Power to
the People

In an increasingly dynamic energy market we build real-time software solutions for the trade and distribution of electricity, gas, coal, freight and emissions. Thereby, we improve the provision of energy and facilitate the transition to a greener future.

Towards a Smarter System

The liberalisation of markets and the transition towards renewables has turned the EU energy sector into a dynamic and decentralised market. Applying our skills in data, trading, risk management and technology we build the tools that different players require. For instance, we set up algorithmic systems to support commodity traders. Further, we develop energy management services that support electricity providers, operators of smart grids as well as suppliers of gas and district heating.

Booming Trade in Energy

At the end of the 1990s the European Union began liberalising the member states' electricity markets, which in many countries had been dominated by monopolies. Similar reforms soon followed in the gas market, and in 2005 the EU also introduced emissions trading.

These reforms set off a rapid growth in the number of players in power generation, energy distribution and commodities trading. The respective market places became more complex and dynamic, resembling technologically advanced markets such as securities exchanges.

To facilitate this booming trade, specialised exchanges such as the European Energy Exchange were established. As a result, our expertise with capital markets, complex data flows, real-time technologies and data analytics became a valuable asset to facilitate this expanding trade.

We therefore began to develop applications for energy trading together with specialised analysts and traders. This included new applications for risk and data management in the industry.

The Complexity of Renewables

Further complexity was added in the 2010s, when new incentives to expand renewables raised their share in the electricity mix in countries like Germany to more than a quarter. The growing importance of intermittent wind and solar power also increased fluctuations in electricity generation.

Reacting to these trends, producers, suppliers and traders of energy increasingly bought and sold on short-term exchanges, so-called intraday markets, limiting surpluses and shortfalls in electricity production. As a result, the volume of European intraday markets such as EPEX SPOT has more than tripled over the past ten years.

With the importance of wind and solar, the relevance of weather data also increased. Therefore, we built platforms that automatically integrate and analyse distinct types of data such as wind forecasts, water levels of rivers and reservoirs as well as load and spare capacity of regional and international grids.

The growing amount and variety of information also presented other market participants with new challenges in the management and analysis of data. Therefore, we developed further applications and tools for municipal utilities, grid operators and other specialised players in the energy sector.

When AI Buys Electricity

Today, we increasingly work with clients who react to the booming intraday market by speeding up their order decisions through algorithmic trading.

These quantitative systems automatically evaluate data, exploit market information by using algorithms and artificial intelligence and make automated decisions to buy or sell energy.

Traders benefit greatly from these sophisticated tools to process and analyse a wide variety of information.

That gives them valuable insights to manage and stabilise the increasingly complex provision of energy.