage as a separate view
• Auto-refreshes every 5 minutes

Architecture

Browser  →  Next.js /api/elexon  →  data.elexon.co.uk (FUELINST)

The proxy API route (src/app/api/elexon/route.ts) solves the CORS problem — all requests to Elexon happen server-side. If Elexon is unreachable, the server returns realistic simulated data so the UI always works.

The page (src/app/page.tsx) is a server component that fetches initial data at request time, so the dashboard renders fully on first load with no client-side loading state.

Getting started

npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

Data source

• API: Elexon Insights Solution
• Dataset: FUELINST — Instantaneous generation outturn by fuel type
• Endpoint: https://data.elexon.co.uk/bmrs/api/v1/datasets/FUELINST
• Key: None required
• Update frequency: Every 5 minutes
• Coverage: Transmission-connected assets only (embedded distribution-level batteries not included)

Fields used

Field	Meaning
battery / other	BESS output (MW) — positive = discharging
ps	Pumped storage hydro (MW)
time	UTC timestamp of measurement

Caveats

• Embedded (distribution-level) batteries are not visible — they show up as reduced demand
• The battery field is a newer addition; older records use other which may include non-BESS assets
• Data is the instantaneous reading, not a settled half-hourly figure

Deployment

Works on any Node.js host. For Vercel:

npm i -g vercel
vercel

The /api/elexon route will run as a Vercel Serverless Function, keeping all Elexon requests server-side.

Extending

Want to add individual BESS units? Try:

• GET /reference/bmunits/all — list all BM units (filter by fuelType: BATTERY)
• GET /datasets/PN — Physical Notifications per unit (shows individual charge/discharge plans)
• GET /datasets/BOAL — Bid Offer Acceptance Level (actual BM actions per unit)