Kiwigrid launches new gateway “VoyagerX” for the intelligent connection of PV systems, EV chargers and heat pumps

Dresden, 26.04.2022: Kiwigrid, the IoT company for decentralized energy and e-mobility, is launching a new gateway for energy management. It connects PV systems, energy storage, EV chargers and heat pumps into a manufacturer-independent sector-coupled system, that can be optimized for the highest possible self-consumption, a lower CO2 footprint and a time-based lower electricity price.

With the introduction of “Energy Manager VoyagerX”, Kiwigrid tackles two of the major challenges of the energy transition. To decarbonize the energy system and switch completely to renewable energies, over 100 million PV and energy storage systems, EV chargers and heat pumps must be connected and intelligently managed by 2030 in Europe alone. Since installation capacities are limited due to the shortage of skilled workers and the rapidly increasing demand, installation must be as simple and fast as possible.

Kiwigrid's new gateway solves both problems. VoyagerX can be easily mounted and connected to the end devices. It does not have to be mounted on the top-hat rail in the control cabinet, but can be fixed directly onto the energy devices or next to them. In most cases, it is ready for use in less than ten minutes. The device can also be installed by end customers themselves, while installers conveniently complete configuration remotely.

VoyagerX is the result of eleven years’ expertise and experience in the development and stable operation of a manufacturer-independent energy IoT platform for over 25 international customers including E.ON, Solarwatt, BayWa r.e. and LG Electronics. Through this partner network, Kiwigrid’s current gateway has already been installed over 20,000 times throughout Europe, connecting over 200,000 PV and energy storage systems, EV chargers, heat pumps, meters and industrial sensors by over 50 device manufacturers.

VoyagerX collects the device data and transmits them to the Kiwigrid platform where they are processed for monitoring, analysis and remote maintenance purposes. In return, VoyagerX accepts commands and schedules from the platform to control the energy devices according to various optimization goals, including increased self-consumption of self-produced solar power, lowering the carbon footprint and reducing electricity bills by shifting as much consumption as possible to times when the price of electricity is at its lowest during the day.

VoyagerX supports the connection and control of numerous combinations of energy devices from different manufacturers, ranging from simple combinations of two devices, such as a PV system with an EV charger, to complex setups consisting of three devices or more. VoyagerX is connected to the devices via Ethernet, WLAN or field buses. In a future development stage, Kiwigrid will additionally enable Bluetooth and LTE capability. VoyagerX is powered by a quad-core processor.

VoyagerX uses state-of-the-art data transfer encryption and user and end device authentication. The Kiwigrid platform is operated entirely in the Google Cloud which complies with the C5 standard issued by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

Kiwigrid’s CEO Dr Frank Schlichting says:

“The ease of installation and performance of VoyagerX are comparable to that of a smartphone. We understand the needs of end customers and installers. Time and again they explained their need for an easy-to-install, powerful and future-proof gateway. And so, we listened. VoyagerX is built on our experience with over 20,000 sector-coupled installations across Europe. This makes it unique.”

VoyagerX will be rolled out from July 2022. This year, Kiwigrid expects a growth of 10,000 sector-coupled installations with over 50,000 connected end devices.

“Our customers already sell a total of more than 50,000 decentralized energy systems throughout Europe every year. Our shared goal is to intelligently connect as many of them as possible. By 2025, we want to grow to over one million connected devices. VoyagerX is crucial to our mission of accelerating the cross-sector energy transition with Europe’s largest manufacturer-independent energy service platform,” Schlichting concludes.

 

Visit the page of our Energy Manager VoyagerX to learn more!