The 10 Best-In-Class SMART GRID Tech Solution Providers 2018

Organizations that are changing the way we live

Eresultinginoverstressedsystemequipment.Publicinterestgroupsareputtingpressureon politicianstoreduceCO2emissionsthroughtheadoptionofalternativeenergysourcesandputin placeregulationstoincreaseenergyefficiency.

lectricitydemandthroughouttheworldissteadilyincreasing,causinghighpowersystemloading

Thetraditionalorconventionalnon-renewableresourcesareundoubtedlyinsufficientinsuchcondition. Thehuntformoreefficientandsustainableresourcesoroptionstoreduceelectricityusagehasbecome moretemptingthaneverbefore.Hence,thepowersystemwillneedtobecomesmarteratbalancing demandandsupply.

Themajorelectricpowerindustrystakeholdersi.e.utilities,vendors,manufacturers,regulators,consumers andtheiradvocates,andgovernmentsrecognizetheneedtoaddresschallengingissuesthataremotivating tofindabetteroptionlikedevelopingandimplementingthesmartgridanditselements.

Smartgridiswidelyrecognizedasthefutureofmodernelectricalpowersystems.Itinvolvesmodernizing existingnetworks,changingthewaytheyoperate,facilitatingchangesinthebehaviorofenergy consumers,providingnewservices,andsupportingthetransitiontoasustainablelow-carboneconomy

TheadoptionofSmartGriddevicesthroughoututilitynetworkscaneffecttremendouschangeingrid operationsandusageofelectricityoverthenexttwodecades.

Manysmartgridadvocatescitesomeorallofitsfollowingattributesasrepresentativeofitspromise. Accordingtothemthesmartgridishighlyefficientandcapableofmeetingincreasedconsumerdemand withoutaddinginfrastructure.Itisaccommodatingasitacceptenergyfromvirtuallyanyfuelsource, includingsolarandwind,aseasilyandtransparentlyascoalandnaturalgas;capableofintegratingany

andallbetterideasandtechnologies(energystoragetechnologies,forexample)astheyaremarketprovenandreadytocomeon-line.

Additionallyitenablesreal-timecommunicationbetweentheconsumerandutilitysoconsumerscan tailortheirenergyconsumptionbasedonindividualpreferences,suchaspriceand/orenvironmental concerns.Withreal-timeassistancethesystemisalsocapableofdeliveringthepowerquality necessary,freeofsags,spikes,disturbances,andinterruptions,topowerourincreasinglydigital economyandthedatacenters,computers,andelectronicsnecessarytomakeitrun.

Thefeatheronhatfeatureofsmartgriditisslowingtheadvanceofglobalclimatechangeand offeringagenuinepathtowardsignificantenvironmentalimprovementintheimpactofelectric powerservinghumanity.

Hence,theindustryiscreatingnewopportunitiesandmarketsbymeansofitsabilitytocapitalizeon plug-and-playinnovationwhereverandwheneverappropriate.Manycompaniesaroundtheworldare tryingtoleveragethepotentialopportunitiesheldbythissector

So,intheissueof“The10Best-In-ClassSMARTGRIDTechSolutionProviders,2018”,wehave highlightedsomeofthemostrenownedorganizationsaroundtheworldwhichareworkingroundthe clocktoprovidebestinclasssmartgridsolutions.

Ourshortlistofcompaniesincludes,Kalkitech,asmartgridsolutionsproviderthathelpsenergy utilitiesacrosstheglobetoimproveenergyefficiency;OhmConnect,whichisasoftware-based powerplantwhichpayshouseholdstoreducetheirenergyuse;PowerLedger,whichistheworld leadingpeer-to-peermarketplaceforrenewableenergy;Sympower,ademandresponseaggregator thatconnectselectricalapplianceswiththeelectricitygrid,providinggridoperatorslow-carbon balancingservicesandreserves;ZOMEEnergyNetworks,Inc.,whichprovidessoftwareand servicesforenergyserviceproviders,hardwarevendors,andinfrastructureplayers.Thecompany offersvariousdemandresponsesolutionsandenergymanagementservicesforHAN/DRrollouts; SmartWorks,whichprovidesfeature-richdatafocusedsolutionsthatanalyzeautility’soperational data;ETAP,acompanyprovidingthemostcomprehensiveandwidelyusedenterprisesolutionfor generation,transmission,distribution,industrial,transportation,andlow-voltagepowersystems; SmartHydroPower,whichofferscompletesolutionsforoffgridsolutionsandmicrogrids;and Limejump,whichisconnectingtradinganddataabilitieswithcustomersthataregeneratingand managingenergyassetsthroughtoenergymarketstooptimizevaluethroughout.

Alsodon’tforgettoflipthroughsomeinsightfulCXO’swrittenbyindustryleadersandarticles pennedbyourin-houseeditorialteam

HappyReading!

Kaustav Roy

ETAP etap.com

GridRabbit gridrabbit.com

Kalkitech kalkitech.com

Limejump limejump.com

OhmConnect ohmconnect.com

PowerLedger powerledger.io

SmartHydroPower smart-hydro.de

Dr.FarrokhShokooh

President&CEO

HenrikWestergaard

Founder&CEO

PrasanthGopalakrishnan

President,CEO &Founder

ErikNygard CEO

ETAPprovidesthemostcomprehensiveandwidelyused enterprisesolutionforgeneration,transmission,distribution, industrial,transportation,andlow-voltagepowersystems.

TMTheGridRabbit systemoffersanimpressivearrayofsmart devices,whichcommunicatewitheachotheracrossthe ZigBeeTMwirelessmeshnetwork.

Kalkitechisasmartgridsolutionsproviderthathelpsenergy utilitiesacrosstheglobetoimproveenergyefficiency.

Limejumpisconnectingtradinganddataabilitieswith customersthataregeneratingandmanagingenergyassets throughtoenergymarketstooptimizevaluethroughout.

MattDuesterberg CEO&Co-founder

Dr.JemmaGreen Co-founder&Chairman

OhmConnectisasoftware-basedpowerplantwhichpays householdstoreducetheirenergyuse.

PowerLedgeristheworldleadingpeer-to-peermarketplacefor renewableenergy.

Dr.KarlKolmsee CEO

BradAtchison

SeniorExecutive VicePresident

SmartHydroPowerofferscompletesolutionsforoffgridsolutions andmicrogrids.

SmartWorksprovidesfeature-richdatafocusedsolutionsthat analyzeautility’soperationaldata.

Sympower sympower.net

ZOMEEnergyNetworks zomepower.com

SimonBushell Co-founder&CEO

Dr.AlexPapalexopoulos CEOandChairman

Sympowerisademandresponseaggregatorthatconnectselectrical applianceswiththeelectricitygrid,providinglow-carbon balancingservicestogridoperators.

ZOMEEnergyNetworks,Inc.providessoftwareandservicesfor energyserviceproviders,hardwarevendors,andinfrastructure players.Thecompanyoffersvariousdemandresponsesolutions andenergymanagementservicesforHAN/DR/DERrollouts.

Smart in Vision

Be Smart – or Vanish Why Utilities need to actively develop smart Micro-Grids

Theenergymarketischanging rapidly.Thisistruenotonly fortheUSAandEuropebut onagloballevel. Possiblythemost importantchangeistheonetowards moredecentralizedsystems.Thisis challengingtheutilityindustry. Utilitieshistoricallyhavedeveloped byintegratingsmallmicrogrids whichgrewaroundmillsandother small-scalegenerators(todaywe wouldsayprosumers).Thisiswhy utilitiesdevelopedalongtheentire valuechain:Theyintegratedthese microdistributiongridsinamore stablelarger(Transport)gridand replaceddecentralizedgenerationby morecost-efficientcentralpower plants.Thishighlyefficient centralizedsystemwasallowing industrialdevelopmentasweknow it.Atitstimeitwaspossiblytheonly waytoservelarge,stronglyenergy dependingproductionlikesteel, paperortheupcomingchemical industry.Thecentralizedenergy systemdidnotresultfroman oligopolisticmarket,buttheindustry structurederivedfromanefficient technicaldesign.

Thereareseveralreasonswhythis formerlybeneficiarysystemis challengedtoday.Notallapplyinall marketsbutsomeofthemdo,so decentralizationofenergymarketsis aglobaltrend.Specifically,inmost

industrialmarketsthenewenergy regimeisdrivenbypoliticsfavoring smallscale,decentralrenewable generation.Subsidiesonrenewables devalueexistinglargethermicpower plants.Evenlarge-scalehydropower plantsdonoteasilypassstrict environmentalandsocialfeasibility analysis.Butindependentofany politicalsettingthereisanothermore fundamentalreasonforthegrowing competitivenessofadecentralized energydesign.Whilethefirstphase ofindustrialdevelopmentisknown foritsindustrialclusters(often grownclosetoenergysourceslike coalorwater)whichshapedmany geographicareasformorethana century,laterphasesaremuchmore dynamicanddolessdependon geographicproximity.Withina dynamicindustrysettingwhere businessesaresetupandclosedor movedsomewhereelseonaregular basisastaticcentralized infrastructurelosescompetitiveness. Inmanyemergingmarketsthis dynamismaswellexpandstowards thoseareaswhicharetodaynot connectedtothecentralgridbutoffer inexpensivelandornewagricultural productswhichcanbesoldabroadat highprices.Finally,thepoliticalwill andtheindustrialdemandfor decentralizedsystemstoday encounterrenewablegenerationeven atsmallsizeatcompetitivecosts

comparedtolargesizethermicpower plant.Forthemostprominent renewabletechnologyphotovoltaicin theNorth(withlessradiation)this competitivenessisgivenonlyasgrid parity,meaningcentralgeneration plustransportisasexpensiveas photovoltaiconsite.IntheSouthern hemispherephotovoltaicisalreadya competitivesourceempowering decentralizedenergyinfrastructure. Whiledecentralizedgenerationhas caughtupwithcentralizedgeneration plants,distributionsystemswitha largeportionofdecentralized renewablegenerationcapacityare ofteninefficient.Therearebasically fourreasonsforthisinefficiency:(1) Missingpricemechanismsupporting gridoperations,(2)highcoststo operatesuchasystemstable,(3) largeamountofexcessenergy (exportedornotbeingusedatall) and(4)sub-utilizedinterface betweenmicrogridanditsfeeder system.Thesearebasicallythesame reasonsthatinthelastcentury supportedthecentralizationofthe gridsystem.Whatisneededisan intelligentorsmartdecentralized distributionsystem.

Anintelligentdistributionsystem withmainlydecentralizedgeneration requiresmorethansmartmetersand itisdifferentfromtodaypopularso

About the Author

Dr. Karl Kolmsee the CEO of Smart Hydro Power, studied agricultural and philosophy at the universities of Hamburg and Goettingen, Germany. After his PhD he has spent most of his professional career in the energy business – first as consultant at A.T. Kearney later as manager at E.ON, Europe’s largest private utility, and member of the board at Schmack biogas, one of the pioneers of the biogas market in Europe. In 2009 Karl Kolmsee has been nominated professor for energy management at Applied University of Kufstein, Austria. His main areas of academic work are international energy markets and renewable energy. In 2010 he founded Smart Hydro Power to focus on design and commercialization of kinetic pico hydro power systems with main focus on rural electrification for emerging markets like India, Latin America and Eastern Africa. Today Smart Hydro Power offers complete solutions for off grid solutions and micro grids.

