Sandra Trittin, Co-Founder, Swisscom Energy Solutions

Summary

At European Utility Week 2016, Sandra Tritton, co-founder of Swisscom Energy Solutions, discusses their award-winning product, TICO, an energy management system for prosumers. TICO enables residential homes to connect and manage various electrical devices through an IT platform, offering remote control, consumption overview, and automated services. The system also integrates with the electricity grid for network stability, with expansion plans across Europe to support renewable energy integration. Winning the energy management award signifies industry recognition and consumer support for their innovative approach.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Sandra Tritton, co-founder of Swisscom Energy Solutions, discusses their award-winning product, TICO, at the European Utility Week 2016.
• 🌐 TICO is an energy management system designed for prosumers, allowing residential homes to connect various electrical devices to a single IT platform.
• 🔌 The platform integrates devices such as batteries, PV systems, heating, air conditioning, and electric vehicle charging systems, providing an overview of consumption and production.
• 📱 TICO offers remote control functionalities, enabling users to manage their home's energy use through a smartphone app, even when away.
• 🚨 The system includes an alarming feature that monitors connected devices 24/7 and sends SMS alerts in case of malfunctions.
• 🎼 TICO stands out by connecting prosumers to the electricity grid, offering grid services and contributing to network stability.
• 🤝 Swisscom Energy Solutions developed TICO in collaboration with customers, ensuring the solution meets their needs and addresses their concerns.
• 🏠 The remote control feature allows for energy savings by adjusting consumption levels remotely and can prepare the home environment before return.
• 📈 With over 6,500 customers in Switzerland connected to the grid, TICO provides frequency response for network stability and is expanding to Germany and France.
• 🌍 The expansion plans for TICO aim to support the integration of renewable energies into the grid across Europe, highlighting a growing trend in utility solutions.
• 🏅 Winning the Energy Management Award signifies industry recognition and validation of TICO's direction and impact on the path towards a low-carbon future.
• 🎉 The award is a morale boost for the team, showing that their efforts are appreciated by both the public and industry experts.

Q & A

What is the name of the company Sandra Tritton co-founded?

Swisscom Energy Solutions.

What award did Swisscom Energy Solutions win at the European Utility Industry Awards 2016?

They won the Energy Management Award for their product TICO.

What does the product TICO stand for, and what is its primary function?

TICO is an energy management system for prosumers, allowing residential homes to connect various electrical devices and manage their energy consumption and production.

What kind of devices can be connected to TICO's platform?

Devices such as batteries, PV systems, heating, air conditioning, and immobility charging systems can be connected to TICO's platform.

What additional functionalities does TICO provide for connected devices?

TICO provides an overview of all connected devices' consumption and production, remote control capabilities, and an alarming system for monitoring and alerts in case of malfunctions.

How does TICO help with energy savings when the user is on holiday?

TICO allows users to remotely control their devices, such as air conditioning, to warm up the house before they return, thus saving energy while they are away.

What makes TICO unique in the energy management market?

TICO's uniqueness lies in its integration with the electricity grid, allowing prosumers to provide ancillary services and contribute to network stability.

How was the TICO solution designed to address consumer needs?

The solution was designed in collaboration with customers, listening to their needs and concerns, and incorporating features like remote control that can adjust consumption based on the user's return.

What is the current status of TICO's customer base and expansion plans?

TICO has over 6,500 customers in Switzerland, all connected to the grid. The company is looking to expand to Germany, France, and other parts of Europe.

What does winning the Energy Management Award mean for TICO and Swisscom Energy Solutions?

Winning the award validates their direction and progress, showing that they are on the right track and recognized by both the public and industry experts.

How does TICO contribute to a low carbon or zero carbon world?

By providing network stability and enabling the integration of renewable energies into the grid, TICO supports the transition towards a more sustainable energy system.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Swisscom Energy Solutions' Award-Winning Tico Product

The video script introduces an interview with Sandra Tritton, co-founder of Swisscom Energy Solutions, at the European Utility Week 2016. The company has won an award for their product, Tico, an energy management system designed for prosumers. Tico allows residential homes to connect various electrical devices such as batteries, PV systems, heating, air conditioning, and charging systems to a single IT platform. This provides users with an overview of their energy consumption and production, remote control capabilities, and an alarming system for 24/7 monitoring. What sets Tico apart is its integration with the electricity grid, enabling prosumers to offer grid services. The product was developed in collaboration with customers, focusing on their needs for remote control and energy efficiency. The company is expanding beyond Switzerland, with projects in Germany and France, aiming to contribute to a low-carbon, renewable energy future.

