KTH's Alum of the Year 2024 wants to engage Swedish households in the energy transition

Tanmoy Bari  is co-founder and CEO of the company Greenely, a digital solution that enables electricity consumers to track their energy data with an app and get insights on their electricity consumption.
Today, over 200 000 households in Sweden have connected to the platform.

“In recent years, we have seen that consumers want to influence their electricity consumption more than before. With rising electricity prices, electricity shortages, the climate crisis and political conflicts, our need for independent, sustainable energy solutions is increasing," Bari says.

He came up with the idea for the Greenely energy platform during his studies at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, when he was studying for a master's degree in sustainable urban development.
Together with a team of students, he built the basic software. With the help of coaches at the startup hub KTH Innovation (link) the company was launched in 2014.

“The difference today is that people are much more familiar with how electricity works in the home. This knowledge has increased as basic functions, such as the home's heating system, can be digitally connected and controlled according to the shifting price of electricity. In addition, more and more people are buying electric cars and installing their own solar panels to reduce costs and sell their self produced electricity back to the electricity companies," Bari says.

A household battery solution

He believes that the future for energy consumers lies in increased flexibility, including the ability to contribute to the balancing of energy supply in society.

“Not long ago, preschool teachers in parts of Sweden were encouraged to bring flashlights to school in case of a temporary power outage. With the last energy shortage in Sweden looming, many sectors were about to be seriously affected, and we are facing difficult challenges ahead.”

Over the past year, Greenely has launched its own virtual power plant, an innovation that allows households to actively participate in the energy transition.

One function of the company’s new battery solution enables customers to sell their electricity surplus to the electricity system when needs arise in different parts of the country, while optimizing the household’s own energy use.

“The battery system makes households more self-sufficient in electricity. We want to place customers in a sustainable energy landscape," Bari says.
Bari says households can help stabilize the electricity grid throughout Sweden, and eventually in other Nordic countries, by either charging or discharging their batteries when imbalances occur in the electricity grid.

“Society is moving towards a continued phase-out of nuclear power and we see an increasing need for plannable capacity in our electricity system. With the transition to renewable energy, more flexible energy solutions are needed," Bari adds:

"The vision for the future is to stabilize the electricity supply across Europe, by connecting households in different countries to a large virtual power plant.”

Text: Katarina Ahlfort ( ahlfort@kth.se )
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Tanmoy Bari's best advice for KTH students who want to contribute to social development

• Take the opportunity to try different things during your studies, maybe study abroad, apply for odd scholarships, or study subjects outside your specific program area.
• Make sure to pay attention to different opportunities that come up. Dare to take a chance.
• Remember that everyone is different, what suits others may not suit you.
• Seek out people who take your drive seriously. I got great support from coaches at KTH Innovation, and talked a lot with different professors in areas that interested me.
• Being curious gives you good access to the industry. I took the opportunity to visit developing countries during my studies, and traveled to Kenya and Brazil to look at urban planning solutions and find new ideas.

Award motivation KTH’s Alum of the Year 2024

Tanmoy Bari is awarded Alum of the Year 2024 for his ability to develop a technical innovation that provides knowledge and contributes to a more sustainable planet.

As CEO and co-founder of the company Greenely, he inspires consumers to reduce energy consumption. Over a decade, Tanmoy has shown courage, perseverance and real entrepreneurship in his efforts to build a company that meets the challenges of the energy market.

He engages on a broader level by sharing his knowledge with students and actively participating in the public debate on energy issues. Combined with a responsive approach and an openness to the outside world, Tanmoy is a true KTH ambassador and an inspiring leader in social sustainable development.