Smart in Vision

calledsmarthomeorhomestoragesolutions.Theseoffer photovoltaic,batteryandbasicloadmanagementforthe individualhousehold.Someprovidersofhomestorage solutionsintegratecustomersinacommunitymodelto allowexchangeofautogeneratedelectricity.Butthese communitiesarebarelymorethancontractpartners withinafixedpricenetmeteringmodel.Individualhome solutions–evenwithinsales-and-purchasecommunities –donotsolveanyinefficiencyissuesdecentralization faces.Thesesystemsareeithercompletelyself-sufficient –inthiscasetheyareexpensive–ortheyrelyoncentral gridserviceslikeaparasiteofitshost.Sustainable decentralizationrequiresanintelligentcontroland steeringmechanismbetweenthehouseholdswhichbuild amicrogrid.

Whiletherearepossiblydifferentsteeringmechanisms, establishingalocalmarketwiththepriceasvariablethat guidesdemandandsupplyaccordingtotheaggregated demandfunctionandtheaggregatedcostfunctions seemspromising.Technicallythisdoesrequirea dynamicforecastingandloadmanagement(atleastfor majorloadswhichareusedinaprice-sensitivemanner). Atfirstglanceamarketmodelwouldsolvethefour majorissuesshownabove.Itwouldsetapricefor photovoltaicandbatterystoragewhichwouldcontrol demandandtherebyreducenecessaryinstalledreserve storageandgenerationcapacity.Thismechanismwould

aswellbeconsistentwiththefunctioningofthefeeder gridandcouldthereforesupplyitselfservicestothisgrid whichwouldbevaluedwiththesame“currency”.

Technicallythissteeringmechanismmightbe completelydecentralizedbasedonindividualprocessors ineachhouseholdliketheblockchaintechnology(once necessaryprocessingcapacitycomesdowntoacceptable limits)oritmightworkbetweenacentralunitand individualprocessors.Ineitherwayitsteersthelocal marketplacetowardsanefficientoptimumgiven generation,demandandbatterystoragecapacityata definedpointintime.

Microgridsdoopen(withinagivenlegalframework)a possibilityfortraditionalutilitiestore-definetheirrole usingsomeoftheirtraditionalstrengths.Butnew entrantscanequallywellenterthisspaceandperform wherevertheincumbentdoesnotadapt.Thisgivesroom tonumerousco-operationsbetweennewentrantsor betweennewcompaniesandtheincumbentofferingtheir servicesordevelopingnewbusinessmodelsalongthe valuechain.Incumbentutilitiesmaybesmart–or vanish.

ETAP

Powering the Smart Grid

Intheelectricpowersector,the demandtotakeproactiveaction ratherthansimplyreactingto eventsaftertheyhappenisrequiring intelligentapplicationstoproviderealtimepredictivepowersystem simulation,optimizationand automation.Hence,efficientand content-specificinformationexchange embeddedwithmodel-driven engineeringsystemsisessentialtothe designandoperationofmodern electricalpowernetworks. One companyleadingtheindustryand raisingthebarwitheverypassingyear isETAP.

OperationTechnology,Inc.(ETAP)is thedesigneranddeveloperofETAP softwareformodeling,design, analysis,optimization,monitoring, control,andautomationofelectrical powersystems.Thecompanyhasbeen poweringsuccessformorethan32 yearsbyprovidingthemost comprehensiveandwidely-used enterprisesolutionsfor power generation, transmission, distribution, industrial, transportation,and lowvoltage powersystems.

ETAPhasbeenofferingintelligent solutionstothepowergridlongbefore thegridbecame‘smart’.ETAP technologyhasbeenbuiltfrom modelingtooperation;amodel-driven powersystemplatformthatactsasa hubtoincorporateallaspectsofsystem design,analysis,managementand optimizationthroughreal-time simulationandoperation.

ETAPGrid™solutionisaddressing themarketneedsbyprovidinganopen andscalableapproachtoasmartgrid strategy.ETAPoffersindustryspecific solutionstoproactivelyreducepeak demandandoptimizenetworkassets, whileassistingdistributionnetworksto deliverelectricitymoreefficiently, reliably,securelyandeconomically.

AnInspiringJourneyofan UnflinchingLeader

Dr.FarrokhShokoohfoundedETAP in1986andsincethenhasservedas PresidentandCEOofthecompany. FarrokhearnedhisPhDdegreein ElectricalPowerEngineeringfrom LouisianaStateUniversityin1979.He isalsoafellowofIEEEandarecipient ofIEEEThirdMillenniumMedal.

In1985,Farrokh’svisionwastomake themostcapableandintuitive electricalpowersystemanalysis softwareutilizingasingleplatform withonedatabase.Today,ETAPhas morethan500employeesand representativesin75+countries, guaranteeingglobalreachandlocal presence.

UnmatchedRangeofScalable AnalyticsandIntegratedOperation Solutions

ETAPoffersanintegratedsuiteof smartgridsolutionsinvarioussectors:

Ÿ Generation:FromRenewableto Nuclear,someoftheworld’smost advancedpowergenerationplants

dependonETAP.Intherenewable sector,ETAPenablesdesignersand engineerstoconceptualizethe collectorsystems,determinewind penetrationandperformgrid interconnectionstudieswithfullspectrumpowersystemanalysis calculationsforaccurate simulation,predictiveanalysis, equipmentsizing,andfield verificationofwindandsolar farms.

Ÿ Transmission:ETAP’s TransmissionSystemplatform combinesdetailedsubstation models,networktopology,system analysis,planning,protectionand SupervisoryControl&Data Acquisition(SCADA)andEnergy Management(EMS)intoone commondatabase.

Ÿ Distribution:ETAP’sDistribution Systemplanningandoperation solutionoffersageospatial-driven platformfortoday’ssmartgrids. ETAPprovidesanintegratedpower systemplanning,protection,and AdvancedDistribution ManagementSystem(ADMS)for visualizing,managing,optimizing andautomating- fromstateto citywidepowerdistribution networks.

Ÿ Microgrid:ETAPisusedfor detailedanalysesandsizingof DistributedEnergyResources (DER)andassociatedequipment. MicrogridMasterControllerbrings

thedesigntolifebyconnectingthe systemmodelwithreal-timedata.A mixofDERalongwithtraditional generationcanbeincludedaspart oftheETAPSmartGridand Microgrid,offeringacoordinated controlbetweenDMSandlocal microgridmastercontrollers.

ETAP’sPresenceandProductsin theSmartGridDomain

ETAPGridaddsintelligentsituational awarenesstothepowergridoperations byofferingacomprehensivesmartgrid solution:

Ÿ GridModeling&Visualization–Networkmodelmanagementand intelligentsynchronizednetwork views,includingGeospatial(GIS) electricaldiagrams,Substation diagrams,andFeederschematic views.

Ÿ Analysis&Optimization–Comprehensivesystemplanning, optimization,andnetworkanalysis

-fromTimeDomainLoadFlow (TDLF)andVolt/VarOptimization (VVO)toContingencyAnalysis (CA)andFaultLocation,Isolation &ServiceRestoration(FLISR).

Ÿ Safety&Protection–Applications fortroubleshootingfalsetripping andmis-operationofprotective

devicessuchasimpedancerelays andfuses,aswellassolutionsto identifyandevaluatevarious mitigationmethodstoreducearc flashhazards.

Ÿ ADMS–AdvancedDistribution ManagementSystemsoftwarebuilt onprovenETAPReal-Time™ platformthatintegrateswithGIS, eSCADA,OMSandother applications.

Ÿ iCE™–ControllersandRemote TerminalUnits(RTU)hardware, testedwithETAP solutionsfor optimalperformance,fastresponse, andcybersecurity.

Ÿ iSub™–SubstationAutomation System(SAS)providingprotection, SwitchingSequenceManagement, SwitchingOrderManagement, automation,andIEC61850 orientedsubstationautomation.

Ÿ ILS™–IntelligentLoadShedding systemforindustrialandutility systemsfromsimpledemand responsetomachinelearning, basedonhighspeedloadshedding.

PathtoaSmarterGrid

ETAP’sobjectiveistocontinue innovating,adopting,andintegrating

newtechnologyinthe software’scoredesignand development,aswellasaddressthe specificneedsoftheindustryinsome oftheworld’smostmission-critical projectsandsmartcities.

“It is challenging, exciting, and rewarding to bring to life a new product while enabling the transformation of our customers’ networks into an intelligent, adaptive, and sustainable grid that provides reliable and quality energy for their respective customers. We are determined to continue developing and deploying our innovative technologies to aid electric utilities to reach their vision of a smarter grid,” states

FarrokhShokooh,PresidentandCEO ofETAP.

Dr. Farrokh Shokooh President & CEO

“ “ “ “ We aim to provide state-of-the-art products and superior engineering services by combining advanced technologies with the highest standard in quality to achieve overall customer satisfaction.

Smarter Energy Grids

Humanbeingshavealwayslookeduptonatureand madeeffortstolearnfromitsbasicprinciples. Sonarswereinspiredbydolphins,lightbulbsby fireflies,suctioncupsbyoctopusandrobotsitselfto replicatehumanbeings.Onesuchinstancethathasbeen enthusedbymicroorganismsisdistributedledger technology(DLT),widelyknownasblockchain.

“The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”

-Don&AlexTapscott.

Itrecordstransactionsbetweentwoclientswithoutany thirdpartyauthenticationwhichisanefficientprocesswhen itcomestostabledata.Blockchainprovidesdata managementwithoutthethreatofunauthorizedaccessor manipulations.Itisprovingtobeasolutionforfrequent problemsinvariousfields. Blockchaintechnologyhasthe capabilitytodisruptapproximatelyeveryindustryranging fromfinance,toeducationtopower.

BlockchainTechnologyinSmarterGrids

Oneoftheareasintheenergyindustrywhereblockchain technologycandisruptthemarketissmartgrids.Lately, blockchainhasbeenwell-thought-outasoneofthe developingtechnologiesthatcanbeusedfordeveloping decentralizedgridtopologiesandrevisingthedistributed managementofenergybusinesses.Blockchaindatabaseis sharedbyallthenodesinthesystem.Anodeisanactive devicewhichcanbeconnectedtointernetandhasanIP address.Examplesofdevicesincludecomputers,tablets, phonesandevenprinters.Thejobofanodeistoupkeepthe networkbymaintainingacopyoftheblockchainand processtransactions.

BenefitsofBlockchaininSmarterGrids

Blockchaincanaidnumerousutilityindustryrequirements. Itcanactasafoundationstonewiththepossibilityof disruptingtheprevailingecosystem.Withthepromotionfor e-vehiclesandindividualsshiftingtoelectriccars,supply anddemandofenergyneedstokeeppace.Hereblockchain comesinthescenariowithitspeer-to-peerinterconnectivity andsharing.Thisbalancesthedemandfromseveral foundationsandmakesthegridsmarterbydirecting sharing.

Astherearesmallandcompactsmartgrids,consumerswith thehelpofblockchaincansimplytradeenergywithone anotherthussavingtimeandearningafewdollars.Inthe powerindustry,blockchaintechnologycanensurea5D Impact:decentralization,digitization,democratization, distributionandderegulation.