05:00

🎉 The Significance of Winning the Energy Management Award

In the second paragraph, Sandra Tritton discusses the impact of winning the Energy Management Award for Swisscom Energy Solutions. The award signifies that the company is on the right track and its development direction is recognized by industry experts and customers alike. The process of winning the award was exciting, with public votes and jury approval, indicating the product's importance and effectiveness. The award is particularly meaningful as it reflects the hard work and customer-centric approach taken by the company. The interview concludes with congratulations to Sandra and Swisscom Energy Solutions for their well-deserved recognition and the positive contribution their project makes towards a sustainable energy future.

Keywords

💡European Utility Week 2016

European Utility Week 2016 is the setting of the video, a significant industry event where professionals gather to discuss and showcase innovations in the utility sector. It is the backdrop for the interview with Sandra Tritton, emphasizing the importance of the event in the energy industry.

💡Sandra Tritton

Sandra Tritton is the co-founder of Swisscom Energy Solutions and is the interviewee in the video. Her role and expertise are central to the discussion about the company's award-winning product, TICO, and its impact on the energy management landscape.

💡Swisscom Energy Solutions

Swisscom Energy Solutions is the company behind the award-winning product TICO. The company is recognized for its innovative approach to energy management for prosumers, which is a key theme in the video and a testament to its industry leadership.

💡TICO

TICO is an energy management system designed for prosumers, allowing residential homes to connect various electrical devices to a single IT platform. It is the main subject of the video, illustrating the company's innovative solution to energy management and its contribution to the industry.

💡Prosumers

Prosumers are consumers who also produce energy, typically through renewable sources like solar panels. In the context of the video, TICO serves this group by providing a comprehensive energy management solution, emphasizing the growing importance of prosumers in the energy sector.

💡Energy Management

Energy management refers to the monitoring and control of energy consumption and production. TICO's system exemplifies this concept by offering an integrated platform for managing various home electrical devices, which is central to the video's narrative on efficient energy use.

💡Remote Control

Remote control is a feature of TICO that allows users to manage their home's energy-consuming devices from a distance. The script mentions this as a way to save energy, such as warming up the home before returning from a holiday, showcasing the convenience and energy-saving potential of TICO.

💡Orchestration

Orchestration in the video refers to the integration and coordination of various home energy devices through TICO's platform. It is a key concept that highlights the system's ability to harmonize different elements of home energy management into a cohesive solution.

💡Awards

The awards mentioned in the script are the European Utility Industry Awards for 2016, where TICO won the Energy Management Award. This recognition underscores the innovation and effectiveness of TICO's solution in the energy management space.

💡Renewable Energies

Renewable energies are a focal point in the video, as TICO's system is designed to work with devices like PV systems that generate clean energy. The script discusses the importance of integrating renewable energies into the grid for a more sustainable energy future.

💡Expansion

Expansion in the context of the video refers to Swisscom Energy Solutions' plans to grow their product beyond Switzerland, with projects in Germany and France. This indicates the company's ambition to scale their solution and contribute to a broader energy management transformation across Europe.

Highlights

Sandra Tritton, co-founder of Swisscom Energy Solutions, discusses their award-winning product, TICO, at European Utility Week 2016.

TICO is an energy management system for prosumers, allowing residential homes to connect various electrical devices to a single IT platform.

The platform provides an overview of consumption and production, enabling users to prepare between devices and gain remote control functionalities.

TICO includes an alarming system for 24/7 monitoring, sending SMS alerts in case of device malfunction.

Prosumers are connected to the electricity grid to provide ancillary services, making TICO an orchestration project.

Swisscom Energy Solutions designed TICO in collaboration with customers, addressing their needs and concerns.

The remote control feature allows users to adjust consumption and prepare their home environment before returning from holidays.

TICO integrates with a smartphone app, streamlining home energy management through a user-friendly interface.

The product aims to address the challenge of sustained energy returns in energy management systems.

Swisscom Energy Solutions has successfully integrated over 6,500 customers in Switzerland, providing network stability to the grid.

The company is expanding its projects to Germany and France, with plans for further European expansion.

The award signifies that Swisscom Energy Solutions is on the right track with industry experts and customers recognizing its value.

Winning the award has validated the company's approach and direction in developing TICO.

The nomination and award process were exciting for the team, as they saw public votes and jury support.

