Energy transition complexity demands collaboration says Kaluza's Neel Gulhar

In an Enlit exclusive, Neel Gulhar, Chief Product Officer at Kaluza, stresses the need for cross-sector collaboration and strong strategic partners to propel the energy transition at the necessary speed and scale that the system is demanding.

What are the top three challenges to delivering the energy transition? 

Evolving market complexity is creating operational change, overhead and back-office challenges which energy retailers’ incumbent architectures struggle to accommodate. This is impeding digitisation and transformation within energy retail, when we’re relying on these businesses to engage millions of customers in the transition. 

Similarly, retailers are struggling to launch new, low-carbon propositions - like electric vehicle or heat pump type-of-use tariffs - due to legacy technologies making processes too slow and expensive. This means customers aren’t being offered the products and services they need to reduce their carbon footprint.

Increasing renewable generation is causing more volatility in the wholesale markets creating an existential trading risk and grid balancing concerns. We need to act now to improve our data insights into changing supply and demand and invest in domestic flexibility to support system decentralisation.

What single action will accelerate the deployment of clean energy? 

The single most crucial action to accelerate the deployment of clean energy is fostering collaboration within the energy ecosystem.

The scale and complexity of the energy transition means there needs to be cross-industry knowledge sharing and partnership. This includes improving data connectivity across grid operators, retailers and behind-the-meter assets so that we can optimise energy flows to create the most value for the system and customers. Imagine if your laptop, mobile device, and smartwatch couldn’t talk to each other. That’s essentially how the energy system is operating today and it’s leaving a ton of value on the table. 

At Kaluza, we bring together auto OEMs, energy retailers and wholesale markets to develop innovative, scalable customer propositions around low-carbon tech. For example, we recently announced our partnership with Volvo and UK supplier, OVO, to provide one-way smart charging and bi-directional charging to accelerate EV adoption by helping customers slash their energy bills.  

We know that only through partnerships like this will we be able to create experiences that cross traditionally separate and fragmented areas from grid management to energy billing. Not one player is able to do everything in a way that delivers the best experience for customers and progress towards net zero; we must work together.

What most excites you about the European energy transition? 

I’m excited that customers will be able to sit back and relax knowing the EV on their driveway is using its 40kWh storage potential to power their home for two days. Imagine relaxing on your couch when you receive a notification from your vehicle that it can earn you €15 for supplying the grid power during a congestion event, with little to no interruptions on evening plans, except by clicking a single button. 

For too long, European energy customers have had to tolerate clunky, archaic and confusing processes to do simple things - like pay their bills or query their usage. It’s invigorating to be working in the sector at a time when all of that is about to change and the very role of an energy retailer will be defined by the support they can offer customers to decarbonise their lives, not the kWh they supply. 

There is a phenomenal opportunity here for us to truly engage customers in their energy by creating a unified and easy-to-use experience that encompasses every device - from their EV to solar PV - and shows customers exactly how much they’re using, spending and saving, all in real-time.

We’re already seeing how this reality materialises through propositions like OVO Charge Anytime, allowing UK customers to charge at a flat, cheap rate at any time of day for just 7p per kWh and saving them an average of £500 (€572) a month - all clearly laid out in a single energy bill.

Do you think Europe is at risk of losing its first-mover status in the energy transition? 

Having worked almost my entire life in the US energy market, I can safely say several European energy markets have set impressive benchmarks, especially when it comes to initiatives such as smart meters and EV rollouts - almost to the envy of some States!

But ultimately, yes, Europe's first-mover status in the energy transition is at risk if it doesn't continue to innovate and adapt. Europe has made significant strides in EV adoption and supportive policies, but it must continue to foster this growth to maintain its leadership status and not take its eye off changing customer needs. 

I’d also call out advances being made elsewhere which Europe should watch and learn from - such as in California where we’re seeing solar and V1G, and even V2G, combinations. Australia, too, has world-leading volumes of solar PV and we’re also seeing exciting activity in markets such as Japan.

How are your industry experts going to address these challenges at Enlit Europe in Paris? 

Enlit Europe serves as a great platform for energy stakeholders to galvanise around common pain points and address key challenges. For example, customer centricity is a key priority across the industry today so discussing and demonstrating ways in which we can evolve our operations, products and cultures will be something we’re keen to dig into at Enlit. 

We’re looking forward to exploring challenges like these and building connections with those who have the same vision of a resilient and affordable energy transition for all. 

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Kaluza will take part in many exciting sessions at Enlit Europe in Paris, 28-30 November.

Join Neel in the Summit on 28 November where he will be speaking on a panel centred on Digital Strategies, the inevitability of a Cloud transition and the need for an overall digital strategy to start from the Data Architecture. The session will begin at 14:10 at the Inspire Stage (Hall 7.3).

You can also join Kaluza’s experts at booth 7.2.C150, where you are invited to come discuss your challenges and opportunities in detail and, most importantly, in person.