SmartMeters

Smartmetersareusedtorecordelectricalusage.These metersenableustomonitorourelectricalconsumption morepreciselywhichwillhelpconsumersmakebetter energychoices.Throughblockchain,clientscandirectlyget theamountspentwhicheradicatesmiddlemanthussaving money.Thiscreatesamoreresilientnetworkforgadgetsto runon. Smartmeterscanalsoprovideaccuratedatatothe providerwithoutneedingadirectlinktothemeterof particularusers.

Withthehelpofblockchain,producersofsmartgridsdo nothavetoinvestahumongousamount.Heretheproducers getpaidinstantly,whichleadstolesscapitalexpenditure. Besidesthis,blockchaincanplayaseriousroleinadjusting powerflowsthroughtheamalgamationandoptimizationof localgridsmeasuredbythepublicorconsortiummodes.It canaidinthemaintenanceofpermanentrecordsby servicers,givingaflawlessviewofaparticularobjector partofinfrastructureatanygiventime.Thisinformation canberetrievedeasilyasthestructureisbuiltonashared platform,whileretainingtheauthenticityoftherecord.

WhilethepossiblebenefitsoftheSmartGridareusually discussedintermsofrenewableenergygoals,economics andnationalsecurity,ithasthepotentialtohelpsave moneybymanagingyourelectricityusageandchoosingthe besttimestopurchaseelectricity.Consumerscansaveeven morebygeneratingtheirpowerwiththehelpofblockchain. Lately,duetothespeedygrowthinthedeploymentof DEPsthesmartgridorganizationproblemscannolonger beproficientlyaddressedusingcentralizedapproaches, thus,thenecessityforvisionarydecentralized methodologiesandarchitecturesiswidelyrecognized.

Itisassessedthattheblockchaintechnologywilladd another$3.1trillionby2030.Lately,duetothespeedy growthinthedeploymentofDEPsthesmartgrid organizationproblemscannolongerbeproficiently addressedusingcentralizedapproaches,thus,thenecessity forvisionarydecentralizedmethodologiesandarchitectures iswidelyrecognized.

Lastly,blockchaintechnologymayeventuallyfast-trackthe evolutiontowhatthepowerindustrycallsa“distributed world.”Itisthesumofbothsmallandlargepowergenerationstructuresforcommunities,businessesand home.Toprosperincapitalizingthepotentialofdistributed generationandsupervisinglessforeseeableandmore capriciousrenewablepowersources,thetrade's infrastructuremustfirstbecomemoreagileandless centralized.

Kalkitech: Delivering Smart Grid Technology Globally

Theglobalsurgeinelectricity consumptionhascreatedadire needforsmart,adaptivepower grids.Onecompanycommittedto providingsmartgridtechnology solutionsisKalkitech.

Foundedin1998,thecompanyhas developedaprolifictechnology portfolioofproductsforpower generation,transmissionand distribution.Kalkitech’ssmartgrid technologyallowspowercompaniesto bridgethedatacommunicationsgap betweenlegacyandsmartpowerutility fielddevicesandhead-endsystems.

Kalkitechalsohelpsutilitiesimprove systemreliabilityandoperational efficiencywhileextendingthelifeof legacySCADAsystems.Thisis achievedbytransformingand acceleratingsecureaccesstoreal-time andhistoricaldata.

Thecompany’sacquisitionofApplied SystemsEngineering(ASE)in2015 addedmarket-leadingsubstationand distributionutilitycommunications protocoltestingproductstoitsproduct portfolio.

AidingGlobalTransformation Kalkitechhelpsenergyandutility companiesacrosstheglobeimprove

energyefficiencybyproviding standards-basedtechnologyproducts andsolutionsinSubstation Automation,DistributionAutomation, AdvancedMetering,WideArea Monitoring,PowerPlantOptimization andenergyIoTmanagement.

Thecompany’sservicesinclude consulting,protocolimplementation, training,testingandvalidation.It educatesutilities,OriginalEquipment Manufacturers(OEMs)andSystem Integratorsonitsownaswellas industrystandardsmartgrid technologiesandtheirdeployment.It investsextensivelyinresearchand development,collaborateswithleading utilities,andpartnerswithregional leadersacrosstheglobetoprovide industry-leadingtechnologysolutions tocustomersinover70countries.

Kalkitechassistsitscustomersto reducetime-to-marketandsaveon R&Dtimeandcostsbyintegrating technologicalinnovationsand emergingcommunicationstandards intotheirexistingproducts;thus helpinginextendingtheirproduct’s reachandapplicationscope.

Kalkitechhasbeenenablingutilitiesto transformandautomateoperations. Thecompanyunderstandsthatduring theevolutionofanend-to-endsmart

grid,legacysystemswillhaveto coexistandintegratewithnew technologies.

Thus,itdesignsitssolutionstoaidin intelligentutilitytransformationby supportinglegacyandstandards-based technologiesandbridgingthe communicationgap.Intakingthis approach,Kalkitechiswellpositioned tomeettheutilityneedsbothoftoday andofthefuture.

APower-ChargedLeader

Kalkitech’sstrategicdirectionis dictatedbyPrasanthGopalakrishnan whoisthePresident,CEOand Founderofthecompany.

HeisamemberoftheBureauof IndianStandards(BIS)LITD10and hasparticipatedinthedevelopmentof theIEC62056standard.

Prasanthfoundedthecompanywith thevisiontocreateanindustryleader inenergyoptimizationandstandardsbasedcommunications.Toachieve this,hebroughttogetherateamof professionalswhopossessedbotha strongtechnicalfoundationandhad extensiveutilityindustryexperience.

“Akeyelementofthecompany’s successisitscommitmenttoproduct qualityandcustomerservice,which havehelpedtobuildthecompany’s reputation,”saysPrasanth.

ProvidingCutting-EdgeTechnology

Kalkitechofferstop-notchcustomized technologyservicestotheenergyand utilityindustries.Itsservicesgroup helpsutilitieskeeppacewith modernizationprojectsandofferthe adaptabilitytosupportnewand emergingindustrytrends.Amongits mostmarketing-leadingproductsand servicesare:

Ÿ

ASupervisoryControlandData Acquisitionprotocolconversion enginewhichconsolidatesand translatesdatafrommorethan80 vendor-specificandstandardsbasedprotocolsthatsimplify managementofgridassetsand accelerateproblemsolving. Thistechnologyisofferedasa substationdataconcentratoraswell asanembeddedsolutionforOEMs tointegrateintotheirutility products.

systemforrelaysandother substationIntelligentElectronic Devices(IEDs).

Ÿ Powerdispatchoptimization softwareforpowertransmission, generationanddistribution.

Ÿ

Powerplantoptimization, diagnosticsandanalyticssoftware.

massivevolumeof datageneratedby intelligentdevicesinstalled acrosstheircoveragearea.

Ÿ

Protocoltesttoolsusedby automationengineerstoconfigure, analyze,testandsimulatemore than70serialandnetworkSCADA protocols,simplifyingproblem solvingandreporting.

Kalkitechalsooffersconsultation servicestoassistcustomersin integratingitstechnologyaswellas customizingthemforspecific requirements.

Dataisonlyusefulifonecando somethingwithit;Kalkitechhas leverageditsexpertiseinprotocol translationanddataconcentrationto developanIoTplatform,kalki.io, optimizedspecificallyfortheenergy market.

Ÿ

Metering-relatedtechnology:a field-provenDLMSsourcecode libraryavailabletometervendors toconformtothestandardfor communications,andastandardsbasedlow-powerradiofrequency wirelessmeshcommunications networkforsmartmetervendorsto connecttheirmeterstoahead-end system.

Thesupportdepartmentcomprisesa strongtechnicalteamoftrainedand experiencedindividuals.Usingawelldefined,multi-tieredsupportstructure, customerinquiriesarereviewedand addressedinatimelyfashionviaemail orphone.

Withsupportteamsinmultiple locationsaroundtheworld,Kalkitech isabletoaccelerateitsresponseto customerquestionsandissues.

TheZenithofInnovation

Kalki.iocollectsutilityassetdataand offerscoredevicemanagement serviceslikeconfiguration,software updates,accesscontrol,alerts,and healthmonitoring.Itsimplifiesthe additionofthirdpartyandcustomized applicationsforsecuredataaccess fromadvancedanalyticalapplications, predictiveequipmentmaintenance,and managementofdistributedenergy powersources.

Ÿ

Asecure,automatedfaultrecord collectionandremoteconfiguration

ThelatestinnovationfromKalkitechis asolutiontohelputilitiesand industriesofallsizesmanagethe

Prasanth Gopalakrishnan President, CEO & Founder

“ “ “ “ Our solutions enable customers to implement mission-critical applications across the Smart Grid solution spectrum.

Limejump: Connecting Energy Trade with Big Data

Smartgridtechnologyis emergingasthemostexciting newdimensioninthepower industry.Businessesareswitchingto innovativesmartgridtechsolutions becauseitallowsutilitiestobetter controlsupply,whichmeans businessescanmanagetheirenergy usemoreefficiently,leadingto potentialsavings.Thesmartgrid marketanticipatesrapidgrowthinthe nearfuturebecausetheworldwide demandforenergyfromsustainable anddistributedresourcesis increasing.Evenpowergrid modernizationprocessesare benefitingfromsmartgridtech solutionsthroughreduced transmissionanddistributionlosses. Thisgrowingdemandhascreatedan excellentopportunityforLimejump toleadthemarket.

Anaward-winningenergytech company,Limejumphasbroughta revolutionarynewmindsettothe energymarket.Itconnectspower tradinganddataabilitieswith customersthataregeneratingand managingenergyassetsinenergy marketstooptimizevaluethroughout thepowerecosystem.Limejump managesthelargestportfolioof batteriesintheUnitedKingdomand

isdemonstratingthatthevirtual powerplantisthefutureofenergy.

RedefiningtheGridand ManagementLandscape

Limejumpoffersacompleteasset maximizationpackagethatprovides disparateenergysourceswitharoute totradingmarkets.Throughbigdata andinnovation,theyhavecreatednew waystomakeitsimpletoearn revenuewhilemaximizingflexibility.

Limejumpalsooffersmarketauction managementintheCapacityMarket andisexploringothernichemarket opportunitiesintheUK.

FromChallengestoSuccess

Limejumpwasfoundedin2013andit hasseenveryfastexpansionfroman initialteamof4to50peopletoday.

Creatinganewbusinessmodelinthe faceof80yearsofestablished competitionswereakeychallengebut Limejumphasestablisheditspresence asoneofthelargest‘new’energytech energycompanies.Ithasfacedthe UKenergyindustry’suniquesetof regulatoryissuesandredtape. Moreover,theindustryhasa

reputationfornotalwayshavingits customers’bestinterestsatheart,and Limejumphadtocontendwith inherentindustrydistrustaswell.

Overcomingthesechallenges, Limejumphasbeenattheforefrontof batterytechnologyintheUKsince 2016.Inadditiontothis,itistheonly UKCompanynamedinBloomberg’s 2018NewEnergyPioneerTop10list.

ADynamicLeader

ErikNygardandNingZangarethe Co-foundersofLimejump.Erikisthe company’sCEO.

ErikcompletedhisB.Sc.inFinance fromtheUniversityofSanFrancisco andhisM.Sc.inEnergy,Trade& FinancefromCassSchoolinLondon.

