Depending on where you are, the end-of-year holiday season could mean mince pies and mulled wine, or it could mean almond stollen and schnapps. One thing, however, you are likely to see everywhere are end-of-the-year lists. '50 best films... 20 top albums... 10 most important political events...'.

However, until now, there has not been a 'Top 10 most exciting developments in distributed energy in 2019'. This is unfair, as it has been a vintage year for virtual power plants, energy communities and everything else in the distributed and decentralised energy space.

So, here is a list of things that has charged our batteries, fired up our virtual networks and rocked our world in 2019.

Super-flexible tariffs in the UK

With super-flexible tariffs you could earn money by switching on your washing machine or charging your car. And in December, as wind supplied 45% of UK's electricity, there were reports that this was already happening. These tariffs are predicated on household smart-meters providing half-hour settlement data, hence our next entry.

Half-hourly settlements

In June UK regulator Ofgem published the results of its “Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS)” consultation. Final details are expected in September 2020. The rub for the utilities is that billing MHHS might require more than just a legacy system tweak, but a whole new way of relating to the end user. We shall see how they get on as we compile a 'Best of...' list in 12 months from now!

Energy cloud networks

Software-enabled energy cloud networks have emerged in 2019 as a credible alternative to storage-based networks. In January E.ON has started offering a cloud solution without a stationary battery. An energy cloud could be an energy community whose members, on an account basis, export or import energy as it is produced, and pay (or get paid) according to their account balance.

Peer-to-peer trading test projects

Since the advent of platform business behemoths such as Airbnb, eBay, Uber and Amazon, peer-to-peer trading has been an energy conference buzz word. And although policy and logistical obstacles remain considerable (who pays for what and how?), 2019 has seen a number of block-chain based test projects in countries all over the world, and particularly in APAC countries like Australia, India, Japan and Malaysia.

Virtual power plants come of age

This year virtual power plants have crossed over from a baffling new concept to becoming a cornerstone of the emerging digital energy economy. Energy giants such as GE have cottoned on, with Statkraft announcing in March 2GW of VPP capacity in Norway and 12GW in Germany.

The rise of energy communities

Whereas virtual power plants bring together diverse commercial and domestic energy assets, energy communities are neighbourhood initiatives that foster a sense of purpose around energy efficiency, fighting climate change – and cheaper electricity. From Munich's Brunthal in Germany to Energise Barnsley in the UK, 2019 has seen many examples of energy going grassroots.

Decentralised energy investments approach $3bn

In October Bloomberg New Energy Finance published its Decentralised Energy Market Outlook. It stated that cumulative venture capital and M&A investment in the sector over the previous decade, starting with 2010 and ending with the first half of 2019, has averaged $270m per year. The total investment in the sector this decade is expected to reach around $3bn.

With China's prosumers now hosting multiple gigawatts of decentralised projects, and the country on course for half a billion smart meters within the next year, 2020s promise another decade of growth.

Germany generates over 50% of electricity from renewables

In March a full 54% of electricity in Germany came from renewable sources, mostly wind, solar, hydro and biomass. This significant milestone, however, came with a disclaimer: the overall carbon emissions did not fall accordingly in 2019. Let's hope a cut in emissions will make it on the next year's list.

The triumph of the smart meter

As we talk about energy clouds, virtual power plants and super flexible tariffs it is easy to forget the device that has made it all possible. It is the key to the Internet of Things – the humble smart meter! Fifteen years ago, there were hardly any smart meters anywhere. In 2019 the number in Europe alone is expected to pass 100 million. And at some point soon over 50% of metering points in the EU will have a smart meter. Worldwide the number is approaching one billion.

The disruptive potential of energy as a service

Imagine renting an apartment with a constant winter temperature of 22 degrees included in the rental price. Or buying an electric vehicle with a lifetime supply of electricity included. Or having all your smart household appliances such as the washing machine and refrigerator running on a tariff that comes with the device. In September, Navigant Research reported that the energy as a service market could be worth over $278bn by 2028.

And all this is why in 2019 everyone – from Google to the UK's Big Six – has attempted to position themselves in the energy as a service sector, with a host of significant investments and acquisitions.

It is now clear that those with the best data will profit, and this drives the most exciting and influential development not just of 2019, but beyond: a rebalancing of priorities in the sector from energy generation to data acquisition and analytics.

Christian Feisst is CEO of GreenCom Networks

Transition

Ten reasons 2019 was an exciting year for distributed energy