Spying on Power Stations for Fun and Profit
I don't know about you, but I take electricity for granted.
Meaning: I don't think about it much, really. Whenever I use something actively, like computers and microwaves, I don’t think much — if at all — about the underlying infrastructure. And if it’s stuff I’m using indirectly, like a hot water boiler, I think about it even less.
But some people do think about it.
In fact, it’s Big Business because there are so many different companies involved. The power company owns the cable that takes the electricity from the power station to your home or business, but it doesn’t necessarily own the whole infrastructure. In fact, it probably doesn’t.
It varies around the world, but in developed countries it’s common for one company to own the local power network (like the local city power grid), but a different company may own the regional power grid or the national power grid.
Because of this relationship, it’s a real marketplace like any other.
Your power company — let’s call ‘em PowCo — can shop around to buy its electricity from the power station with the best terms and conditions.
The power station tariffs vary depending on the type of power they generate (nuclear, wind, sun, hydropower, etc.), the current load, the number of buyers — and many other factors.
The point is, there are energy exchanges all over the world where power brokers buy and sell on behalf of their customers in much the same way as the stock market works.
An Exciting Business Opportunity…
Imagine you were a power broker... You'd want to know as much as possible about the market, right?
You'd want to know what kind of power station you were dealing with, how big were their energy reserves (water level in the reservoir, for instance), how much energy they sell, and so on.
This is where Energyinfo comes in.
Atle, the founder of Energyinfo, approached me back in 2006 when he had this bright idea about how he could collect data from the power stations without needing their consent.
You see, they usually don't like revealing too many details about their operations: what they do, how they do it, and when they do it because if this information is freely available in real-time, the market would know what to expect and what it'd be worth.
Anyway, the idea Atle had was simple and genius: he found a way of remotely monitoring high-voltage power lines coming out of the power stations.
I can't go into detail about how this works, except to say it involved some Very Advanced equipment which he put in a box and placed near the power line.
After tinkering with this for a while he got it working, and deployed more of them in forests and elsewhere, near to power lines.
Today Energyinfo has 100+ measuring points monitoring the power lines from and to power plants in the Scandinavian countries.
The information is accurate, real-time, and reliable.
The power brokers love it. Energyinfo sells the information to them so they can use it make informed decisions about whom to buy from, when to buy, how much to pay, and so on.
But none of this would be possible if they didn't have a top-notch software system.
You see, while these monitoring units out in the wild are very advanced, they only provide the raw data. Atle still needs to collect the data, put it into a database, organise, analyse and, most importantly: present it in a way that humans can easily understand.
There's probably a market for providing the raw data stream, but the real value is in the analysis and presentation.
So what did we do for them?
A System They Can Sell
My team and I built a system according to Energyinfo’s specifications and needs, provided valuable input and feedback to them and created the end-result: a system they could sell access to.
Atle later went on to sell the company. But when I got in touch with Kristian and Pål Even, the guys running the company now, this is what they told me: "We've really appreciated your good understanding of systems and precise approach to our needs. It's also important to say that both your development team and your operations team have been very unbureaucratic when it comes to solving problems along the way."
"You know, the system both consists of a backend and a front-end. The front-end is used by the customers and the backend is used by us. So we see advantages on both the front-end and backend: the front-end is what we sell — this is where we make our income."
"But the backend is also important: this is the system we work in every day. Having a backend system that works optimally and is both effective and efficient can't be measured directly in money, but it can be measured in time saved. And let's just say we save many hours each week by having a great backend system.”
Have you ever considered what a great backend and great front-end system could mean to your business? Most business owners don't, so you're not alone if you haven’t.
But you should.
Consider this: how much time, effort, stress, and money could you save with a simple, efficient system in place in your business? How much money could you make with a system like that? After all, when Atle first started Energyinfo, this system helped him grow his business.
How much easier could your systems be if they all worked together seamlessly?
Find out today. Click here to find out if you qualify for a free telephone consultation. Answer a few simple questions and if your business is suitable, you can schedule a call.