PriortoLimejump,Ericworkedfor CentricaandBritishGas.While workingatCentrica,itbecameclear tohimthatpeopledidn’thaveoptions theywouldhavelikedtobemore proactiveinelectricitymanagement. Thisrealizationthattherewasa definiteopportunitytoprovidea betterproductforcustomerswasthe firststepthatledtothefoundingof Limejump.

Erik Nygard CEO

Erikhasledthedevelopmentofthe LimejumpVirtualPowerPlant concepttocreatetheFutureof Energy.

Customer-OrientedApproach

Limejumphasadedicatedaccount managementteamthatcustomerscan contactviaphone,emailandlivechat forgeneralqueries,billingquestions, andtradingadvice.Adailymarket alertisdeliveredtoallcustomerswith thelatesttrading,pricing,andmarket analyses.

ThebespokeLimejumpcustomer portalprovideseveryclientwith directcontrolovertheirassetsandthe abilitytoinformtheLimejump tradingdeskofoutagesor maintenancerequests.Ithas developedaninternalcustomer satisfactionteamthatmonitors customerfeedback,providesinsights intocustomerconcerns,andworksto developcustomer-centricprogramsto improvecustomerrelationsand retention.

EncouragingIndustryChange

TheUKenergymarkethasbeen dominatedbysixlegacyenergy providersreliantonoldcarbon-heavy,

inflexible,pollutinginfrastructure. However,Limejumpfocuseson distributedassetswithanemphasison sustainableenergygeneration.

Itemploysthelatesttechnologylike machinelearning,bigdataanalysis, neuralnetworkprocessingand engineeringconnectivity.Thisis complementedbyacoreteamof expertanalysts,tradersand technologists.

Limejumpisabletoutilizethese resourcestoconnectassetsthatwould normallynothaveanobviousrouteto theUKenergygrid.Combiningthese assetstotradeintheUKNationalgrid encouragesnewinvestmentin sustainableenergygenerationwhile identifyingpotentialrevenue opportunitiesaccessiblethroughtech connectivity.

Thecompanycombinesthebestin humantradingabilitywithbilling transparencyandexcellentcustomer servicetoprovideoptimumbenefitto itscustomers.

TheFutureofEnergy

Limejumpiscommittedto transformingsustainableresources intorevenuechannelsforits

customers.Throughthisstructure,it leadsthetechnologicalevolutionof theindustrytoreducepollutantsand unsustainablebusinessmodelswith sustainableresourcesandencourages renewablegenerationinvestment.

Limejumpisdrivenbydata, engineeredbytechnology,and poweredbyateamofcommitted experts.Itdemonstrateseveryday thatittrulyisthefutureofenergy.

“ “ “ The future of energy.

The Universality of IoT Technology

The Universality of IoT Technology “

T hegratifying tool for companies to lead aheadIoT Technology” TheInternetofthings(IoT)isa revolutionarychangeformanysectorslike manufacturing,agriculture,retail,electronic,energyand healthcarewhichareprogressingtowardstheIoT phenomenontoconnectdigitally.Ithasplacedan opportunitytobuildunusualresultswhichincreasesa company’scompatibility.Enterprisesseeking developmentarefocusingontheuseofreal-timedata managementandIoTanalysis.Manyofthe companiesareadoptingthistechnologytoheighten theirpowerofconsumption.Companiesare mainlyconcentratingonIoTapplicationfrom “sensing”insteadof“doing”togrowits competitiveadvantages.Thiselementempowers organizationsbyallowingthemtotaketheIoT advantageandadoptamore‘innovative connectedapproach’.

InfrastructureManagement–Optimizationof Technology

Newapplicationsarenowenhancingtheirlevelof consumption.Likewise,manufacturingsectorisalso

Editor’s

gettingengrossedandachievingexcellencethroughIoT Techniques.Applicationsareliableformonitoringand controllingoperationsforurbanandruralmanufactures likebridges,farms,andrailwaytracks.Itisthekey featuresoftheapplicationswereIoTinfrastructureis alsousedformonitoringtheconstructionsafetyandrisk managementsystemandoperations.Thismajorfeature representsthemechanismofIoTapplicationwhich worksunderinfrastructuremanagement.BenefitsofIoT Technologyarecostreducing,timereducing,betterin quality,andincreaseproductivity.Ithelpstomakefast decisionsandsavemoneywithreal-timeanalysis.IoT deviceshelptogiveprominentresultsbymonitoringand controllingoperationsusedinallinfrastructurerelated area.

ManufacturingTechniquesareGrowingwithIoT Technology

Inthemanufacturingsector,networkingandcontrolling havebeenusedwithIoTdevices.Itprovidesinformation aboutdataandoperationstability.Networkstatusandthe informationiscollectedinthesystembytrackingIoT device.Manufacturingcontrolprocessdeliver informationaboutindustryapplicationandsmart manufacturingdetailsreceivingformIoTdevice.IoT intelligentsystemenablessharinginformationabout productdemands,servicemanagement,supplychain networks,sensorsandcontrolsystemstogether.Small industriescanalsobeintegratedwithIoTtechnology thatenablesreal-timeoptimization,measurements, productioncompatibilityandsafetymanagement. However,intelligentsystemsaredeterminedasthe significanttechniquethatimpliesuserexperienceand systemsecuritywhichultimatelysavescosts.

IoTTechnologybringsInnovativeFarmingMethods

TheAgriculturesectorisoneoftheindustryto implementIoTtechnologyforstabilityandbetter performance.IoTtechnologyhasbecomeasignificant methodoffarming.Italsooffersdurabilityand functionalitytothewholeprocess.Thecombinationof wirelesssensorswithagriculturalappsandcloud platformsbenefitsingatheringdefiniteinformation relatingtoenvironmentalconditionslike,rainfall, temperature,humidity,windspeedetc.Farmersare gettingcompetentresultsoutofit,andareabletofind real-timeinformationeasily.Linkedwithfarmland,it improvesandautomatesfarmingtechniqueslikeweather information,takingdecisiononqualityandquantity,and minimizesriskandwaste.WithIoTTechfarmerscan findoutdetailedinformationoffarmandsimilarlyknow

whichlandisfertileorwhichoneisdryandpredict futurefields.

IoTTechnologyHelpstoOptimizeEnergy Consumption

IntegratedSensingandControlsystemhelpstooptimize energyconsumption.IoTdevicesareintegratedwith energyconsumptionsystemsinordertomaintain balancebetweenpowergenerationandenergyusage.IoT devicesoffertheopportunitytoremotelygather information.Itenablesadvancefunctionslikeremote controllingandchanginglightconditions.IoT Technologyworkforhome-basedenergysystemwhich providepowerrelatedinformation,energyconsumption andenergyusageathomes.IoTdevicessetgoalsto improveefficiency,reliabilityandsustainabilityofthe energysystem.

MonitoringEnvironmentthroughIoTTechnology

Environmentmonitoringapplicationhasbeeninvolved withsensorstoassistinformationaboutenvironment changesbyidentifyingwaterquantity,atmosphere,air pressureetc.Italsohasfocusonmonitoringmovements ofwildlifeandtheirhabitats.Devicesconnectedtothe internetalsoprovidestatisticsaboutearthquakeor tsunami-earlywarningsystems,andalsousedasan emergencysystem.IoTdeviceapplicationisusedto collectgeographicinformationandmajorlyinstructive information.Thisdevicealsousesstandardizedapproach tobringwirelesssensingtechniqueandgatherfinest information.

IoTTechnologyHelpstoSustainBuildingandHome Automation

Withcertainty,IoTdevicesareusedtomonitorand controlthemechanical,electricalandelectronicsystems. IoTdevicesareusedinvarioustypesofhome automationandbuildingautomationsystems.Control andsensoryapplicationsofferunifiedinformation.The integrationoftheinternetwithbuildingcreatesan energymanagementsystemwhichwillallowprominent energyefficiency.

TherehavebeenmanywaysforIoTtechnologyto expandcompatibilityinthedigitalworld,anditwillbe implementedineachsectortoworkasanimportanttool, toenhanceitsaffinity.Afterall, the IoT network makes technology more unified and satisfying, with its tools and applications and IoT will be a step ahead towards numerous opportunities

OhmConnect: Connecting Smart Energy Grids with Homes

Theaverageannualelectricity consumptionforaU.S. residentialcustomerin2016 was10,766kilowatt-hours(kWh),an averageof897kWhpermonth.This giganticconsumptionofenergyleads totheconstructionofmoreenergy gridswhich,inturn,leadtoincreased carbonemissions.OhmConnect lendsahelpinghandbyencouraging controlofthisconsumption.

OhmConnectisasoftware-based powerplantlocatedinSanFrancisco, California.Itpayshouseholdsto reducetheirenergyusewhenthe electricgridisstressedandwhen powerhastobesuppliedfrom expensiveandpollution-heavy sources.

Thecompany’sstate-of-the-art softwareproductcoordinatesenergy sharingeventswithresidentialutility customers,allowinguserstorespond to#OhmHours.Thesoftware achievesthisbymakingbehavioral changesliketurningofflightsand otherautomatedactionsthrough smartdevicesconnectedtothe OhmConnectplatform.

CraftingSmartEnergyUsage

OhmConnectenvisionsaworld wherecustomers’homesare

connecteddirectlytotheelectricity grid,andthisinspiresitsmission statement:automagicallycreatingthe smartenergyfuture.

UsingOhmConnect,smarthome devicescommunicatewitheachother andwiththegridtosaveenergy, makingsmartdecisionstounlockthe fullvalueofcustomers’energy usage.Energysharingisawayfor gridoperatorstobalancesupplyand demandbyallowingcustomersto shifttheirenergyusageinresponse toreal-timepeakevents.

Whendemandexceedstheforecasted supplyofenergy,customersare promptedtorespondinreal-time throughsmarthomenetworkstosave energy.Onewayisbywaitingto performenergy-intensiveactivities untilafterthatpeakevent.

TheLeader’sPartinProgress

MattDuesterbergistheCEOand Co-founderofOhmConnect.Matt hasfocusedhiseffortsonsharingthe myriadbenefitsofOhmConnectwith theenergyworld,inbuildingitsdata infrastructure,andgrowingthe platform’suserbase.

Hestartedhiscareerintheenergy industrytradingelectricityflow futuresforasmallquantitative

tradingfirm,DCEnergy.Withhis experience,Mattrealizedthatthere wasafundamentalneedwithinthe energyindustrytobringexpertise fromoutsidetheenergysectorto solveproblemscommoninother industries,includinginconsumer engagement,marketing,andsoftware services.

WhenhestartedOhmConnectin 2014,nopathwayexistedtopay usersforreducingelectricityusage, butthatconceptwasincredibly valuabletothegrid.Mattandthe OhmConnectteamhelpedtolaythe groundworkthroughwhichtheypay customersinSanFrancisco, CaliforniaandOntario,Canada.

ConfrontingtheChallenges

OneofOhmConnect’sbiggest challengesistoensurethatthereisa regulatoryenvironmentthatcan reflectwhatthegridneeds.To overcomethishurdle,the organizationreliesonthreeprimary regulationstofacilitateitsbusiness model:accesstodatafromsmart meters(withcustomerconsent), paymentofmegawattsontheenergy grid,andacompetitiveapproachto electricityproducts.

OhmConnecthasandwillcontinue tofaceoppositionfromexisting policiesthatunintentionallyprevent itfromparticipatinginthemarketfor avarietyofreasons.Theorganization hasfacedthispreviouslyin2016and hasutilizeditsuserbaseasapolitical advantagethathelpedinrelieving thatrisk.

