Ordnance Survey Unveils Innovative Rooftop Database for UK Insurance Industry
Ordnance Survey (OS), the UK’s mapping agency, has launched a groundbreaking new database that is set to revolutionize how the insurance sector assesses risk. The OS National Geographic Database (OS NGD) now incorporates detailed information on over 40 million rooftops across Great Britain, providing unprecedented insights into roof materials, the presence of solar panels, roof shape, and aspect.
This enhancement to the OS NGD, already the definitive source of building intelligence in Great Britain, will enable insurers to refine their risk assessments, manage potential accumulation, and better understand exposure to climate change.
Detailed Roof Material Analysis
The new data offers granular details on roof materials, categorizing them into thatch, waterproof membrane/concrete, fabric, glass/polycarbonate, green roof, and metal/tile/stone/slate. According to the OS, this data covers 25 million addressable buildings, with 92% of buildings falling into the metal/tile/stone/slate category. This level of detail will aid insurers in identifying potential fire risks, such as those associated with listed buildings or thatched roofs – of which only 0.1% of British buildings have. The area with the highest concentration of thatched roofs is Sidmouth, East Devon.
Solar Panel Mapping
In a significant development, the OS has mapped the presence of solar panels across Britain for the first time. The data reveals that approximately 5% (nearly 1.3 million) of buildings have solar panels, with the highest proportion located in Scotland. The top three districts for solar panel installations are Stirling (15%), South Cambridgeshire (14%), and Peterborough (13%). This information will be invaluable for insurers, allowing them to:
- Identify buildings equipped with solar panels for enhanced risk assessment and optimized pricing.
- Highlight the location and accessibility of roofs, aiding in the mitigation of theft or vandalism risks.
- Help assess risks relating to fire and storm damage.
Green Roof Insights
The database also provides new data on green roofs, defined as those at least partially covered with vegetation. This information will be particularly beneficial to commercial property insurers, providing valuable insights for underwriting performance.
Roof Shape and Aspect Data
The OS’s new data includes information on roof shape (flat or pitched), which helps assess water ingress risk, and roof aspect, determining the predominant orientation in eight directions. This data will support wind and storm risk modeling for insurers.
Automated Data Acquisition
The vast majority of this new rooftop data was gathered through automated feature extraction, leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning methodologies.
John Kimmance, Chief Customer Officer for OS, said:
”This is the most significant collection of new and existing data for buildings in the OS National Geographic Database since it was created in 2022. With the addition of the new roof data, OS can support so many different sectors with achieving key insights and deliverables – from insurance and property to local authorities under pressure to meet biodiversity net gain targets. And we’re not stopping here—more building datasets are in the pipeline for future release.”
This location data release is part of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), which OS has with the Government Digital Service.
