COP26: Octopus Energy and Elia to partner on consumer flexibility

The partnership is intended to unlock the flexibility of consumer devices such as electric vehicles and heat pumps to balance the grid.

The collaboration will draw on the UK independent energy supplier Octopus Energy’s KrakenFlex flexibility platform and Belgian transmission system operator Elia Group data affiliate re.alto to develop and test consumer-centric energy services and the digital tools required to enable a decarbonised energy system.

Activities will include exploring the provision of real-time data to consumers and the central management of the data provided by the connected flexible assets.

Customers will be given the freedom to use their appliances and adjust their consumption patterns to benefit from cheaper renewable energy on the grid when it is abundant, while grid operators will be able to better balance supply and demand without disruption to end consumers.

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“This partnership is unlocking world leading entech innovation, enabling millions of customers to use abundant, cheap green energy to power their appliances and drive down their energy bills, all while helping balance the grid during intermittent energy production,” said Greg Jackson, CEO and founder of Octopus Energy Group.

KrakenFlex, previously Upside Energy, was founded in 2014 and acquired by Octopus Energy Group in 2020. Part of the Kraken technology platform, KrakenFlex connects with a whole host of clean energy technologies, allowing it to manage those devices to match real-time energy demand and supply.

re.alto was founded in 2019 by Elia Group as a European digital marketplace for energy data and services that enables the exchange of energy data through an innovative API platform.

Consumers who take part will benefit from real-time energy data from KrakenFlex and re.alto’s API, allowing them to optimise the use of their electric household appliances in line with grid supply and demand. The central management of this data will be provided by KrakenFlex and re.alto.

Chris Peeters, CEO of Elia Group, said that Elia Group and Octopus Energy Group are aligned in terms of their strong interest in customer-oriented solutions and have complementary knowledge and experience.

“We both want the electricity system to adapt to the new reality of micro-flexibility offered by end consumers, which can only be achieved through the provision of solutions that meet new consumer needs associated with electric vehicles and heat pumps. We will learn a lot from each other, applying our joint expertise to place consumers at the centre of the clean energy transition.”