OhmConnectcontinuestogrowits policyandregulatoryteamthathelps shapethesepoliciestoenablea smarterenergyfuture.Itsjourneyhas

Matt Duesterberg CEO & Co-founder

beenenlighteningasforerunners havecreatedandmodifiedpolicies thatenableOhmConnecttoexist.

EnsuringOptimalEfficiency

OhmConnectfocusesoncustomer satisfactionandbuildingaproduct thatencouragesongoing participation,highreferralrates,and thehighestNetPromoterScore (NPS).Theproducthasevolvedinto onethatservesusersina personalizedmanner;itidentifies whichareasoftheexperiencewill resonatewithanindividualand drawstheirattentiontothosefeature sets.

OhmConnectexecutesthisprimarily byanalyzingauser’sbaselineenergy consumptionandcategorizingusers bybehavioralprofiles,whichisakey indicatoroftheprogramstheymight enjoymost.Thisalsoallowsusersto respondandparticipatein #OhmHoursinthemostefficient mannerbysettingtheirdesired hours,frequency,andtherewards thattheyreceive.

ContributionstoaCause

Asanenergy-sharingservice, OhmConnectencouragesusersto

consciouslyconsiderhowthey consumeenergy,bothasindividuals andwithinthelargercommunity.

Whenmoreenergyisneededthan wasinitiallyplannedfor, OhmConnectusersarecalledinthe placeofpeakerplantstomeetthis unexpecteddemand.Insteadof keepinglightsswitchedonorair conditioningunitsrunning,users sharetheirenergywiththoseinthe communitywhoareusingmorethan expected.

Usersarethenpaidforreducingthe amountofenergytheyarepulling fromthegrid.OhmConnecttherefore actsasaresidentialenergy-sharing program,leveragingdemand response,andhasproventhat residentialhomeswillrespondboth frequentlyandconsistentlywhen called,ifprovidedwiththeright incentive.

OhmConnectallowsuserstorespond to#OhmHoursbymakingbehavioral changeslikeswitchingoffdevices,as wellastakingautomatedactionsby connectingtheirsmartdevicestothe OhmConnectplatform.

Thecompany’smissionstatement, ‘Automagicallycreatingthesmart

energyfuture’, encapsulatesitsgoals forasmart,connected world,bridgingthegap betweenthesmarthomeandthe smartgrid.UsingOhmConnect, devicesautomaticallycommunicate witheachotherandwiththegridto saveenergy,andmakesmart decisionstounlockthevalueof citizens’energyusage.

ExpansionofEmpowerment

Overthepastfewyears, OhmConnecthasbeenfocusing intentlyonexpandingitsfootprint withinCalifornia.Inthenextfew years,thecompanyenvisions enormousopportunitiesinnew energymarkets,includingToronto, Texas,NewYork,theeastern seaboard,andtheMidwest.

Eachregionhasitsownunique energymarketandthecompanyis keentoempowereveryenergy customertogetpaidformaking smarterenergydecisions.

“ “ “ “ OhmConnect is a free service that rewards you for saving energy at specic times.

Power Ledger:

Transforming the World by Trading Renewable Energy

Theideaof‘trading’renewable energyhascreatedan additionalfactorotherthan conservationofenvironment,which instigatesconsumerstovoluntarily userenewableenergy.Arecognized platformthathasenabledconsumers toconductdirecttradeofrenewable energyisPowerLedger.

Thesoftwareplatformuses blockchaintechnologytoenable consumerstobuyandsellrenewable energydirectlybetweenoneanother, whichisreferredtoas‘peer-to-peer trading’.Theplatformwascreatedto linktheconsumers’solarpanelsina marketplacesothatrenewableenergy canbelow-cost,low-carbonand ownedandsoldbyindividualsand communitiesallovertheworld.

ThroughPowerLedger,individuals canbeenabledtomaximizethereturn ontheirrenewableenergyandalsoto enablethosewhowouldn’thave accessotherwise,tobuyrenewable energyatmoreaffordableprices. Ultimately,thistechnologyaimsto removetherelianceoncentralpower stationsandpreventdeveloping nationsfromhavingtoinvestin expensiveinfrastructure.

AnEmpoweringPlatform

Sincetheelectricitypowerindustry wasmodeledonlyforcentralplayers tofeedtheenergysupply,consumers producingenergydon’tgetfairvalue fortheirinvestment.ThePower Ledgerplatformallowsconsumersto receivethebenefitsofthese investments,eitherbysellingtheir excessenergythroughthePeer-toPeerTradingApplicationorby contributingtoAssetGermination Events.ByusingPOWRtokens, consumersareabletohelpfundlarge renewableenergyassetssuchasa batteryorsolarfarms,andmakea passiveincomeoffthoseinvestments usingthisplatform.

Theplatformcanalsobeusedto supportMicrogrids,withthebest knownliveexamplebeingits partnershipwithTechMahindrain India.PowerLedgerisbeingused acrossTechMahindracampusesin Indiawhereconsumerdataisbeing usedtoprovetheaccuracyand securityofthetradingplatform.This platformenablesvillage-to-village tradingthroughwhichcommunities canbreaktheirdependenceonsingle gridsandtradeenergyinapeer-topeerfashion.

TheLeadersofTransformation PowerLedgerhasatotaloffiveCofounders,namelyDr.JemmaGreen, DaveMartin,JenniConroy,John BulichandGovvanEk.

PriortofoundingPowerLedger,the Co-founderandChairDr.Jemma Greenworkedasaninvestment bankeratJPMorganinLondon. DuringhertimeinLondonshe studiedSustainabilityLeadershipat CambridgeUniversity.She’scurrently aresearchfellowatCurtinUniversity SustainabilityPolicy(CUSP) Institute.Jemmahasexperiencedthe challengesofsustainablecities throughherroleasanindependent CounciloroftheCityofPerthand, mostrecently,asActingDeputyLord MayorofPerth.She’salsotheChair ofClimate-KIC,Australia.

TheManagingDirectorofthe company,DaveMartin,hasover20 yearsofexperienceworkinginthe energyindustry,andco-founderJenni Conroyhasacumulativeexperience ofover30yearsintheindustry.The othertwoco-foundersJohnBulich andGovvanEkweretheco-founders ofanAustralianblockchaincompany specializinginthecreationand commercializationoftechnicaland commercialblockchainsystems calledLedgerAssets.

AnEdifyingJourney

Beingastartup,theentireteamat PowerLedgerwaswearingmultiple hatssothattheycouldconstantly managehowtobestspendtime answeringcommunityquestions aboutitsICO,whileensuringit doesn’tdivergetoofarfromitslongtermgoals.Theprogressithasmade

comesdowntothesolidlegal frameworkithasestablishedforthe POWRtoken.

Asacompany,PowerLedgerdoesn’t believeonecanbuildcredibilityif theybypassregulatoryenvironments andexposestakeholderstopotential risksandliabilities.Thisisoneofthe keystonesofthecompany’sbusiness anditsglobalpartnersseethis strategyasasignificantbenefit.

DeliveringInnovationRound-theClock

ForPowerLedger’sprojectpartners, ithasasysteminplacetoqualify leadsandprovideinformationabout howtobeinvolvedinanavailable PowerLedgerproject.Thecompany alsohasabusinessdevelopmentteam andateamofanalystswhoworkto understandtheneedsofeachpotential customerandittweaksanddevelops theplatformtosuittheirspecific needs.

Foritscommunity,thecompanyhasa teamofmoderatorswhoanswer questions24/7inTelegramchat whichhas17,000activeusers.The teammembersarealwaysonlineto

personallyanswerquestionsvia Facebook,Messenger,Reddit, Twitter,emailandmore.

AidingintheDevelopment Assolarpanelsbecomemorewidespread,moreandmorehouseholdsare becomingenergyself-sufficient.But peoplewhocan’taffordtoinstalltheir ownsolarPVorbatteryareleft footinghigherbills,whichisnot sustainable.PowerLedgerplatform helpspeoplewhocan’taffordto participateinthedistributedenergy economyandwhodeservethesame accesstolowcost,lowcarbonenergy astherestofthepopulation.Power Ledger,isinapositionwhereits technologyissoughtafterby companiesfromaroundtheglobe.

“Circumstance has pushed us to innovate to a point where we’re leading the way in this industry,” assertsDr.JemmaGreen.

PavingthePathtowardsa RenewableFuture PowerLedger’sfocusfor2018ison AssetGerminationEventsand outreachfromthecommunityto participateinenergygeneration.Asset

GerminationEvents presentenormous potentialfordeveloping countriesandalsocountries impactedbynaturaldisasterstoassist inrebuildingassets.Anotherentity thecompanyhasbeenworkingonis anelectricvehiclechargingplatform.

ArecentGTMResearchreporton blockchainintheenergysector independentlyresearchedPower Ledgeraswellasothersandranked thembymeansofprojectsdeployed orplanned.Thecompanyisleading thepackwithitspeer-to-peerenergy trading,electricvehiclechargingand transactiveenergysolutions.Overthe next18monthsPowerLedgeraimsto havetheplatformbeingusedin12 jurisdictionsandtrading100sof MegaWatts.

Dr. Jemma Green Co-founder & Chairman

“ “ “ “ We put the power to manage the energy economy into the hands of consumers, while maintaining the value of existing distribution networks.

Mathivanan V Vice President ManageEngine

Rising Mobile Workforce and its Challenges in the Mobile-Cloud Era:

Data & Endpoint Management

Mobilityandcloud computingarerapidly becomingthenormfor enterprisesaroundtheworld.Inturn, enterpriseITdepartmentsarefacing newmanagementandsecurity challengesastheamountofbusiness datasoarsandthenumberof endpointsexplodes.Thequestion thatisdoingtheroundsiswhatIT teamsneedtoconsidertomanage andsecuretheirbusinessesinthis newera.

Industryanalystspredictdeep penetrationofenterprise mobilitybytheyear2020. IDC,forinstance,forecasts

thatmobileworkerswillaccountfor almost75percentofthetotal workforceintheU.S.Meanwhile, StrategyAnalyticsprojectsthatthe globalmobileworkforcewillreach 1.75billionusersandaccountfor42 percentoftheglobalworkforce overall.

Theeconomicperspectiveisjustas brightasabutton.Theglobal enterprisemobilitymarketwillbe worthasmuchas$140billion, predictstheNationalAssociationof SoftwareandServicesCompanies Andtheinvestmentsarepayingoff. Todate,84percentofallcompanies whoconsiderthemselvesonthe cuttingedgeofmobilityreportan increaseinoverallproductivityasa directresultofincorporatingmobile appsintotheirbusiness,accordingto asurveybyAppsFreedom.

Likewise,enterprisesareexpectedto continuerelentlesslyadoptingcloud technologies.By2020,Gartner forecaststhepubliccloudservices marketwillreach$383billion.This includesspendingoncloudbusiness processservices,cloudapplication infrastructureservices,cloud applicationservices,cloud managementandsecurityservices, cloudsysteminfrastructureservices, andofcourse,cloudadvertising.

Theflipsideofincreasingenterprise mobilityandcloudusageisthe increasingrisktoenterprisesecurity. Today,mostusershaveatleasttwo endpoints–alaptopandmobile device–and80percentofnetwork devicesarebeendpointsthatare constantlyconnectedtotheinternet andexposedtoitsthreatssuchas Meltdown,Spectre,Wannacry,and Petya.