TICO addresses both utility-side problems and integrates well with live stream data, enhancing consumer-facing energy management.

The project's success is attributed to its consumer-centric design approach, ensuring it meets real user needs.

Sandra Tritton expresses gratitude for winning the Energy Management Award and acknowledges the project's potential impact.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome to the N jarate studio at

European utility week 2016 this is Carol

stimmell and I am with a very special

guest today in the studio Sandra tritton

who is the co-founder of Swiss columns

energy solutions Swisscom energy

solutions is an award winner here at the

european utility industry awards for

2016

with a with a product called tico which

is an entered in which one the energy

management award tico is an energy man

its management system for prosumers tell

us a little bit about about what your

product does yeah so what is actually

behind tico is like us like an IT

platform where residential homes can

connect all kind of electrical devices

so everyone was like a battery a PV

system heating air conditioning

immobility charging system they can

connect to that platform and with that

platform they get provided some excess

for a nap with additional

functionalities so they get an overview

of all the consumption and production of

the devices which are connected they can

prepare between each other they get some

remote control so for example for your

air conditioning if you go on holidays

you can warm up a bit when you're not at

home to save some energy and you get

some alarming system so we overlook your

connected devices 24 hours 7 days a week

and just in case something breaks down

we sent you an SMS and what makes us a

bit unique is like at the same time

these prosumers get connected to the

electricity grid to provide good

services alright so this is a real

orchestration project so there's been

lots of little pieces of of the home

energy management problem people trying

to solve for a long time but adoption is

difficult because designing for

consumers is not something that we do

naturally in the utility industries so

it sounds like you might have made a lot

of progress towards solving that problem

can you can you tell me why you think

you won this award yes so we designed

our solution together with our customers

so we were really listening to them what

their needs are for example for the

remote control I mean you can also turn

off your heating system or your air

conditioning when you leave the home

right but no one is really actually

doing it because people are also worried

that it's really cold when they come

back home so we created the remote

control so that you can reduce with an

app for example

your your consumption and even on your

way back home you can already bring it

up again so when you come home it's

either cool enough with the air

conditioning or warm enough for Peter so

this is a smartphone app it's integrated

with the customers live stream so it's

it's orchestrating the home bringing

disparate things in the home together

but accessible through the phone yep so

it seems like you would have some very

interesting ways to grow this project

about learning about people

different kinds of automation algorithms

and really you know one of the things

we've always struggled with with energy

management is sustained energy returns

so it sounds like that is a problem you

are well on the way to solving what what

is next for your for your product yeah

so where we are right now is that we

integrated all these customer on the

platform in Switzerland we have two days

six and a half thousand customers

already and they are all connected to

the grid so we provide networked

stability in terms of frequency response

to the grid and now we want to take that

out of Switzerland so we have first

projects running also in Germany and in

France and we are looking to expand more

over Europe because this with stability

is needed wherever you want to get more

renewable energies into the grid yes so

that's actually a really lovely trend

I'm seeing it actually for the first

time at this show I've been to a lot of

them where

utilities are coming up with solutions

or partnering and to come up with

solutions like this and then finding

ways to take them elsewhere to scale

them beyond their immediate area of

interest in that as that spells nothing

but goodness actually for you know

accelerating towards a low carbon in

zero carbon world so

tell me what is it what is winning this

award mean for your project yep so for

us winning that award is yeah it makes

us happy it's already really important

because we see that we on the right

track that we are developing in the

right direction and we saw on one side

because like people had to vote so many

of our customers was were giving like a

public vote for us and then also by

being able to convince the jury

afterwards we see that we are also

important for the industry experts

Rosetta was at an intimidating processor

did you feel pretty good about it going

through you felt go the awards

nomination and ultimately winning they

were yeah so I mean it's every time it's

really exciting all right you get

excited because when you see you get

more and more public votes you climb up

in the in the list of being able to come

into the last five and companies right

then you get really really excited and

then it's a bit like as soon as you're

in the last five you also want to win

yeah it's so we were really happy as

well we managed theory exactly yeah so

this is very interesting so your energy

management award addresses both utility

side problems and also obviously

integrates very well with the live

stream and you said something very

important which is in building this

project you went to the consumers and

that's think that's how it works for you

so I think that's how any customer

facing product that that we want to see

adopted and enjoyed that's how we have

to start so I really appreciate that and

congratulations congratulations very

very much to you on winning the energy

management award and you clearly

deserved it sounds like a great project

okay thank you thank you take care of

thanks thank you thank you very much

[Music]