3 Questions for Yüksel - about Home Energy Management Systems with energate

"The game has only just begun"

Cologne (energate) - The planned relaunch of digitization in metering could also give new impetus to the market for smart home offerings. energate spoke to Yüksel Sirmasac, Managing Director of smart home provider Rockethome, about the German government's current legislative initiative and new business models that could result from it.

Energate: With the law to restart the digitalization of the energy transition, the German government is making a new attempt at the smart meter rollout. As a provider of home energy management systems (HEMS), what impetus are you hoping for in this market?

Sirmasac: As a long-standing market participant, we are hoping for a new impetus in two aspects: Firstly, a higher demand for these systems, as the smart meter rollout increases energy transparency in buildings and thus gives end consumers the opportunity to reduce their energy costs and CO2 emissions via dynamic tariffs. On the other hand, we expect demand for HEMS to increase as the market as a whole becomes larger and this creates more competition. We are confident that this will lead to further innovations and effective solutions.

Energate: How would you describe the market structure in the HEMS sector and how is ROCKETHOME positioned?

Sirmasac: Currently, very well-funded tech companies such as 1Komma5 or Enpal are pioneers in these technologies and business models. But the game has only just begun. In Germany, we have a market structure in which the big ten providers of prosumer offerings such as PV, charging infrastructure or heat pumps only account for around 15 percent of the market. The rest is served by medium-sized and regional providers such as municipal utilities, distributors, solar installers and other companies. There are also several thousand tradespeople who are active in this segment and have the largest market share.

This market structure shows that medium-sized providers must now reposition themselves in terms of technology and business models in order to be competitive. This is where we come in: We provide these service providers with a HEMS platform and the necessary networking as a white label. As many of our long-standing market participants have been taken over by a majority, we are now one of the few, if not the only, independent HEMS provider. Thanks to our many years of expertise in networked technologies, we are one of the few providers that can offer HEMS as a white label, which, with photovoltaics, dynamic tariffs and more, is an alternative offering to the big tech companies.

Energate: Where do you see the most important arguments for a HEMS from the end consumer's point of view?

Sirmasac: In today's world, where climate protection is playing an increasingly important role, future security is a decisive argument for many people. Smart energy management makes it possible to conveniently control all of a property's climate components - from heating systems and heat pumps to PV systems and charging infrastructure for electric cars - digitally from anywhere, thereby promoting consumer self-sufficiency. The relevance of HEMS as a key technology for single-family homes is demonstrated by the clear cost-saving effects created by networking the systems, new tariffs and value-added offers. On average, HEMS saves homeowners around 300 to 1,500 euros per year. Over a period of 15 years, this amounts to additional savings of between 4,500 and 22,500 euros, which is a significant proportion of a property's total investment bill. This is the reason why HEMS offers will become established in the coming years.

Energate: What new business models could arise for energy suppliers on this basis?

Sirmasac: Offering HEMS as part of their energy service product portfolio and providing their customers with the corresponding platform and hardware is an obvious choice. The new dynamic tariffs, which must be offered from 2025, can be used to develop product bundles that convince customers of the benefits. Energy suppliers could also offer new digital services and experiences that go beyond traditional energy services in the direction of services of general interest. It should also not be underestimated that such HEMS platforms generate a high level of customer loyalty over many years. In the housing industry, these new energy management systems can generate new flexibilities in the neighborhoods as well as across all buildings. As a result, considerable energy efficiency potential can be tapped into during the building's operating phase and a contribution made to climate protection.

Rouben Bathke asked the questions. Published in the energate messenger on May 22, 2023: To the energate article

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