On 15 February 2019, the SEC Panel reviewed and provisionally agreed the scope of the November 2019 SEC Release, due to go live on 7 November 2019. As part of this, they also baselined the SEC Release Implementation Document for this release to cover the targeted and approved Modification Proposals that impact on the DCC Systems. You can download a copy of the Release Implementation Document here.
As part of its review of this, the Panel seeks any views from Parties on the scope and timing of this release – please see further below for details of this request.
What modifications will be included in this release?
The following modification has been approved for inclusion in this release:
The following modifications that impact on DCC Systems are targeted for inclusion in this release, if a decision to approve is received by the respective cut-off dates:
- SECMP0025 ‘Electricity Network Party Access to Load Switching Information’
- SECMP0039 ‘Communication Hub returns notification mechanism for Other SEC Parties’
- SECMP0053 ‘Amend Target Response Times for Service Requests Critical to Installation and Commissioning Processes’
- SECMP0060 ‘Amend Requirements to remove ‘Pending’ devices from SMI’
- SECMP0062 ‘Northbound Application Traffic Management – Alert Storm Protection’
Further modifications that do not impact on the DCC Systems may be added to the scope of this release at a later date, and the Panel will review these in May 2019.
A summary of the costs and impacts of this release on Parties can be found in the Release Implementation Document.
What were the Panel’s considerations?
The Panel noted the implementation of the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications 1 (SMETS1) Enrolment and Adoption programme, with the Middle and Final Operating Cohorts (MOC and FOC) currently due to go live in the second half of 2019. They queried whether implementing these modifications in November 2019 would place too much change on the industry for the benefits these may realise at this time.
However, the DCC has stated that any modifications delivered as part of the November 2019 SEC Release would incur no additional release costs beyond those provided up to the end of Pre-Integration Testing (PIT), with the subsequent costs being absorbed by the DCC – please see the Release Implementation Document for further details. Panel Members also considered that this offers an opportunity to implement change.
The Panel therefore elected to provisionally agree the scope of the release, and to seek further views from Parties on this and whether implementing these changes in November 2019 would be manageable. The Panel will then confirm their decision on this release in March 2019 in light of any views received.
Do you have any views on the scope and timing of this release?
If you have any views or comments on the proposed scope and timing of this release and whether the impacts of this release would be manageable if implemented in November 2019, please email these to us at sec.change@gemserv.com by 1 March 2019. We will then present all views and comments received to the Panel at its March meeting.
If you have any questions, please contact David Kemp on 020 7090 7762 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.