In this last of three blog articles examining Behind the Meter energy assets, I’ll look at why BtM only scales when the commercial value chain works for all participants: customers see a reason to participate, aggregators can cover acquisition and integration costs (and make a profit), and system benefits are captured through grid and market…
The BtM opportunity is compelling but how does the it work technically? In this second of three blogs on Behind the Meter (BtM) assets, I focus on GB markets but the architecture is broadly similar across liberalised power markets: small devices produce or shift energy consumption; someone aggregates them; value is realised via retail optimisation,…
I’m often asked to explain “Behind the Meter” (BtM). It’s a catch-all term that means different things depending on whether you sit with a supplier, a network operator, a technology provider, or a trader. In this three-part series I’ll 1) Definitions and a brief history Behind the Meter (BtM) describes generation, storage, or flexible demand…
Twenty years ago, I was managing a software development team tasked with building an in-house ETRM system. I vividly remember interviewing developers, testers, and project managers. Of the devs, I was surprised how few could clearly walk me through the Microsoft stack for a simple web-based system — SQL Server to UI. That process radically…
I’d like to say that when I joined a huge energy trading company in 2006, I did so because I was fascinated by energy and wanted to get deeply involved in the technical aspects of supply, demand, trading and risk management. In fact, I was “just” a contract developer. I had a solid, full-stack background…
Should I Stay or Should I Flow… I saw a LinkedIn post recently from Root Power – they’d submitted a tender for a UK Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) contract – and I was excited. For years I’ve been banging on about advanced batteries, even back when people (over a decade ago) didn’t see the…
Recruiting new employees is expensive. Replacing them? Even more so. But there’s a smarter way to build high-performing teams that stay: structured training. Whether you’re onboarding new starters or helping experienced hires level up, well-designed training is more than a nice-to-have — it’s a strategic investment. Done right, it improves retention, boosts job satisfaction, and…
Spinning thermal power stations store energy in the form of inertia. What does this have to do with blackouts in Spain and Portugal? Well probably nothing directly but let’s look at a secondary effect of that spinning inertia.
It’s not a new concept but the details are complex and intriguing. If technical issues are solved VPPs could be a significant, even game changing factor in the energy mix providing additional capacity and helping to distribute load both at local and national scales. What’s a VPP? The idea goes back a long way. When…
Over the last 20 years I’ve hired people into all sorts of Energy roles. If I was lucky, I’d find people with both the professional skills (software engineers, analysts, PMs, sales, marketing etc.) AND energy experience. I had the privilege to work with some extraordinarily talented people, both with and without prior energy experience. But…
