How SaaS software company Podero is helping utility companies make the most of smart assets in their networks – Engineer Live

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An unprecedented surge in growth of renewables related start-ups in recent years can be attributed to the many opportunities afforded by the energy transition
In fact, an analysis released by the International Energy Associate (IEA) last year found that of the approximately 3.5 million start-ups worldwide in 2024, 72,000 were energy related.  
One such company is Austria-based Podero, an energy transition company set up three and a half years ago that trades excess energy from smart devices for utilities using a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. We caught up with co-founder Chris Bernkopf at the recent Future of Utilities conference in Amsterdam. 
With a background in physics, Bernkopf worked at CERN and then as a data scientist before moving into installation and then energy trading following a conversation with E.ON Sweden. The company now operates across most of Europe. “I wanted to work to help mitigate climate change as this seemed like the most important challenge to tackle.” 
Podero’s SaaS solution steers smart assets such as heat pumps, batteries, electric vehicles and chargers. Some 40% of the connected assets are inverter and batteries, 30% are electric vehicles and chargers, and roughly 30% are heat pumps. The spread of connected devices varies per region, with Austria and Germany operating more EVs, Belgium more batteries and the Nordic countries more heat pumps. The company also has plans to connect to air conditioning units and thermostats in the coming months.  
The SaaS product controls the asset according to energy market prices, then Podero tells the utility what the best trades would be. The utility then makes that trade on an energy trading market such as Trayport Joule or Vattenfall Energy Trader, which facilitate OTC (Over-the-Counter) and exchange trading. the tool provides real-time market data and automated risk management.
“A consumer can set an electric vehicle to be charged for 70% at 8 in the morning. The utility provides us with this information. We consider that in our trading proposal calculation. The utility does the trade and makes the money, some is passed onto the consumer and we get a cut too.”
The company works with E.ON in four countries as well as several medium sized utilities, it also has collaborations with several software companies for municipal utilities elsewhere. The company isn’t yet active in Spain or Poland, but Bernkopf says it is only a matter of time before this happens. “We are a really fast growing company, we’ve completed four new integrations already this quarter,” he said.  
Podera provides all the software integration required for a utility to launch a proposition it also has a web app and and apps on the Apple and Google app store. The company is integrated into most major trading platforms too meaning a company doesn’t have to integrate anything itself.  
The solution defends utilities against companies like Octopus to retain users since it provides guaranteed savings which can be passed onto customers. There’s also the halo effect of being one of the smart utilities making use of renewable energy. 
There are over 120 million flexible devices in Europe right now and this is growing quickly. In future it is expected that every household (there are 200-250 million in Europe) will have approximately three devices, so a heat pump an AC and an EV charger, for example. This will total around 600 million devices across Europe. Obviously this will mean increased energy consumption but solar, wind, nuclear and other renewable sources are coming on line at a rapid rate. 
Challenge of getting old utilities to adopt a new model
“Utilities are very risk averse,” Bernkopf explains. “If they have an outage they’ll be in the news since a power outage is a national emergency. But not all departments need to be this way. The consumer proposition, marketing and trading teams are more open minded. A different mindset is needed to develop a proposition than to keep the lights on.”
A key issue for people managing the energy transition is intermittent energy flows to the grid (solar, wind and thermal are inconstant energy supplies).  By the end of the year, the company will be working in the grid balancing markets. The use of excess, unused energy will help flatten out peaks and troughs of demand and supply. Bernkopf explains: “We’ll be paid to stabilise the grid,” he added, “we provide utilities, the grid and customers with access to the flexibility of the assets within the system, and unlocking this means more profitable trades and a more efficient energy system. Each profitable trade leads to a reduction in volatility for the grid which will benefit the whole infrastructure.”
For more information visit: www.podero.com

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