Transforming homes into smart and sustainable energy ecosystems, that's how we do it.
In a previous blog Remco Snijders already told us about our collaboration with NextEnergy. A former colleague had an idea for a company: an energy supplier that offers dynamic prices. NextEnergy has now been around for a year and a half and it is time for the next phase: transforming homes into smart and sustainable energy ecosystems. In this blog, Natalie Brik, Business Technology Consultant at Quatronic, explains how we achieve that.
Laying the foundation
NextEnergy's first challenge was to make dynamic energy contracts possible and to grow me to 25,000 customers for a short time. This foundation is now in place, the back office and the mobile app are up and running, and they are now being further refined internally by NextEnergy. Now is the time to build a future where we not only provide energy, but can also manage it smartly. After all, you can only achieve the energy transition if you make homes and businesses really smart. That means you send devices and charge cars and batteries when the price is low. We do this by focusing on an imbalance price, which varies by quarter of an hour. There is still quite a bit involved: from developing algorithms to selecting the right batteries, and from designing a box that controls the battery to finally coming up with and designing an app. That's what makes this collaboration special.
From idea to reality
In most cases, we support organizations that have been around for a while and know — roughly — what they want to improve. Of course, we also think critically, doubt everything and keep asking questions. Only then can we really brilliant applications build. But the fact is that there are already processes. At NextEnergy, we start from scratch and are true pioneers. There is no strategy yet, no established process yet and there are no competitors with a comparable offer yet. We have to create something smart from scratch. Part of this is an app, but it is ultimately a total solution that requires innovation in every area. We need to think about exactly what the customer wants, what hardware is needed, what the business case looks like, and how we can best sell all of this in partnership with marketing. In short, we must take all the necessary steps to make an idea or proposition a reality.
Technology as a tool, not an end
This project shows that our approach differs from standard methods. With just three Quatronic colleagues, we fulfil all necessary roles within the project, from product owner to tech lead and any other role that the project requires, very flexibly. The technical aspect of the work ultimately only covers about twenty percent of the time, you first need to be clear about what you want to achieve and how. That's what makes this project so interesting; it's not so much the development of the app that's the challenge, but the entire process around it.
Innovation beyond software
This project shows that we are much more than a club of software builders; we are helping to create totally new business models. Now that the foundation is in place, we've set up an innovation hub with NextEnergy, an incubator for new ideas and initiatives to make homes smarter. As Quatronic, we really find our way around this hub. That's where our added value lies: experimenting and innovating.
Smart energy control in practice
Smart homes, what should you imagine? At the moment, for example, we are busy controlling batteries smartly, where the 'smart' thing is in paying attention to imbalance prices. They are even more erratic than normal dynamic energy prices. With this approach, we can anticipate the load on the energy network. In this way, we can use the batteries in such a way that they either supply energy back to the grid to increase availability, or, on the contrary, extract energy to relieve the grid. This not only allows us to help stabilize the energy grid, but also offers financial benefits, which we share with battery owners. In this way, we not only make the proposition of using batteries more attractive, but we also contribute to reducing grid congestion and a more efficient and sustainable energy network.
proud
Being an energy supplier is one thing, but contributing to the energy transition is serious business. This is also in line with the vision with which we founded NextEnergy. We go one step further in that direction every time, which makes this a collaboration that we are really proud of.
Wondering how we can help you?
Do you have a brilliant idea of your own and need support? With our experience on projects at an established organization, we are happy to look with you. Please contact Natalie Brik at mail. Whether you're just beginning your entrepreneurial journey or are already further along in the process, we're here to support you with both technical expertise and strategic insight. Let's work together to make your idea a success.
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