The ADEME Data Factory: a technical and cultural project
By acquiring a data strategy, ADEME — the French Ecological Transition Agency — has set itself the goal of providing reliable data on the ecological transition. An approach that benefits the Agency and public authorities, as well as economic players and citizens.
How did this strategy materialise? Firstly, by appointing a data administrator and by creating a data centre directly attached to the General Secretariat. Then came the time for implementation, through a first major project.
Called “Data Processing”, this project is structured around two areas of work.
- The establishment of a digital platform responsible for collecting and processing data, but also for making them accessible via viewing tools.
- A data literacy effort, through the enactment of rules on access, confidentiality and data structuring.
This founding project has resulted in significant benefits in terms of the industrialisation of processes, steering and common reference frameworks. But that is not all: it has also increased the interoperability of ADEME’s systems with those of its partners. Finally, it laid the foundations for new information services around the ecological transition, aimed at economic players in particular.
The SARE project: unified reports based on heterogeneous data
The major data and reporting issues associated with the SARE programme managed by ADEME have also prompted the project teams to rely on its Data Factory. It was about responding to two challenges. The first of these challenges is the tools used by FAIRE network advisers. This public information and advice service on home energy renovation brings together a large number of players, who have no hierarchical link with the Agency, but who need to monitor their activity.
For this aspect of the project, ADEME asked the Talan teams, who developed individualised Power BI reports. These pre-filtered reports have been integrated into the Agency’s business application. In this way, each DO advisor can easily access data concerning their activity.
Another imperative of the SARE programme is to provide ministerial offices with accurate data on the progress of the programme's deployment, throughout the territory. Here, ADEME has chosen to develop a generic report for its players on the ground. This report, which is produced from a simple Excel file, almost instantaneously feeds a series of graphic representations. Accessible via Power BI, these representations can also feed PowerPoint files. Or be used in any other document that departments may need.
Open data at ADEME: reference data on the ecological transition
Since 2016, the Lemaire law has required public institutions to publish their data of economic, social, health or environmental interest. ADEME has chosen to go further by offering clear, precise and educational data. With the help of Koumoul, the Agency has therefore developed an open data portal that meets legal obligations, while contributing to public information.
For example, this portal facilitates the identification of companies whose work entitles them to a tax credit. Simply visit the map of France to find an RGE-certified artisan.
Visitors also have access to data on car labelling, via a dedicated search engine. In total, nearly 2,500 new vehicles can be compared according to their consumption and CO2 emissions.
Each time, a special effort was made in terms of visualization. Depending on the theme, the portal includes maps, diagrams or histograms. With a special mention for the Sankey diagram dedicated to energy performance diagnostics. 11 million lines in total!
