CWI recently launched spin-off company SEITA (Sustainable Energy Is Totally Achievable), a service provider focused on the energy sector. SEITA advises suppliers of renewable energy in the area of 'demand response' using flexible energy tariffs. Felix Claessen (CEO): ”With 'demand response', consumers can adjust their energy demand to the available supply of renewable energy. Suppliers have an interest in this, because they are burdened with imbalances between fluctuating consumer demand and unpredictable supply from renewable resources. SEITA provides insights into how demand and supply react to flexible energy tariffs. These insights can be used to enable demand response.” SEITA originated from the Electric Vehicle Aggregator (EVA) research project, a collaboration between CWI, the Technical University of Berlin and EIT Digital.
More and more renewable—and cheaper—energy is reaching the market. As of January 1st 2017, new legislation in the Netherlands enables suppliers to sell energy per quarterhour. Within the next two years, it is expected that consumers can profit from variable tariffs on a large scale, where before this option was only available to large industrial clients. This shift in the market offers new opportunities to both the demand and supply side of the energy market. However, the dynamics and uncertainties of renewable energy supply, and of other factors, make it difficult to get a grip on these opportunities.
SEITA now offers a complete scientifically developed consultancy package with which energy suppliers can calculate the benefits of using flexible energy tariffs. The package includes:
- Balancing risk: an instrument for energy traders to calculate financial risks due to uncertainties in price, demand and supply, and to calculate the potential savings with demand response.
- Reliable flexibility: an instrument to determine the demand response potential for a fleet of electric vehicles.
- Network traffic: an instrument to determine the influence of demand response on the electricity network, in order to prevent peak loads.
Felix Claessen (CEO): “I’m convinced that our whole society can run solely on renewable energy. To achieve that we will have to learn how to deal with the unpredictability and patterns of nature, but also of man. SEITA’s innovative analysis tools make it possible to get a grip on these patterns. This will facilitate energy suppliers to deliver all-renewable energy to their customers. A positive development for consumers, the market and our environment.”
The establishment of spin-off companies such as SEITA is an important instrument for CWI to transfer technology and knowledge to society and industry. SEITA is the 24th spin-off company of CWI since the founding of computer builder Elektrologica in 1956. Other recent spin-offs include Stokhos (2016), MonetDB Solutions (2013), Spinque (2010) and VectorWise (founded in 2008 and acquired by Actian Corporation in 2011).
More information: SEITA website
Try the online balancing risk demo
Contact: info@seita.nl
