OLI Technology

OLI functions

OLI optimizes both single small power plants, consumers and storage systems, but also entire buildings or industrial areas.

Connecting such “energy cells” can happen nationwide, close proximity is not a criterion. An “energy cell” is typically composed of at least one generation unit and one or multiple loads. Those can be single buildings, but also building complexes and entire areas.

OLI’s modular design also allows optimizing subcells, individual flats for instance. Consumption and generation data, combined with external data, such as weather forecasts ensure the cost-efficient use of generation units, loads and storage systems. To do so, OLI communicates with other OLIs in many different “energy cells” via Blockchain.

New OLIs sign up at the Ethereum-based OLI Blockchain and receive information on neighbouring OLIs, enabling an automatic, but user-approved distributed coupling of several OLIs.

Marketing energy to third parties is possible – grid services can be provided to grid operations within a virtual power plant framework. OLI focuses on electricity, but it is also possible to integrate heating and cooling into optimization and sharing.

OLI’s modular and decentralized design and its construction as an energyOS make easy extensions via Apps easily possible. Additional services can be provided - not only focused on the energy sector.

OLIs open architecture ensures high interoperability as a multitude of loads (household equipment, and electric vehicles for example) and different sources of electric energy made by different manufacturers can be integrated. Electric vehicles, heat pumps, as well as heat and battery storage can also be part of OLI’s ecosystem.

OLI software

Data autonomy, manufacturer’s independence by using Open Source hard- and software and full scalability via Blockchain technology are key ingredients for the cellular management system of the future. OLI is based on those principles and structures, which are similar to those of the internet.

Rather than having a central authority to process transactions, OLIs communicate directly - Peer-to-Peer. This is achieved by Blockchain technology which is also used for handling the digital currency Bitcoin, for example. Our approach guarantees secure and cost-effective transactions. Origin and route of electricity become fully transparent.

OLI uses Open Source hard- and software to create ideal conditions for a widespread and cheap deployment of the system. Linux (OS on the OLI box) and Ethereum components (Blockchain) are used in practice.

By outsourcing several tasks to cloud platforms, such as provision of data, storage and optimization to either the Blockchain or to Cloud Services, we create a system which is easily scalable, both in terms of performance and distribution.

Extending OLI’s capabilities by third-party apps enables direct realization of new functions and services by developers, manufacturers and customers. The sky's the limit to your creativity.

OLI Hardware

Following the Open Source approach, OLI’s hardware is based on a Raspberry Pi 3. OLI communicates via WLAN/LAN/Bluetooth and the EEBus standard with loads and generation units. The OLI Blockchain is responsible for data acquisition (switching status, power and consumption/generation data), communication with other cells and embedding external data. Optimization is then carried out either locally on the OLI box or in the Cloud.

Local hardware is primarily used to serve as a physical interface. Computationally and memory-intensive tasks can be processed more efficiently and more cost-effective within the cloud. If more computational power or more memory is required to process complex tasks, the Cloud adapts automatically, without the need to replace any OLI hardware.

The connection of OLI boxes enables optimization beyond single units, for instance by providing grid services and by managing storage systems in a grid-friendly way.