YouDo enables WEL’s Reserves Market entry with exclusive trading system for interruptible loads
YouDo built TradeWEL to capture a commercial opportunity and unlock true energy potential for WEL Networks, its customers, and communities.
Our latest project with WEL Networks delivered a technology solution that addressed a commercial opportunity, network resilience, and customer success simultaneously.
TradeWEL leverages digital twin technology, a means of replicating real-world energy assets within Azure’s Internet of Things (IoT) service, to safely and accurately forecast behaviour and predict outcomes.
The solution enables WEL to securely and strategically aggregate commercial and industrial (C&I) interruptible loads on the Reserves Market.
For WEL, it’s a major catalyst for business growth, network resilience in preparation for transition to renewables, and a continuation of their hundred-year legacy of serving customers and communities.
For us, it’s been another awesome opportunity to use our industry knowledge, technical expertise, and collaborative approach to support our energy customers at a crucial time in their innovation journey.
Knowing who to call when opportunity arises
Based in the Waikato where they serve ~1000 industrial customers, WEL was in the perfect position to tap into the growing market for aggregated commercial and industrial (C&I) interruptible loads on the Reserves Market.
Without a technical solution in place, WEL faced significant implications by not having access to this capability – others were poised to step in.
A successful capture of this opportunity would be a milestone in WEL’s ongoing strategy of accelerated capability that gives back to the community.
WEL’s team needed support to scope out what a successful product would look like. Consultant Ashley Wall recalled our expertise in this space, and we were excited to get involved.
“Where others had more of a Waterfall ‘we’ll go away and do it’ approach, YouDo’s Agile mindset got us across the line. They had the enquiring mind to dig into what we wanted, ask good questions, and came out with a strong functional spec.”
– Ashley Wall, Consultant and Director of Electricity Risk Solutions
TradeWEL: the first step towards major growth and innovation
Working closely with WEL’s project team, we delivered a powerful bespoke solution that enabled WEL to aggregate offers to the Reserves Market on customers’ behalf.
Application of Digital Twins in TradeWEL Definition: A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical asset.
We built TradeWEL using digital twins within Azure’s Internet of Things (IoT) service, opening a new dimension of strategic insights in a secure environment:
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TradeWEL inherits the benefits of WEL Networks’ hot water control, and by integrating existing reserve offer sources, it maximises efficiency and potential gains for customers.
“YouDo developed the first iteration of a system that will grow to provide services to other networks across the North Island and beyond. YouDo provided us with the technological base for this goal, at an attractive price, within a year – they should be very proud of what they’ve achieved.”
– Ashley Wall, Consultant and Director of Electricity Risk Solutions
It’s a major win for WEL and its customers – and for New Zealand’s journey towards decarbonisation.
“TradeWEL enables customers to earn without doing anything. We have a lot of customers wanting to be participants, with a potential catchment area far beyond Waikato. The wider impact of this isn’t just about reducing constraints on the HVDC line, but building resilience and keeping the lights on as more intermittent power from wind and solar comes online.”
– Roger Arnet, Market and Strategy Manager at WEL Networks
Collaboration at its finest
Customers reach out to us for our technical expertise, but are just as impressed with how we conduct ourselves on a project.
Our reputation for delivering on time and on budget is largely about how we collaborate and communicate.
Six months in, with multiple teams on the tools, a miscommunication arose which was quickly diagnosed and resolved. Thankfully, this was a moment that cemented our relationship with WEL:
“We had one miscommunication but we were impressed with how it was handled. YouDo were open and calm as they walked us through the situation, ensuring that extra comms and additional stand up features were put in place so it wouldn’t happen again.”
– Ashley Wall, Consultant and Director of Electricity Risk Solutions
WEL’s team aren’t just experts in their field, but care deeply about the relationships they’re building along the way. We’re sure that played a major part in the successful outcome.
“YouDo has modeled the type of organizations we need to be partnering with.”
WEL’s GM of Works Programme, Dan Coffey, has an impressive track record of managing complex projects – so we’re thrilled to hear his feedback.
The YouDo team is stoked to have delivered a competitive product that enables WEL Networks to unlock a commercial opportunity and build more resilience into operations.
Positioned to address future decarbonisation, TradeWEL will continue a century-old legacy of serving customers and communities.
“YouDo’s impact goes beyond the context of this project. They’ve helped us shift from being a traditional lines and poles company to embrace new technology so we’re better equipped to serve our customers and community in the future.”
– Dan Coffey, GM of Works Programme
