30.06.2023

re.alto Connect has been around for a while now, but what exactly is it and what can it do? Product Owner Lenny Kraaijenhof describes Connect as “the platform powering innovative energy products”. Although we often refer to Connect itself as a product, it is in fact more of a platform with the ability to power a lot of different products and solutions. Lenny sees the platform as the “backbone” to enable third parties to build their own energy-as-a-service solutions, along with powering re.alto’s new Xenn product, which is fully based around this platform. He refers to the platform offering as “infrastructure-as-a-service”, as we offer a solid infrastructure for others to use as a foundation for their own products. The platform was built around re.alto’s fundamental objective, which has always been to reduce complexity and simplify access to energy data. Our infrastructure provides insight into energy usage, including consumption and production insight, and historical data. It is very rich in data and can offer insight into energy tariffs linked to consumption, including peak detection, which is especially useful for the Belgian market currently, and we can also communicate directly with many different entities, such as EVs, PV installations and heat pumps.

With the re.alto Connect platform, we build connector programs to facilitate the connection between re.alto and energy devices. The data collected through these small programs is stored in a data lake. An essential feature of this platform is how easy it is for our clients to start connecting to multiple different cars, solar panels and other devices. The devices already communicate via APIs, but they send their information in a format that is not standardised, meaning a BMW would communicate differently to a Citroen, for example. We normalise, standardise and clean the data, and then make it available to access through a single unified REST API, meaning the structure for all data is then the same. We can even compact it to make it easier to work with. Only one single API connection is required for all the different data that the client or consumer wishes to access, and the user can access this data without the need for any additional hardware. We provide aggregated reports by linking various datasets, such as pricing information, for more useful reporting, which third parties can use in their own apps or products. Interested parties simply reach out to us, we give them access to the platform, and they can then begin onboarding their various devices. From a feature perspective, users begin adding their entities or devices in “asset management”, where they can link EVs, solar panels et cetera. Our onboarding process is incredibly simple, it’s easy to connect new devices, and users are then able to access data from those entities and use this in their products. Each entity is given an ID and information about each one will be displayed to the user in the same way, regardless of the type of entity or the brand. Having all data in a standardised format makes life much easier for our users.

What makes the platform really stand out is its versatility and its reliability. Product Owner Lenny Kraaijenhof describes it as “one platform with many use cases and many potential products”. The re.alto Connect platform is multi-faceted and the potential for third parties is incredible. A standard subscription to the platform grants users access to the Connect API, which will allow them to onboard various energy-related devices and obtain data from them. Additional features on offer can give users further insights, such as forecasting, optimisation or market insights. And Lenny sees the potential for yet further additions in the form of embedded solutions and fleet management tools. The first offering is the above-mentioned “infrastructure-as-a-service”, where third parties can access the API and then use our platform as the infrastructure to build their own innovative product on top of. We basically provide the infrastructure for them to build their own energy-as-a-service solutions, usually in the form of an app. We also offer special bespoke solutions, in which we provide a consulting service and assist third parties in using our platform to build their own product. We invest time in discovering together with the client what their product could be and then tailor our offering to their requirements, therefore becoming more of a hands-on partner. Finally, we have seen growing demand for “embedded solutions” based on a plug-and-play concept with the potential to enrich an existing app or product, so this is where Lenny sees re.alto Connect really expanding in future. His vision is to build our own mini products on top of the platform and sell these as white-labelled products, which can then easily be embedded in a third party’s own app or product as a widget or similar, with minimal effort on their part. We’re currently running similar pilot projects with companies like KBC, who are interested in the benefits of such plug-and-play solutions. GDPR compliance is of utmost importance to us throughout all of this, and that is why we ensure that the platform we offer our clients meets those requirements. In addition, we always use the official channels to gain access to assets and data, and either form official partnerships or sign contracts with our partners, meaning our Connect platform is incredibly reliable and well-maintained.

With the re.alto Connect platform, we reduce complexity and have many tools and features that are of great benefit to product builders.  The platform infrastructure is very versatile and can offer insight into energy usage and peak detection. The API can retrieve information directly from EVs and can communicate directly with devices, with users able to easily control EVs and other assets via the command hub. Connect simplifies asset management and can even determine whether the data received is valid to ensure accurate reporting. We can offer audit trails (useful if dealing with sensitive data) and advanced access management, so users can control who has access to certain data. The platform is a brilliant starting point for any third party developing their own energy services, be that via an app or another kind of product. Our platform lends itself particularly well to use cases revolving around fleet management solutions, smart energy services B2B, smart energy services B2C and to those requiring embedded solutions. Our users can simply connect to distributed energy assets over the cloud, enabling them to build smarter energy solutions and steer controllable assets with one single integration to the re.alto platform. It has never been simpler!  

If you have questions about how the re.alto Connect platform could benefit you, please reach out to us and we’ll be happy to assist you!