Agreement signed with ERG to trial first ever peer-to-peer energy matching service in Italy
Open Utility, an innovative London-based energy technology startup, announced today that ERG, a leading Italian renewable electricity generator and supplier, has selected to trial the company’s Piclo® Platform to enable Italian businesses to benefit from buying local renewable energy.
The agreement is the first international partnership for Open Utility after developing, trialing and rolling out the Piclo® Platform in the UK. The trial will involve some generation assets of ERG and one existing business customer, who will use the online service for enhanced transparency and control of its energy supply and the ability to match with local wind and hydro generators.
The Piclo® Platform, underpinned by Open Utility’s proprietary peer-to-peer energy matching algorithms, gives customers the data and control over their energy supply chain through a simple and intuitive online service. Both companies will work together to develop and manage the trial and evaluate the potential of the Piclo® Platform in the Italian energy market.
James Johnston, CEO of Open Utility said: “Peer-to-peer energy matching and specifically our Piclo® Platform, are emerging as an important pillar of the global transition to decentralised energy. So we are very pleased to trial our solution in Italy in partnership with ERG . Transparency and choice are the keys to success in competitive energy markets and our successful track record in the UK translates well to the Italian market. ERG has recognised that some of their business customers may prefer to buy renewable electricity produced by local generators. This agreement is a significant milestone for Open Utility - securing our 2nd utility client and bringing P2P energy to Italy for the first time.”
To learn more about Open Utility’s peer-to-peer energy matching service, Piclo®, visit: www.openutility.com/piclo
Press Contact
Nima Taba-tabai, Head of Sales & Partnerships, Open Utility
+44 7427 434 507
Notes to Editors
About Open Utility www.openutility.com
Open Utility is an innovative energy technology company building digital services for a decentralised energy future. Based in Tech-city in London and founded by James Johnston, Andy Kilner and Alice Tyler - the company is shaping the future of energy with their expertise in energy innovation, real-time systems and user-experience design.
Open Utility’s Piclo® solution for renewable electricity retailers provides a flexible and scalable way to allow their customers to purchase locally generated renewable electricity. Piclo® drives customer engagement and maximises the value of distributed generation resources.
To date, they have secured over £1million of funding, including grants from DECC and private investment from Ian Marchant, former CEO of SSE. Open Utility has been named one of the top 50 UK Innovators in Bloomberg Business Innovators 2016 and won Startup of the Year at European Utility Week 2015.
Open Utility is currently lining up its next partnerships with electricity retailers and distribution network operators internationally who want to launch novel peer-to-peer solutions to their customers.
Twitter: @OpenUtility
About ERG Spa www.erg.eu
ERG has been operating successfully in the energy sector for nearly 80 years. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, ERG is a leading independent operator in the power market from renewable sources, with a total installed capacity of over 2,700 MW.
ERG is the leading wind power operator in Italy and in the top ten in Europe with an installed capacity of 1,768 MW; it is also one of the major hydroelectric power operators in Italy (527 MW) and produces thermoelectric power (480 MW) with a high-efficiency and low-emissions cogeneration plant that earns energy efficiency certificates. The Company also holds 51% shares in the TotalERG joint venture.
In 2016, ERG wind farms – located mainly in central and southern Italy and in six other European countries – generated 3,501 GWh of electricity; its hydro plants of the Terni Complex located between Umbria, Lazio and Marche have generated 1,358 GWh. In Sicily, at Priolo Gargallo, where is located the cogeneration plant, ERG has generated 2,693 GWh.
The future seen by ERG is renewable and the Company will continue to move in this direction, implementing the 1.9 billion euros investment program as for the 2015 - 2018 Business Plan, pursuing high quality projects and keeping ready to seize any opportunities that arise, applying know-how, flexibility and financial capabilities.
Twitter: @ERGnow
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