Spanish Startup Plexigrid Wins Iberdrola’s Innovation Challenge
In a significant development for energy innovation, Spanish startup Plexigrid has emerged victorious in Iberdrola's latest innovation challenge aimed at optimising grid capacity through cutting-edge data and AI solutions. This competition, orchestrated by Iberdrola’s distribution entity i-DE, took place at the company's Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub located in Bilbao.
The challenge was designed to test innovative solutions for managing future electricity grid demand, incorporating a variety of factors. These included geolocating current demand, generation and self-consumption, storage at various scales, and understanding emerging demands such as e-mobility and industrial decarbonisation. Longer-term energy trends, including the development of e-fuels and green hydrogen, were also considered crucial components. The objective was to develop strategies enabling the distribution company to forecast operations and plan investments effectively over a five to ten-year timeline.
From a competitive pool of over 30 submissions, Plexigrid's solution was singled out for its innovative approach. The startup is now set to pilot their technology with financial backing from i-DE, offering a pathway to potentially scale their project. This success also sees Plexigrid join the ranks of collaborators at the Smart Grids Innovation Hub. Furthermore, through a partnership with the Bizkaia local government’s International Entrepreneurship Centre’s BAT B Accelerator Tower, Plexigrid gains entry into the BAT community, where they will participate in a customised acceleration programme to spur their growth.
This victory for Plexigrid is backed by Iberdrola's PERSEO startup programme, established in 2008, which has invested over €200 million in technologies aiming to enhance sustainability in the energy sector, primarily through increased electrification and the decarbonisation of the economy.
Beyond the Iberdrola challenge, Plexigrid has been proactively advancing their technology, specifically with a pilot project on the Swedish island of Gotland. In collaboration with Gotlands Energi (GEAB) and smart home solutions provider Ngenic, this endeavour, run under the auspices of Energicentrum Gotland, explores the potential of dynamic tariffs as a tool for grid management. The initiative seeks to incentivise consumers towards active energy management, thus benefiting both the individual and the grid.
The project aims to integrate Plexigrid’s robust grid intelligence with Ngenic’s smart home technology, crafting a dynamic tariff model sensitive to real-time grid conditions and consumer behaviour. This could significantly enhance how energy distribution systems are managed, ultimately contributing to a more adaptable and efficient grid infrastructure.
Plexigrid's origins trace back to the University of Oviedo, with operations now spanning both Gijón, Spain and Stockholm, Sweden. Their core offerings, encompassing monitoring, grid analytics, and flexibility management, operate on an AI-driven digital twin platform designed to equip distribution system operators with state-of-the-art tools for next-generation grid management.
This achievement underscores Plexigrid's growing impact in the energy sector, setting the stage for further advancements in how global energy challenges are addressed through innovative technology.
Source: Noah Wire Services