A transparent pathway towards 24/7 carbon-free energy

The Matcher is a data platform that allows an organisation or local area to see exactly how much of their energy comes from clean sources. It lines up sourcing data with consumption data within half-hourly time frames, to tell you the actual proportion of renewable energy being used. Once you know your real “clean energy score”, the Matcher can help you improve it, by modelling which clean energy investments could best meet consumption patterns. 

The Matcher taps into energy market databases to offer its service. With a simple login, consumers can access information on their consumption profile vs renewable generation, anytime. Transparent, granular insights are readily available for reporting purposes. At any given time.  

Your clean energy score is the true (half-hourly) proportion of the energy you use that comes from renewable sources. Every organisation or region will have a unique energy score based on its current patterns of sourcing and consumption. It may bear no resemblance whatsoever to the labelling on your electricity tariff or CPPA contract. The only way to find out your actual clean energy score is to try the Matcher and see the data for yourself.  

Data is the key. The Matcher takes half-hourly snapshots of the energy mix available to your organisation or area. Then it matches it with your consumption data, again in half-hourly segments. This level of granularity allows it to build up a clear picture of how well consumption is aligned with renewable generation. There are bound to be some gaps where renewables can’t cover your consumption needs and fossil fuels make up the shortfall. The bigger and more frequent these gaps are, the lower your clean energy score. Part of the Matcher’s job is to help you boost this score by making different choices in future.  

Unfortunately not. Unless you’re completely off-grid and getting all your energy from your own renewable generators, some of the electricity you use will be from fossil fuel sources. The electricity in the grid is generated from a variety of sources but then all goes into the same system, so it’s impossible to separate the clean from the dirty. The current system for labelling energy as “green” involves certificates called REGOs, and it’s a bit problematic. So it’s sadly not as easy as just choosing the right tariff.  

Again, the reality is more complex. A renewable corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) can be an important step towards decarbonising your organisation or region’s power usage. As a direct agreement between the consumer and the generator, they can be an appealing alternative to traditional supplier contracts. But a “100% renewable” CPPA can’t really deliver on the promise on the label. The natural intermittency of renewables is balanced by grid energy, which means some fossil fuels in the mix. The Matcher can tell you exactly how well your CPPA is serving your decarbonisation goals and then help to make it work harder for you. (For more detail on how CPPAs work, see our whitepaper on CPPAs and transparency.)  

Many people are unpleasantly surprised by the low proportion of renewable energy their organisation consumes. But getting this level of clarity is the first step on your journey to real decarbonisation. The Matcher has a powerful simulation functionality that allows you to model the effects of different measures: a different CPPA, investment in on-site renewables, battery storage and so on. It will tell you exactly how each measure, or combination of measures, will affect your clean energy score. This ability to forecast the results of different changes makes the tough decisions easier. It also makes it easier to build a case for spending in specific areas.  

Because the Matcher gives you a clear picture of when consumption exceeds or falls short of renewable generation, it can help you target these gaps. It can also use datasets of hypothetical future electrification scenarios to calculate the most suitable renewable sources of energy (wind, solar, storage, etc..) to suit demand. This will inform your decision-making about energy efficiency measures.  

No. The Matcher is the only data platform that offers this kind of powerful, accurate clean energy modelling functionality. This is the only technology available that will allow you to develop a completely greenwash-proof energy strategy.  

Yes. For many organisations, money is a key driver of the choice to invest in renewable assets or sign a CPPA. But if a significant proportion of your energy is actually coming from the grid, you will be paying more than you need to. The Matcher can help you maximise the amount of energy that actually comes from your selected renewable sources, thereby minimising your spending on grid energy or REGO top-up. Your organisation has lower energy costs overall, and you are much less vulnerable to energy market volatility.  

Yes. For many organisations, money is a key driver of the choice to invest in renewable assets or sign a CPPA. But if a significant proportion of your energy is actually coming from the grid, you will be paying more than you need to. The Matcher can help you maximise the amount of energy that actually comes from your selected renewable sources, thereby minimising your spending on grid energy or REGO top-up. Your organisation has lower energy costs overall, and you are much less vulnerable to energy market volatility.  

Yes. Many public sector organisations are taking steps to boost their energy security by signing CPPAs or investing in their own renewable assets. These measures will save money and kickstart your net zero journey, but it isn’t always obvious exactly how to go about it. The Matcher can help with the big investment decisions because its modelling functionality lets you simulate the outcomes of different choices. To learn more, read our blogpost on the Matcher and public sector decarbonisation. 

24/7 clean energy isn’t quite possible – yet. But that doesn’t mean we can’t aim for it and make it an aim for the long term.  Tools like the Matcher can get you started on that journey by dramatically boosting the proportion of renewables in the energy your organisation consumes.  

The Matcher is new to the UK, but it is well established in our native Netherlands. Schiphol Airport, Netherlands National Rail and Port of Amsterdam are three examples of companies that are using the Matcher to understand the impact of net zero measures before investments are made.  

In the UK, we are running a project with a large university, and are soon to do the same a with a major public transport company. The Matcher is unique to the UK market and we welcome enquiries from different sectors.  

For energy retailers, the Matcher provides a new, more advanced system to meet customers’ net zero demands. Here are some of the benefits:  

• Future-proofs against tightening compliance. The Matcher can help you to stay ahead of the competition, before energy matching starts to feature in your customers’ RFPs.  

• Informs CPPA strategies. The Matcher can access all customers’ total consumption data + total portfolio generation data. This accurate information can inform your renewable PPA strategies. Where/when do you need more renewable capacity? How can you fill the gaps to cover your consumption portfolio? 

• Creates cross-selling opportunities. By pinpointing the areas where consumption does not match renewable generation, you can upsell additional energy services to your customers (such as storage, for example). 

• Tailor-made contracts: These insights allow you to advise prospective customers on an offering that fits their unique consumption profile. From the first relatively low entry pilot cases, retailers can gradually grow towards an integrated platform model, as the business value of 24/7 starts to prove itself. 

Yes! The Matcher works for any type of customer, including domestic and non-domestic. But we are seeing greatest interest from energy-intensive organisations with multiple sites and assets – such as manufacturers, transport companies, local authorities and NHS trusts. The Matcher gives these organisations a clear picture of their consumption patterns and sourcing at each site, and helps them make decisions on clean energy investments.   

Very quickly. Our Matcher platform quickly and easily integrates into any energy retailer’s existing setup. We connect our technology into your customer portal via APIs. You can get started quickly, with no service downtime.  

The platform can be white-labelled, and is customisable – to fit retailers’ own branding requirements.  

Yes. With a simple login, consumers can access information on their consumption profile vs generation, 24/7. Transparent, granular insights are readily available for reporting purposes at any given time.