A new way to buy energy – Part 2

In our first launch post, we contextualized the Free Energy Market and the motivations that led us to create our digital platform. Today, we will share the behind-the-scenes of its development, from sketch to delivery, and the main challenges faced by the Technology team to turn this innovation into reality.

An innovative project is not always digital or made of complex algorithms. But in our case, this need became evident as early as the product research and discovery stage, when we interviewed potential clients. We needed a lot of agility to deliver value propositions at the dynamic pace so characteristic of the energy market.  

That is how the product team worked to transform the purchase and management of energy into an online, simplified process just a few clicks away. And they also provided clients with SmartFlex—meaning infinite flexibility to receive the exact amount of energy consumed, without the headache of the short term.  

Implementation

People make things happen. Our product team grew gradually, and in almost twelve months, we had twenty people directly involved in developing our platform. But it didn't stop there. Over time, we counted on the reinforcement and expertise of people from virtually the entire company. We exchanged a lot of feedback and carried out several co-creations based on agile methodologies until we reached the result we recently presented.

"Rethinking existing processes was a major challenge, given that the market is still very analog and personalized. But since we are restless and love to challenge the status quo, we used this as an incentive to push forward even stronger. Furthermore, we are innovating and pioneering in the sector, occupying a previously empty space—that of a digital renewable generator."

SENNA, DIGITAL ENERGY DIRECTOR

Our greatest inspirations came from other sectors, with companies that also stepped out of their comfort zones and recreated traditional business models. We like to mention Nubank (financial services), Quinto Andar (housing), and Tesla (sustainable mobility). Conta Azul (financial management system for companies) was also a great reference for us.

Algorithms

To apply technology to the energy sector and make it simpler yet secure, we created credit analysis and pricing algorithms. This was the best way to empower business clients and consultancies of all sizes, thus shortening the distance between them and a renewable energy generator—in this case, Serena. The possibility of contracting energy with a few clicks was unimaginable until then, but we proved it is possible.

“I think the biggest challenges we faced, and still face today, are defining and calibrating the energy pricing algorithm. While it needs to be fast (in the order of milliseconds), it also needs to deliver the best price to the client and protect us from risks.”

VINI, TECH LEAD

Ensuring the assertiveness of the pricing algorithm is a constant task. To achieve this, the Technology team applies what we call "automated tests." These tests consist of creating diverse scenarios and implementing an automatic process to run all of them. The expectation is that the algorithm returns equal values in all scenarios. In practice, it is software testing the integrity of another software.  

Regarding programming languages, we used JavaScript and TypeScript to solve most of our problems, along with Node.js and ReactJS as implementation tools. And to ensure data security from end to end, our infrastructure is hosted in the cloud (AWS), with all communication to this environment encrypted.

Remote Work

In addition to unraveling all the complexity of the energy market to fit it into a platform, our team had another major challenge: executing all of this remotely. Since March, the entire team has been working from home to protect their own health and that of their families, integrating tasks full of details from a distance.

“(…) we had to reinvent ourselves to overcome everyday problems, such as everyone being physically distant and ensuring good communication, even if virtual, for months. Without a doubt, the entire team's engagement in offering the best possible experience and uncomplicating energy trading is the strong point that will make this product a success.”

HÉLIO, DEVELOPER

All the effort was worth it.

Choose clean and affordable energy here.