The Flex
Ideas on demand flexibility, grid economics, and the energy transition.
Wattif Joins Shell StartUp Engine 2025
We've been selected for the Shell StartUp Engine 2025 cohort. Demo Day is March 4th.
The Flex Weekly
Grid economics, building physics, and demand flexibility strategies. One email, every week.
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From the team
Wattif Joins Shell StartUp Engine 2025
We've been selected for the Shell StartUp Engine 2025 cohort. Demo Day is March 4th.
Energy Intelligence Pilot with GEAR by Kajima
We're deploying our demand flexibility platform at GEAR, Kajima's smart building innovation hub in Singapore.
Why Demand Flexibility Is the Cheapest Grid Upgrade
Every commercial building has 20-35% of flexible load hiding in plain sight. The maths on unlocking it vs. building new infrastructure isn't even close.
The EV Rollout Has a Grid Problem. Orchestration Is the Fix.
Fuel retailers and fleet operators are hitting the same wall: grid connections weren't built for EV. Here's how site-level orchestration changes the equation.
From Single Site to Portfolio: the Template Effect
When every building in a chain runs the same load types, one optimization model scales to hundreds of sites. That's the economics that make demand flexibility inevitable.
Making Commercial Loads Dispatchable for Aggregators
VPPs have cracked residential batteries. Commercial demand flexibility is the next frontier, and it needs a different kind of orchestration layer.
Malaysia: RM35 Billion Grid Bet and the EV Charging Opportunity
TNB is investing RM35 billion in grid upgrades through 2030. The new tariff structure penalises peak demand harder than ever. For commercial sites adding EV charging, the economics just shifted.
Singapore: The 20,000 Private Charging Points Opportunity
Singapore's 60,000 charging point target splits into 40,000 public and 20,000 private. For building owners, that 20,000 is the opportunity. Here's who should be paying attention.
Australia: EV Charging and the Grid Capacity Question
Distribution networks were designed for 3-7 kW per house. A Level 2 charger draws 7 kW. AEMO forecasts 50 GW of EV demand against 36 GW of current peak capacity. The maths is getting interesting.
Thermal Mass: The Secret Weapon Hiding in Your Refrigeration
A walk-in freezer at -18°C has hours of thermal buffer. A cold cabinet has 30 minutes. Understanding these physics unlocks flexibility you didn't know you had.
Demand Charges Explained: Why Your Peak Matters More Than Your Total
Most energy managers focus on kWh. But for commercial buildings, the 15-minute peak that sets your demand charge can account for 30-50% of your bill.
The HVAC Pre-Cooling Playbook: Shift Load Without Losing Comfort
Pre-cool a building by 1-2°C before peak hours, then coast. The occupants won't notice. Your demand charge will.
The Grid Connection Bottleneck: Why 18 Months Is the New Normal
Transformer lead times have tripled. Utility queues are years long. For sites that need capacity now, the grid upgrade path is broken.