Characterized by the increasing demand for renewables and accompanying decentralization, the energy sector has changed drastically over the last 10 years. The energy supply is now distributed among a large number of different players, locations and sources. However, to date the process of planning, purchasing, installing and operating decentralized energy systems hasn’t been optimized into a seamless customer journey. We want to change that and are committed to the integration of renewable energies into electricity systems and the continued decentralization of energy systems in the areas of electricity, heat and mobility. By developing and opening up the next generation of our IoT platform, KiwiOS X, we will set new standards for sector coupling, which is urgently needed. The platform will fully prepare ourselves, our customers and partners for the energy future — one that is 100% driven by sustainable energies.
Electric vehicles, solar panel systems and batteries are all being purchased in different locations today. The installation is also often done by a different vendor. So there are numerous interruptions in the customer journey and many steps still happen offline. Our platform brings all these elements together to create a seamless experience.
Daniel Kühne, Kiwigrid’s Director Strategy & Portfolio Management
In our new blog series, we present some of the main features of the IoT platform for decentralised energy and e‑mobility KiwiOS.
Advantages of the KiwiOS hybrid data storage model
A special feature of KiwiOS is its hybrid data storage model, which is designed for maximum security, minimum downtime and accelerated time to market. Data is stored by Kiwigrid as well as in the Google cloud.
- Highly secure data storage
- Minimal downtime
- Accelerated time to market
High security
In order to optimize the energy flow for approximately 30,000 energy management systems on the KiwiOS platform, Kiwigrid collects data such as the outgoing power or voltage in each grid phase and the charge state of batteries. Since each system is connected to an average of 10 devices such as electricity meters, photovoltaic systems and heat pumps, a powerful data management and analysis system is required. Tens of thousands of data points generate valuable insights for the optimization of the energy system, including for the local balancing of self-consumption and the integration of the distribution network.
The hybrid data storage system enables customers, such as utility companies, to store their data securely. The components of the Google cloud are used for anonymous processing and analysis of data, while the Kiwigrid server stores data securely and makes it usable. Even highly secure and sensitive information, such as for the intelligent measurement of a smart meter, can be stored and processed in a legally compliant way.
Minimal downtime
By using the hybrid data storage model of KiwiOS, unplanned and maintenance-related outages are reduced to virtually zero, significantly increasing the availability of the platform. Additionally, the Google Kubernetes engine improves the stability of KiwiOS.
Accelerated time to market
Thanks to the hybrid data storage, developers can quickly build pre-production environments and scale test runs faster. This makes commissioning possible within just a few hours and significantly reduces lead time. Originally, a maximum of two pre-production environments could be started at the same time, which regularly led to bottlenecks. Now, developers can simultaneously build as many as necessary, meaning that Kiwigrid is able to bring new energy products to market more flexibly and quickly.
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Click here for Google’s Kiwigrid case study
Kiwigrid is the software and IoT company for renewable energy and e‑mobility. The KiwiOS platform is used to operate white label products for energy suppliers, the automotive industry and manufacturers of decentralized energy systems. Kiwigrid enables its customers to open up new markets, diversify their offerings and differentiate themselves from the competition. The Dresden-based company was founded in 2011 and currently employs over 150 people. Kiwigrid is a leader in the DACH market for intelligent energy management and smart metering and works with LG, BayWa r.e., Innogy SE, E.ON, Siemens and BMW, among others. Strategic shareholders are AQTON SE, Innogy SE and LG Electronics.