Moretroubling,thetypicalenduser haslittleknowledgeofthosethreats ortheirramifications.Theresultis moreusersaremorelikelytoleak enterprisedatabyusing compromisedwebsitesandrogue onlineservices.TheCVElisted 14,712cybersecurityvulnerabilities for2017andhasalreadylisted2,848 forthefirsttwomonthsof2018.In response,vendorslargeandsmallare releasingpatchesonadailybasis. EnterpriseITteamsclearlyneedto focusonendpointsecurity managementtoensurebusiness successinthemobile-cloudera.

Endpointsecuritychallenges

Keepingendpointsuptodatewith thelatestversionsoftheirOSesand applicationshasbecomeafull-time job,onethatisgettingharderto performinthemobileenterprise.A growingchallengeisthediversityof endpointoperatingsystemsthatmust bemanaged,includingAndroid,iOS, MacOS,Windows,Linux,and ChromeOS.Foreach,theITteam mustlearnthatOSalongwithits correspondingpatchingtechnique. Likewise,applicationsacquiredfrom thevariousappstoresaremanaged withdifferenttechniquesthatmustbe learnedandmasteredsothattheteam cansecuretheendpoints.

Anotherchallengeismanagingthe endpointsfromdayone,especially mobiledevices.Whileit’sbeen relativelyeasyforITadminsto installagentsoftwareondesktops andlaptops,smartphonesandother mobiledevicesmakelifeharderfor theadminsbecausethedevicesare rarelyifeverconnectedtothe corporatenetwork.Consequently, devicesmustbeprovisionedwiththe

necessarymobiledevice managementsoftwarebeforetheyare giventoendusers.Devicesthatare notappropriatelymanagedare securityrisks,sonobusiness applicationshouldbeinstalledorrun onthem.

Relatedtotheday-onemanagement challengeisupdatingendpointsthat areonthego,anytimeandanywhere. ITteamsmustbeabletoinstall criticalpatcheswhileemployeesare traveling,commuting,orotherwise offsite.

Dataleakagepresentsyetanother securitychallengeforITteamsto overcome.Dataleakagecanhappen withorwithouttheusers’knowledge. Forinstance,usersmayknowingly copybusinessdatatoaUSBdevice oruploadittoacloudstorage service.Theymayalsounknowingly exposethatdatatoapubliccloud servicewhenusingthird-partyapps suchasdocumentviewersand predictivekeyboardapps.Suchapps maycompromiseuserIDsand passwords,accountnumbers,and othersensitiveenterprisedataby exposingittopubliccloudservices.

Whenauser’sdeviceislostor stolen,theITteammustbeableto trackandrecoverthedeviceorwipe thedataifthedeviceisn’trecovered. Tomaintaintheuser’sprivacy, however,theITteamcannot continuouslytrackthelocationofthe user’sdevice.

BYODpresentsanotherprivacyvs securitychallenge:Whenusersuse theirowndevicesforbusiness purposes,privacyneedstobe maintained.Photos,contacts,and otherpersonaldatashouldnotbe

managedbycompany’smobiledevicemanagementapp.

Ontheotherhand,securityneedstobemaintained,too. Tothatend,theITteamshouldcreateacontaineronthe user’spersonaldevice–asecure,managedareathat isolatesbusinessemail,CRM,andotherenterpriseapps anddatafromtherestofuser’spersonalapps/data.

Toestablishstrongendpointsecurityandprevent unwantedattacks,ITteamsmustapplystrictsecurity policiesontheirendpoints.Laptops,forinstance,should alwaysrunafirewall,preventthecreationofunwanted networkshares,andencryptdataviaBitLockeror FileVault.Suchsecuritypoliciescanprotectenterprises fromthesecurityrisksposedbymobility.

Predictingthedevelopmentofdataandendpoint management

Goingforward,machinelearningandAIwillhelpmake dataandendpointmanagementaproactive,ratherthana reactiveprocess.Forinstance,thesetechnologiescould preventdatatheftbydetectinganomaliessuchas unusualloginactivitiesoranunusuallylargenumberof documentsbeinguploadedtothecloud.Theycould analyzetherootcauseofpatchdeploymentfailuresand suggestfixes.Theycouldalsodetectsystemidletimes –duringlunchhours,forinstance–todeploypatchesas

Tech Perspective

soonaspossibleratherwaituntilafterhoursor weekends,whichcanleavesystemsunnecessarily vulnerable.

Meanwhile,theinternetofthings(IoT)willintroduce manyorganizationstoanewbreedofendpointsand connecteddevices.UnliketheiriOS-andAndroidpoweredpredecessors,IoTdeviceswillberunningmany differentOSesandapplications,allofwhichmaybe vulnerableyetmustbemanagedandsecured.

Finally,mostbusinessapplicationsaremovingtothe cloudandaccessedviabrowser,effectivelymakingthe browseranendpoint.Thatmeanstodefendagainst attacks,ITteamsneedtomanagebrowsersandperform allsecurityoperationsforthemjustasiftheywere desktops,laptops,oranyotherdevice.

Asorganizationscontinuetoadoptmobilityandthe cloud,theymustalsoadoptthepracticesnecessaryto supportthisnewreality.Dataandendpointsecurityand managementarepriorityoneinITdepartments.Forthe vastmajorityofcompaniesaroundtheworld,theirfuture successdependsonrecognizingandcommittingtothat priority.

SmartWorks: Unleashing the Power of your Data

Theworld’srapidlygrowing appetiteforenergyandwater resourceshasleftexisting utilityinfrastructureinefficient, increasinglyunreliableandcostlyto maintain.Asdemandforthese commoditiesgrow,theutility industryhasseenenormousadvances insmartinfrastructureandassociated technologies.Asthesetechnologies evolve,utilitiesarechallengedto determinehowtomakebestuseof theirassociateddata,introducinga mountingneedforsmart infrastructuresolutions. SmartWorks,adivisionofN.Harris ComputerCorporation,isfillingthe voidleftbytraditionalsolutions. SmartWorksoffersturnkeysolutions thatallowutilitiestonavigatechange byunleashingthepoweroftheir smartinfrastructureandthe associateddata.

MakingtheComplexSimple SmartWorkshasoveradecadeof experienceprovidingbest-in-class datamanagementandanalytics solutionstomorethan300utilities throughoutNorthAmericaandthe Caribbean.

SmartWorksprovidespowerful, feature-richsolutionsthatanalyzea

utility’soperationaldata.Thesedatafocusedsolutionshelpstreamline utilityprocessesacrossarangeof environments. SmartWorks’ solutionsaresimpletodeploy,easy tooperate,andpainlesstoupgrade. Asaresult,utilityprovidersgeta cost-effectivewaytomaximizethe returnontheirsmartinfrastructure investments.

TheSmartWorksportfoliois designedtomakethecomplex simple.SmartWorks’robustutility decisionmanagementsolution, SmartWorks Compass, seamlessly convertsvolumesofdatafrom disparatesourceswithintheutility intopowerfulinsightsandautomated actions.

SmartWorks’broadrangeof solutionsalsoincludes:

Ÿ MeterSense,ascalableand configurablemeterdata managementsolution.

Ÿ HomeConnect,asophisticated web-basedcustomerengagement solution.

Ÿ BizConnect, anonlineportalfor Commercial&Industrialenergy andwaterusers.

Ÿ SmartWorks VODA,designedto

assistwaterutilitieswithwater conservationmetrics,meterdata management,leakdetection,and lostrevenue.

DrivingInnovation Shiftingregulatoryrequirements, fluctuatingdemandanddwindling naturalresourcesexertextraordinary pressureonelectric,water,andgas utilities. Tocopewiththese dynamicchanges,utilitiesareheavily investinginintelligenttechnology, infrastructureupgrades,renewable energies,consumerengagement tools,andsocialmediaapplications. However,utilitiesareunique, meaningonesinglesolutiondoesnot fitallneeds.

SmartWorkshelpsutilitiestoadaptto newtechnologiesquicklyand effectively.SmartWorksdevelops easy-to-usesolutionsbasedonthe needsofcustomerswithintheutility market. Throughtheirinteraction withCustomers,SmartWorkshas cometounderstandthatthesmart gridisnotonlyaboutsmartmeters,it involvestheintegrationofall existingsystemsandconnected devicesincludingSupervisory ControlAndDataAcquisition (SCADA)andsensorsinthe

Brad Atchison Senior Executive Vice President

emergingInternetofThings(IoT). Theinsightscollectedfromthe combinationofexistingsystems, smartinfrastructureandIoTsensors allowtheutilitytoserveits consumersbetter.SmartWorksacts asbridgebetweenengineers, softwareexperts,andproduct specialiststoinnovateandextract newapplicationsfortheirutilitydata.

ABrilliantMind

BradAtchison,SeniorExecutive VicePresidentofSmartWorks,is thestrategicleaderresponsiblefor overseeingSmartWorks’Product Development,Business Development,ProfessionalServices andSupportteams.

Bradhasover20yearsofexperience intheutilitysectorandisintimately familiarwithallrealmsoftheutility industry. Bradbeganhisexperience workingintheutilityindustryatBC Hydro,servingasaFinancialAnalyst withtheCorporateFinancegroup andlaterastheManagerofMarket Information&Analysisinthe industryleadingPowerSmart businessunit. Bradthenworkedin theHarrisUtilitiesGroupasaSenior ApplicationConsultantandlateras DirectorofDevelopmentServices.

Brad’stenurehasgivenhiman intimateknowledgeofsmartgrid technologiesandstrongfamiliarity withdataanalytics.

BradensuresthatSmartWorksis focusedonthedeliveryofsuperior businesssolutionsthatmeetthe evolvingneedsofutilityproviders andleveragethetremendous opportunitiesthatexistwithinthe space.Bradstrivestounderstandthe truechallengesoftheutilityindustry anddevelopsolutionsonwhich utilitiescanrelytoovercome businessandoperationalchanges.

Bradisalsothedrivingforcebehind SmartWorks’BusinessDevelopment initiatives.Hewasakeyplayerinthe company’sacquisitionofDataVoice InternationalInc.andPartner Software. Bradiscurrently concentratingoncreatingand introducingnewintegrationsthat correlateacrossmultiplesystemsto transformthewaytheworldrelates toenergyandwater.

FutureInsights

SmartWorkshasjoinedforceswith PartnerSoftwareanddataVoice InternationalInc.tocollectivelyoffer acomprehensivesuiteofutility solutionsintheareasofdata

analysis,data management, interactivevoice response,outagemanagement, andfieldservices.Together,these threehighlycompatible organizationswillexpandtheir integrationsintomultiplenew productlines,bringingintegrationto anewleveltooffersuperiorproducts acrosstheboard. SmartWorksis focusedondevelopingagnostic solutionsthattietogethermultiple utilitysystemstostreamlineutility processesandconvertvolumesof dataintopowerfulinsights.

Thecompanyisaimingtomaintain itsprimefocusonthecooperative andmunicipalutilityspace. SmartWorksfocusesondatainboth energyandwaterconservation management,asthebenefitsinthis areahavethepotentialtochangethe waypeopleeverywhereusethe world’sfiniteresourcesofenergyand water.

“ “ “ “ SmartWorks provides data management and analytics solutions that make the complex simple.

