Thüga, Germany's largest municipal network of local and regional energy providers, and Kiwigrid, the IoT and software specialists for decentralized energy, have confirmed a strategic partnership with a framework agreement. Thüga will provide the more than 100 partner companies of the group with an all-round solution for growing the renewable energy and e-mobility business by launching the white label product “Autarkiemanager”. The Autarkiemanager was developed by Kiwigrid and runs on the high-performance energy service platform KiwiOS.
The Autarkiemanager enables Thüga partners to expand their portfolio with services and products for decentralized energy systems and climate-friendly tariffs, helping end customers optimize their electricity costs. The solution covers the entire product experience of prosumers: from an individual tariff and product configuration, to energy optimization of the PV system, electricity storage, wallbox and heat pump, to the additional purchase of a wallbox and the option for remote and on-site system maintenance. A user-friendly end customer portal, designed in the individual corporate brand, creates a new digital communication and sales channel for the Thüga partner companies, helping build a trusting customer relationship. Installers can monitor the prosumers' systems 24/7 via the portal and can carry out maintenance work quickly and cost-effectively if necessary.
“We are pleased that the Thüga Group is adopting our complete solution for renewable energy and e-mobility. Together, we provide the more than 100 partner companies with an innovative and future-proof prosumer offering that will enrich their portfolios.”
Joscha Köllner, Director Sales & Business Development at Kiwigrid
The Autarkiemanager enables Thüga’s partner companies to complement their PV sales and allow their customers to use their self-generated electricity for charging EVs, heat pumps and more. Stadtwerke Radolfzell will be the first municipal supplier of the Thüga group to offer the solution for PV self-consumption, thereby actively shaping the decentralized energy transition together with the people.
“Kiwigrid has extensive market knowledge and many years of experience in the decentralized energy sector. Through this strategic cooperation, we can provide our partner companies with a complete solution for the growing demand for renewable energy and e-mobility, enabling them to expand their portfolio for future business. Thanks to Kiwigrid's expertise with smart meter gateways and e-mobility, we will be able to continuously expand the Autarkiemanager according to customer needs.”
Katharina Baumbusch, Thüga Competence Center Innovation
As the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) increases, network operators are faced with the challenge of integrating EV charging infrastructure into distribution networks. As part of the research project “Ladeinfrastruktur 2.0”, in which Thüga and Kiwigrid are cooperating with the University of Kassel, BS| ENERGY and BS|NETZ under the direction of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, end customers can actively participate in a field test to avoid bottlenecks in the grid. In the project, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the network operator uses variable network fees to provide incentives for shifting charging processes to low-demand periods. Customers therefore benefit from lower electricity costs for charging their vehicles. An intelligent interface from the electricity provider to the household allows controlling the charging processes at demand-side, in accordance with § 14a of the German Energy Industry Act. The goal of the research project is to find out how demand-side control of charging infrastructure can limit the need for expanding the grid and create an attractive system for customers.
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About Kiwigrid
Kiwigrid is the software and IoT company for renewable energy and e-mobility. The KiwiOS platform is used to operate white label products for energy suppliers, the automotive industry and manufacturers of decentralized energy systems. Kiwigrid enables its customers to open up new markets, diversify their offerings and differentiate themselves from the competition. The Dresden-based company was founded in 2011 and currently employs over 150 people. Kiwigrid is a leader in the DACH market for intelligent energy management and smart metering and works with LG, BayWa r.e., Innogy SE, E.ON, Siemens and BMW, among others. Strategic shareholders are AQTON SE, Innogy SE and LG Electronics.
About Thüga
The Thüga Group, headquartered in Munich, is the largest municipal network of local and regional energy providers in Germany. Its goal is to shape the future of municipal energy supply through knowledge transfer and a strong community. With their 20,000 employees, the Thüga partner companies supply four million customers with electricity, two million with natural gas and one million with drinking water. In 2018 they generated a turnover of around 21 billion euros.https://www.thuega.de/die-thuega/