Launch HN: Enode (YC W21) – API for energy consumption
We’re Thorvald, Nikolai and Henrik from Enode (https://www.enode.io). At Enode we build APIs that allow energy providers to connect to electric vehicles, heating, solar panels and home batteries. Energy providers use our API, for instance, to make sure that your Tesla is being charged when the price of electricity is low, saving you roughly 20% on your charging. Now that we have thousands of EVs connected to our platform, we also build software that bundles them together into virtual power plants that replace fossil fuel driven power plants during high demand.
This all started when Nikolai, our CTO, wanted to add more EV brands to his popular Tesla app. He had seen a broader selection of EVs in another energy app, but couldn't find a simple way to add many at the same time. He therefore started implementing one car brand after another, and after launching it in Norway an energy supplier reached out and asked if they could use his solution in their app. And that is how we got our first customer.
Being from Norway we are seeing the effects of EV adoption and electrification, which has been a huge inspiration for working on Enode. More than 2/3 of new cars sold in Norway are now EVs and 98% of the electricity produced comes from renewable sources. The increase in demand from EVs and electrification, combined with the transition to volatile renewable energy from solar and wind create enormous challenges for the energy grid. The result is that we have to shift from an energy system that responds to demand to one that responds to supply.
Heating and (soon) EV charging makes up a large portion of the total energy demand. In a place with solar production it might be better to start heating a couple of hours before you get home from work because there is excess solar generation. Also, maybe your EV charging should be moved to a time at night when wind generation is expected to increase. The optimal consumption pattern will vary from place to place, from day to day and from season to season. Such as in this example, changing the demand can often be done without affecting your daily life. But to make it possible your EV and heater must be connected to the internet and managed by someone, for instance your energy provider. This is what our API enables.
Our customers are the next generation energy providers that use our API to connect EVs, heaters and other products to their apps. If done right, people are very excited about these apps as they save money on the bill and consume cleaner energy.
We would love to hear what you think. If you have any questions or ideas please let us know! Thank you!