E-Mobility

E-Mobility: Pioneering Transportation with Smart Grid

Theelectricautomobileisassociatedwiththe integrationoftransportation,whichisresulted accordingtothecustomerneeds.Customer demandsareinitiatedtowardsrenewableenergiesinterms ofazero-emissionandsustainablemobility.The"Smart Grid"couldbeahypotheticmethodologywithelectrically collectedfromvehiclesthatrunonrenewableresources. However,E-mobilityconsequentlyspecializingincustomer demandsandbuildaneffectivesourceofenergythrough mobility.

ElectromobilityorE-mobilitysuggestscleanand environment-friendlytransportthroughelectricvehicles.It conjointlydeliversclimate-friendlytechnologywith massivegrowthpotential.Intheautomotiveindustry, electricitysuppliersandgovernmentinfluencersarealso pushinge-mobilitywithinthefieldofstandardization.For sequencingtotheperfection,utilitiesandnetworkoperators areheavilyinvestingunderdevelopmentof‘intelligent’ electricitydistributionsystems.

SmartGridCommunicationforeconomicalE-Mobility

Insmartgrid,smartenergynetworkdependsupon comprehensivecommunicationwithintegratedcharging stations.Thecommunicationwiththesmartgridis incessantlymeasuredandcontrolledthroughanIP-based connection.Itadditionallypermitsloadcompensationwith theassistanceofinterconnectingchargingstations. Additionally,vehicle-to-gridcommunicationmakesit potentialtointegratespecialchargemodelsandsupplynew services.Moreover,infuturethevehiclesconnectedtothe smartgridunitexpectedtoperformbatteriesforstoring extraenergyasneeded.

RenderingaheadwithSmartGrid

Themovetowardsalow-carbonsocietywouldrequire progressinrenewableenergyproductionandine-mobility. Thesuccessofe-mobilityisconnectedtosmartgrid developmentthathelpsintelligentcharginginfrastructure forbigscaleacceptanceofelectricvehicles.The dependencyworksbothwaysinwhichcomparableto massivescaleacceptanceofe-mobilityhelpsmassivescale infrastructureinvestmentstobeprofitable.

FunctionalitiesofE-Mobility

Therearetwodifferentkindsofplug-inelectricvehicles, suchasplug-inhybridvehicleandpureelectricvehicle. Wereplug-inhybridvehiclesareequippedwitha combustionengineandpureelectricvehicleencompass pureelectricconnectivity.Theproperelectricity-production drasticallyreducesCO2emissionscomparedtotraditional combustionenginecars.Fromtheperspectiveofthe electricalgrid,people’shabitsanddailyschedulescan probablycausepeakdemandatcertaintimesofday,which maycauseelectricitynetworkcongestionorvoltagesbelow normal.

RevolutionaryTrendsofElectricalGrid

Inanelectricalgrid,theenergysystembecomes progressivelyreliedonrenewableenergysources.The wantstotheelectricalgridareever-changingwithlatest trends.Thealternativeenergyisgenerallynon-controllable, suburbanizedandunsteady.E-mobilitybringspurposeful technologywhichreinforcesthetransportationmediumand efficientmethod.

FlexiblepropertyofE-Mobility

E-mobilitymaybeaversatileelectricaltransportation mediumimmenselycapturingclientdemands.The flexibilityofe-mobilityhelpstoreducecostsofnetwork investmentsandelectricitybillswithgridoperators.The networkhastheflexibilitytodealwithworstcasesituation. Itadditionallyreducesenergyandabsorbsexcessiveenergy generation,andadditionallythingsandvoltageissues.

NissanIntegratesE-MobilitywithSmartGrid

Thewell-knownautomobilebrand,Nissanisintroducingits ownelectronicvehicleore-mobilityvehiclewithsmartgrid technology.Nissanadditionallyproposestointroduce technologyandbusinesstiesbetweenelectricdrivingand smartgrid.Moreover,Nissanisonthepointofintroducing energystorageforavehiclefordomesticusagesupported second-lifebatteries.Nissan’sisaimingtoprovide concerningonehundredelectricvehiclechargingstations foreachnon-publicandbusinesspurpose.Theautomotive

usersarereadytoofferthebatterycapacitytovehiclesand tocreateenergyforgrid.Hence,Nissandrivesits e-mobilityvehicleseffectivelywithunifiedconsumer experience.

ConfrontingFuturewithE-Mobility

Thefutureofelectricvehiclesisremodelingwithinthefield ofenergyandqualityhappeninginthefieldsofenergyand quality.E-mobilityisinfluencedbymarketfactorsand forthcomingtrendsthatarenearlyunbeatable.The conjunctionofe-mobilityandsmartgridisachancefor manyautomobileindustries.Throughautomobile, businesseshavemanypossibilitiestoheadinthemarket.

Henceforth, e-mobility delivers significant solutions to automobile industry comprises with a smart grid. It’s a revolutionary step towards automobile segmentation comprises with electric transport mobility solutions.

Sympower: Creating Grid Sustainability through Demand Management

Climatechangeisoneofthe biggestchallengeswefaceas aplanettoday,andfossilfueledpowerplantsareamajorsource ofthatproblem.

Electricitysupplyanddemandmust bebalancedatalltimestoprevent issuesontheelectricitygrid.Demand fluctuatesduetoday-to-day consumptionpatterns.Theincreasein renewableenergysourcessuchas windandsolarpowerarecontributing tofluctuationsinsupply,asthe productionofenergydependson variablenaturalfactorsthatarehardto control.

Currently,discrepanciesbetween supplyanddemandarerestoredby powerplantsinaninefficientand pollutingmannerbyquickly increasinggenerationtomatchthe demand.

SolutionssuchasSympowerspeedup thetransitiontoacleanandefficient energysystem.Itminimizestheneed

forheavily-polluting“peaking”plants andfacilitatestheintegrationof renewablesontotheelectricitygrid, reducingthecarbonfootprintofthe energysystemasawhole.Sympower enablessmarterenergyuseforalowcarbonfuture.

BeingPartoftheSolution Sympowerenableselectricityenduserstomakeasignificant contributiontowardsbuildingaclean energysystembyoptimizingtheir energyconsumption.TheSympower systemoperatesasaVirtualPower Plant,matchingdemandtothesupply withouttheneedforincreased generationofpower.Itssmart softwareconnectsappliancessuchas

electricheatingandcoolingsystemsto anonlineplatformthatbalancesthe supplyanddemandofelectricityin real-time.Onlinesystemsmonitor physicalprocessesonsiteandadjust consumptionandproductionofthe connectedapplianceswhile minimizingthedisturbancecausedto theprocesses,makingtheend-user’s industrial,commercialandresidential systemsapartofthesolution.

TransmissionSystemOperatorsand DistributionSystemOperators purchasebalancingservicesand congestionmanagementsolutions fromSympower.Thesegridoperators havehighlytechnicaldemandsand qualificationrequirementsthat Sympowerisabletofulfillacross multiplemarketsandgeographies. Sympowersharesrevenuesgenerated fromthebalancingserviceswiththe applianceowners,payingthemforthe capacitytheyhavecontributedtothe platformandfortheirroleincreating acleanerandmoresustainableenergy system.

ConnectingEnergySystemwithIoT Sympower’sInternetofEnergy Thingssolutionregulatesthebehavior ofdevicesthatconsumeelectricityin real-timefromacloud,synchronizing theenergyconsumptionwiththe supplyanddemandonthegridinrealtime.Additionally,Sympowerenables customerstobecomeactivetraderson electricitymarketsandoptimizes consumptionagainstelectricityprices innewwaysprovidingend-userswith additionalsourcesofrevenueand lowerelectricitybills.

Everyday,theSympowerplatform getssmarterbyoptimizingforecasting algorithms,reviewingenergy consumptiontrendsandoptimizing howittradesresources.

InitialSetbacksandaBetterFuture Sympower’smainchallengesalong thepathtogrowtharetherestrictions thatcomefromregulatorybarriers. Thelackofcurrentmarketstructures thatareopentodemandresponse aggregationandthetimeittakes

institutionstoadapttoadvancements inaggregatorfunctions,makeit difficultforSympowertoenterinto newcountriesrapidly.

Muchneededchangeisonthehorizon however,asEuropeanlegislationis mandatingthatcountriesopentheir electricitymarketstosustainable solutionssuchasdemandresponse aggregationandfrequencyreservesby 2020.Sympowerispartofthe Horizon2020R&Dinitiative Interflex,thatexplorespathwaysto adaptandmodernizetheEuropean electricitydistributionsystem,giving Sympoweraheadstartaspartofthe changemakersintheindustry.

Withsuchtransformationalregulatory changesbuoyingtheindustry,and manyotherR&DprojectsSympower isinvolvedin,thecompanywill continuetogrowitsportfolioof servicesandalreadyhasplansto expandintonewmarketsinEurope, NorthAmerica,andtheMiddleEast.

ThePassionateLeader

SimonBushellisCEOand FounderofAmsterdam-based DemandResponseAggregator, Sympower.Heispassionateabout findinginnovativesolutionstohelp tackleclimatechange.Simonisa Forbes30under30Social Entrepreneurandhasbeeninvitedto speakateventsallovertheworldto sharehisvisiononthefutureofthe energysystem.

Simon Bushell CEO & Founder

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You can now contribute to balancing the electricity grid sustainably through our automated software system. Turn electricity consuming appliances into value generating energy assets and support the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.

ZOME Energy Networks: A Smarter Way to Optimize

Distributed Energy Resources

ZOMEEnergyNetworks, Inc.wasselectedasaTop10, BestinClassvendorbecause ofitsadvancedDistributedEnergy ResourceOptimizationsoftwareand theteambehindtheirsolution.The companyoffersawide-scale,deviceindependent,platformsolutionthat includescloudsoftware,algorithms, andAPI’senablingcontrol, simulations,andanalyticstoimprove electricutilityandbuilding-wide energymanagementprograms.

ZOME’splatformisbuiltonAWS, designedasa“microservice” architecture,andsupportsIoTand otherenergy-consumingdevices. ZOME,anditsintellectualpropertyof ColorPowerAlgorithms,automates themanagementandoptimization (includinghelpingthird-party DERMS—DistributedEnergy ResourcesManagementSystem–players).Themodulararchitectureis providedasaPlatform-as-a-Service (PaaS)basis,tobewhite-labeledfor utilities,aggregators,orother partners.

Meanwhile,ZOME’sHVAC Analyticsallowsforanalytics-based optimizationofcurrentlyrunningDR programsbasedonconnected thermostats.Thispredictive

capability—whatistheenergyload behindthatthermostat?—allows utilitiesortheirDERMSvendorsto notablyimprovetheaccuracyofthese HVACdemandsidemanagement programs,andcanmakethis aggregateenergyloaddispatchable andmoreviableforcoreutility operations.

Thecompany’sunderlying ColorPoweralgorithmsincorporate themanagementofthefullsuiteof DistributedEnergyResources (DERs),includingEnergyEfficiency (EE),DemandResponse(DR), DistributedGeneration(DG), DistributedStorage(DS)andVehicle toGrid(V2G).Thecompanyprovides aholisticapproachto‘supply-demand optimization,’whilemeetingthe needsofenergyproviders,endconsumersofenergyservices,and regulators.

