A year of successes as Equigy turns one

Innovation, partnership, collaboration, and commitment. It’s been just one short year since some of Europe’s biggest Transmission System Operators (TSOs) joined forces to create Equigy, but the blockchain-based platform is already celebrating many pioneering wins and achievements.

Aimed at enabling the integration of small and distributed consumer-based units into the electricity-balancing process, the Equigy platform represents a major leap forward for the energy transition.
It has set a new European standard, creating a trusted data exchange to enable aggregators to participate with smaller flexibility devices, such as home batteries and electric vehicles, in electricity balancing markets, turning consumers into prosumers. This means the public can earn money from selling their energy, play an active role in grid-balancing and, with that, in the entire energy transition.

Says Rene Kerkmeester, Equigy’s CEO: “It’s exciting to be part of the solution for one of the most complex and important issues of our time – the phasing out of fossil fuels. I am delighted with all we have achieved so far – although there is much further to go, of course!”

Expanding through partnerships

Since Equigy’s launch in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, through a founding consortium of Swissgrid, TenneT and Terna, Austria’s TSO joined in January 2021. This extends Equigy’s European roll-out to five countries, and Eguigy expects more will join in the coming years.
Over the past year, Equigy has also joined forces with some of the biggest brands and innovators in Europe. It’s working with luxury German carmaker BMW Group, for example, in a multi-disciplinary consortium across the automotive, energy and science industries to develop ways to make electric mobility more convenient, cost-effective, and lower in emissions. The partnership aims to bring a holistic approach to how vehicles, charging infrastructure and power grids are linked, promoting widespread use of renewable energy, and increasing security of supply.

In the Netherlands, the first citizens’ initiative using Equigy launched in 2020. The citizens’ energy cooperative project centres around a large 1 MW battery located near a solar park at the edge of Heeten, a village in the province of Overijssel in the Netherlands. With this battery, the 3.5-hectare solar park with 7,752 panels connects to the energy market facilitated by TenneT.

In Switzerland, Swissgrid and ewz teamed up to launch a new project connected to Equigy. This innovative TSO – DSO collaboration involves the development and testing of decentralised energy sources, in line with the needs of both the transmission and distribution grids.

European Virtual Organisation

With a team of specialists from several European countries, Equigy started as a virtual organisation in spring 2021, choosing to work CO2 neutral.

Spirit of sharing

Equigy has been sharing its vision with others freely and openly. To this end, we have attended and contributed to several industry events, such as EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), the IAA Mobility Fair in Munich AII and panel discussions for The Economist. This ties in with our belief that the energy transition requires deep and broad collaboration and collective knowledge-sharing.

There are some regulatory hurdles to realizing Equigy’s vision, and these are being addressed with relevant parties. These include enabling the use of embedded fit-for-purpose EV and home-battery meters, easier pre-qualification at asset class level, and removing the double taxation for increased grid use when offering system services.

In capping a successful first year for the platform, credit must go to the unique and driven Equigy team. Despite being conceived in the year of Covid-19, in full lockdown, Equigy brought together a talented and international, team, driven to work across borders and deliver on the energy transition.