Lightsource BP, one of Europe’s largest solar companies, has acquired Irish Internet of Things (IoT) specialist Ubiworx, in a bid strengthen its digital capabilities.
However, the firm’s COO, Kareen Boutonnat, hinted that the deal was also part of Lightsource BP wanting to take advantage of a digitisation and decarbonisation of the energy sector that would require “reinvention” beyond just monitoring and consumption control.
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“This transformation is being led by innovation and market disruptors, like electric vehicles that will completely change the way household energy is used and stored. We cannot underestimate the ‘power of the home’ and its vital role in shaping this new energy future.”
“Through our acquisition of Ubiworx, we aim to create more connected, intelligent, efficient and sustainable energy systems that will turn ordinary homes into ‘self-learning smart homes’, actively encouraging communities to live more sustainably.”
The deal follows two years of close collaboration between the two firms on the domestic solar, storage and home energy management programme it has developed under its Lightsource Labs initiative.
That programme saw Ubiworx’s IoT platform become one of Lightsource Labs’ core technologies and Lightsource BP said the deal would bring “world-class IoT capability” to the firm.
It especially nodded towards Ubiworx’s ability to bring machine learning and artificial intelligence know-how to compliment Lightsource BP’s existing prowess in renewables and battery storage.
Lightsource BP partnered with domestic utility EDF to launch its residential solar-plus-storage product Sunplug last year and Menelaos Ioannidis, founder and CTO at Lightsource Labs, said the full acquisition of Ubiworx would “consolidate” the firm’s technology stack and support its development centre in Greece.
Mark Burkley, co-founder at Ubiworx, added: “Our vision has always been to enable cutting-edge IoT intelligence across the energy sector. Merging talent and expertise with Lightsource BP will realise our ambition and enable the company to develop world-class smart systems in this fast-moving decentralised energy space.”