Unlocking the Future of Energy with Piclo’s APIs: Benefits for Utilities and DERs

In the rapidly evolving energy landscape, the integration of distributed energy resources and the need for efficient grid management have become paramount. At Piclo, we envisage a future where global energy systems are smart and can respond dynamically to real-time to fluctuations in supply and demand. Today, this vision is becoming a reality, and it’s enabled by API integrations bringing various platforms and systems together into a single ecosystem. 

What Are APIs?

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), are tools that allow different software applications to communicate with each other in an automated way. They enable the seamless exchange of data and functionality between systems.

The Value of APIs in Piclo's Marketplace

Alongside our User Interface (UI), Piclo has built a full suite of APIs to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of our markets. Our APIs cover user journeys. For system operators, these include sharing flex need forecasts, receiving auction bids, making decisions, or even triggering dispatch events. Meanwhile service providers can manage their asset portfolio, place bids, receive dispatches and upload meter data for performance monitoring, and much more. 

How our APIs help our users and partner organisations

• High Volume of Actions: APIs automate repetitive tasks, allowing users to handle large volumes of actions without manual intervention. For instance, System Operators can use APIs to automatically process multiple bids from Service Providers, streamlining their procurement process.
• Out-of-Hours Participation: Energy markets operate around the clock. APIs enable systems to interact and make decisions outside of typical working hours, ensuring that opportunities are not missed.
• Rapid Response Requirements: In scenarios where immediate action is crucial, APIs facilitate swift communication and execution. For example, dispatch instructions can be sent and acknowledged in real-time, ensuring timely responses to grid needs.
• Routine actions: Maintaining consistency across multiple market platforms can be challenging. APIs assist users in keeping data current.

Use Cases and Success Stories

Piclo's APIs have been instrumental in various real-world applications:

• Utility DERMS: In collaboration with E-Distribuzione, part of the Enel Group, Piclo Flex is delivering Italy's first local flexibility market. The platform provides an end-to-end solution to acquire and dispatch flexibility services, addressing local constraint issues on E-Distribuzione's networks. Asset availability updates and dispatch APIs ensure the right assets can be activated when required. 
• Dispatch Webhook Integration: Flexibility service providers can then use Piclo's dispatch webhook to receive their dispatch instructions in real-time, enabling immediate action and enhancing grid responsiveness.
• Asset Portfolio Management: FSPs employ Piclo's APIs to manage their asset portfolios within the platform, especially useful for providers with large quantities or assets with varying availability.

Onboarding

Our fully documented full suite of APIs can be found online at docs.picloflex.com, alongside which we offer a test environment where users can build and test their system integrations, before migrating over to our live production environments. 

Vision for the Future

Piclo envisions a future where our APIs create a more connected and dynamic marketplace, capable of supporting near real-time procurement and operations of flexibility services on our energy system. By embracing API integration, the sector can achieve greater efficiency, scalability, and responsiveness, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient grid.

As the energy landscape continues to evolve and our physical systems and infrastructure are put under more stress, the role of APIs will become ever more crucial. Piclo remains committed to leading in this space, driving innovation, and helping to accelerate the transition to a decarbonised energy future.