It’snotjusttheproducts,butalso theteamatZOMEthatmakesthis companynoteworthy:

Dr.AlexPapalexopoulosistheCEO andChairmanofZOMEEnergy Networks.Dr.Papalexopoulosisalso theFounderofECCO,oneofthetop energymarketdesignersintheworld. ZOMEishisproductcompany, ECCOhisconsultingcompany.Heis

alsoanIEEEFellow,andhascodevelopedmuchoftheISOmarket systemintheUSA,andhasdesigned energymarketsonfourcontinents. It’snotanexaggerationtosayheisa livinglegendintheenergysector.

BradKaytonistheCo-founderand COO.Mr.Kaytonco-foundedwhat wasatthetimethelargestbroadband equipmentcompanyforNorth America(2Wire),andaleadinghome andenergyautomationvendor (4Home)whichwasacquiredby MotorolaandthenGoogle.Mr. Kaytonhas10patentstohisname,all intheareasofnetworkingandenergy managementandheisontheboardof afewleadingIoTrelatedcompanies.

IgorChernyyistheCTO,witha backgroundofhavingworkedatboth Amazon.comandMicrosoft developingcloudproducts,heisin chargeofZOME’scloudarchitecture anddevelopment.EricSmithisthe SVPofSales&BusDev,andhehas over30yearsworkingintheenergy sector,mostrecentlyasManaging DirectorofNavigantConsulting.

DeliveringEnergyCloudServices ZOMEEnergyNetworksprovides threeprimaryservicesforenergy optimization:ColorPowerfor TM MDUs,ColorPowerfor TM Neighborhoods,andZOME TM Analytics.

ColorPower for MDUs allows buildingownerstoenjoyenergy savingsandevenrevenuegeneration fromtheirbuildingsincertainareas bycoordinatingtheenergyusagewith therestoftheEnergyGrid,helping theGridintimesofneedandgetting paidforit.Consumerslivinginthe apartmentunitscanshareinthe savingsorrevenuegenerationand takeprideinbeing“green,”allthe

whilemaintainingcontrolbybeing abletooptoutatanytime.

ColorPower for Neighborhoods providesenergymanagementand optimizationforelectricutilitiesand itscustomerslivinginprimarily single-familyhomeneighborhoods. ColorPower for Neighborhoods enableselectricutilitiestooptimize DemandResponse(DR)andother demandsidemanagement(DSM) programsinoperationaswellasnew rollouts,includingthewider objectivesofDistributedEnergy Resourceapplications.Consumersare motivatedtoenrollinColorPowerenabledprogramstosavemoneyon energyuse,toearncreditstotheir monthlyenergybill,earnTokens,or receivechecksinthemailfortheir flexibleenergycontribution.

ZOME Analytics isasetofcloudbasedservicesthatprovidesavariety ofanalytics,machinelearning,and predictivemodulesforenergyuseand management.Companiescantapinto ZOME Analytics tobetterestimate energyloads.APIsalloweither DERMSvendorsorutilitiesdirectly toimprovetheaccuracyintheir currentlyrunningorplanned DistributedEnergyResource program.

EnhancingEnergyDistribution withNotableBenefits: ZOMEhelpsutilitiesachieve sustainableenergyprograms,enables apartmentownersto“bid”their buildingsforDRpayments,partners withdevicevendors,andprovides end-consumersaneasywaytoengage andstayinDemandSide Management(DSM)programs.

Electric Utility benefit: Themore responsivetheenergygridcanbe,the bettertheeconomics,resource loading,andenvironmentalimpact.It isimportanttounderstandthevalue propositionunderlyingColorPower.It algorithmicallybalancesenergyneeds (demand)withenergydistribution (supply)tothepointofallowing demandneedsandpreferencesto openlytriggerenergysupply,which inturnwouldoptimizethemarket priceattheLMP,andintheprocess optimizingthecostandsustainability ofenergy.Italsoprovidesbenefitsto apartmentbuildingownerswith demandchargesavings,Demand Response(DR)payments,energy usage,timeofdayautomatedsavings, andoverallloadbalancingofthe building(s).

ZOME’sColorPowerDER optimizationplatformisuniquely

designedinthat onepartofitisfor energymanagement simulations,whileanotherpart isthecontrolloop,bothare integratedtogether,andthePrecision ProgramIterativeRollout methodologyitfacilitatesispatent protected.Algorithmsarethekey differentiatorforZOME,andtheir cloud-APIarchitectureenablesbroad supportforequipmentmonitoringand control.ZOME’smethodology enablesmuchmoreprecision,andas suchcanbeusedforadvancedenergy ancillaryservices.

EyeOnExpansion

TheplatformisbeingextendedtotieinEVs,roof-topsolar,batterystorage, andotherDERs.Thegoalatthe highestlevelistooptimizeDERs fromthedemand-sideandmatchas closelyaspossibletotheupanddown outputofmostrenewableenergy sources.ZOMEenvisionsproviding theservicesbeyondNorthAmerica, withEuropeandCanadabeingthe firstgeographicexpansionregionsfor thecompany.

Dr. Alex Papalexopoulos CEO & Chairman

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“ “ We provide the best SupplyDemand Optimization of Distributed Energy Resources by enlisting IoT devices.

BEYOND AUTOMATION: AI powered Autonomous Factories of the Future

Riseoftheindustrialrobotsin1980sledtoa majorevolutionofHenryFord’sassemblyline concept.Routinetasksthatwerebeinghandled byfactoryworkersstartedtobeperformedbyrobotswith greateraccuracyandefficiency.Withthespreadof device-to-devicecommunicationandIoTprotocols, robotsstartedtakingaseriousamountofresponsibility fromfactoryworkers.Thismovementwasinitiallyledby thGermanhightechfirmsthatbrandedthisshiftasthe4 industrialrevolution.Ontheoppositeside,therewas China,takingadvantageoftheiraccesstolowcost humanlabourasanalternativetoautomation.Very recently,afewyearsago,Chinaflippedtheirstrategy180 degrees,becomingthebiggestadvocateofautomationby startingtoinvestaggressivelyonbuyingrobotsand developingtheirownroboticsknow-howledby governmentinitiatives.Sothetechnologywon.Thereis noquestionabouttheneedforautomationanymoreand majormanufacturingcompanies,includingtheonesin China,Germanyandrestoftheworldareracingto automatetheirindustrialprocessestoincrease productivity.

Everythingthatcanbeautomatedwillbe automated,accordingtoZuboff’slaw. However,somethingsaremoredifficult tobeautomatedthanotherthings. Thosearenon-repetitivetaskswhich requirehigherlevelofcognitionand abilitytoadaptintounknown conditions.Thesetaskscanbe definedasthelastmileinfactory automation.Tesla,theelectriccar manufacturer,wasrecently criticizedbyanalystsfor automatingtheirassemblyline morethannecessary.The reasonofthecriticismwasthe factthatthecostof automationexceededthecost ofahumanledassembly

Daghan Cam Co-founder & CEO

Build

line.Thismaybeavalidargumentfor todaybutthesolutionshouldbefound inincreasingthebarforcommercially viableautomationandnotbygoing backtolowerlevelsofautomation.

Soifwearemovingtowardsfull automationandlights-out manufacturing,howcanthelastmile infactoriesbeautomatedwithout overspendingandoverengineering? Autonomyseemstobetheanswer, thereforeArtificialIntelligence…

Thereisaslightbutimportant differencebetweenAutomationand Autonomy.Autonomyisthestateof beingabletomakeindependent decisionsinsituationsthatwerenot experiencedbefore.Bydefinition, autonomoussystemsarealways automated,buttheotherwayaroundis notalwaysthecase.Asystemmaybe fullyautomatedbutnotautonomous. “BlindAutomation”isthetermweuse forthiscategory.

Systemsthatareblindlyautomatedare basedonhardcodedrules,asinexpert systems,andtheytendtobevery difficulttobereconfiguredifthe conditionsorrequirementschangeover time.Autonomoussystems,incontrast, generalizetherulesfordecision makingindifferentscenariosby allowingahigherlevelofabstraction intheirprogramming.

Forexample,intheblindautomation scenario,arobotmaybeprogrammed togotocoordinatesx,y,zinorderto pickupanobject.Thiswillwork withoutproblemsaslongastheobject isfoundpreciselyatcoordinatesx,y,z. However,ifforanyreasontheobjectis positionedataslightlydifferent location,therobotwillstillgotox,y, z,failtopicktheobjectupand continueexecutingtherestofits commandswithoutnoticingthis problem.Eventuallyeverystep subsequenttothisfailurewillalsofail.

Abetterstrategyforperformingthe sametask,isusingarobotwithvision

sensors,andprogrammingittogoto theobject’sposition(asavariable)to pickitup.Regardlessofwherethe objectispositioned,robotwilllocalize itusingitssensorsandsuccessfully pickitup.Thisdifferencebetweenthe twoprogrammingparadigms;“gotox, y,z”and“gotoanobject’sposition” makesabigdifferenceinmakingthe systemlesspronetomakingmistakes inunexpectedconditionswhichis crucialforlastmilefactory automation.

About the Author

Daghan Cam is the Co-founder and CEO of Ai Build, a London based startup developing Artificial Intelligence and Robotics technologies for the construction industry. He is also a visiting lecturer at University College London doing research on robotic fabrication, large scale 3d printing and parallel algorithms with GPU computing. His work focuses on developing intelligence for automating complex tasks in design and manufacturing by using computer vision and machine learning techniques.

Inthisscenariowhererobotsmake autonomousdecisionsbyusingrealtimesensordata,afeedbackloopis establishedbetweenphysicaland digitalenvironments.Theconstant flowofinformationfromphysicalto digitalandviceversacreateimmense amountsofstructureddatawhichisthe fuelforAIpoweredautonomous factoriesofthefuture.Suchactionmeasurement-actionstrategiesallow thesystemstoself-improveovertime, creatingadatanetworkeffectin manufacturing.Themoreoneprocess isexecuted,themoreefficientitwill get.Thisallowssuper-human performanceinalmosteverydomain givenenoughdata.

Robotsmakinghundredsofdecisions everysecondandreceivinghundreds ofmeasurementsfromtheenvironment andfromotherdevicesalsorequire massivecomputationandstorage capabilities.Despitethepopularityof cloudcomputinginmostapplications today,adecentralizedcomputepower isnecessaryformostrobotic applicationsandforIoTdevicesin general.Thethroughputbetweenthe edgeandthecloudthroughinternet connectivityissimplynotenoughto processalldatageneratedbysensors andmakesensibledecisionsinrealtime.Soedgecomputing,orfog computing-dedicatedserverson premiseasalayerbetweenindividual devicesandthecloud-willlikelybe thenorminautonomousfactoriesof thefutureunlessweexperiencea breakthroughinsciencethatleadsto infinitelyfastandreliableinternet connectivity.Howeverunlikecompute power,storageofimportantdata,that isfilteredontheedge,shouldbe centralizedinordertoachievethebest decisionmakingmodelsatevery location.

Asasummary,afewconclusionsand predictionsaboutthefutureare:

Ÿ Wearemovingtowardsan autonomousblack-boxfactory modelwherethefactoryrobotsare operatedbythemselveswithout humanintervention.

Ÿ Thesefactorieswillbepoweredby thedatathatisgeneratedby themselvesandtheirproductivity willincreaseovertimeexceeding humanperformanceinevery processinvolvedinmanufacturing.

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Factorieswillcomputeon-premise/ on-edgeandtheywillpush importantdatatocloudfor benefitingfromasharedpoolof datawithotherfactories.

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