Cleanweb: The IT solution to Ukraine’s energy problem?

Can IT help solve Ukraine’s energy problem? Can Ukraine’s IT sector channel its entrepreneurial talent to free Ukraine from the grip of fossil fuels? IT brains are already addressing global energy and resource challenges through a network called Cleanweb. Is it Ukraine’s turn to take the lead?

Cleanweb is the IT revolution meets the Smart Energy Revolution. Some call it Cleantech 2.0. It is a fast growing sector that uses big data, mobile computing and the connectivity to increase energy and resource efficiency, enable renewable energies, and power the sharing economy (such AirBnB’s room sharing or Zipcar’s car sharing services).

Ukraine is looking for a quick route to energy security and sustainability, and needs solutions fast. There are several reasons Cleanweb can help:

1) Cleanweb is the quickest and cheapest way to increase energy efficiency. Energy efficiency means smaller energy bills and reduced energy dependency on neighbours.
2) It can mobilise Ukraine’s dynamic IT sector to create smart energy solutions. Initiatives such as the Brain Basket Foundation which aims to turn Ukraine into an IT powerhouse, can channel Ukraine’s IT talent to solve Ukraine’s energy challenges whilst tapping into Cleanweb’s global network.
3) It doesn’t require heavy investment. Cleanweb solutions are capital light and quick to market.

Since 2012 Cleanweb communities have been established across the world. Cleanweb Hackathon’s have been organised in places like Boston, Rotterdam, and Tel Aviv. And from 16-18 May, Lviv will host the first one in Ukraine — the Smart Energy Forum.

Winning teams at previous Cleanweb Hackathons developed car sharing apps, apps for intelligent recycling and sustainable mobility. What ideas and prototypes will be created in Lviv? Can these ideas and prototypes be transformed into useful products for society and the marketplace?

This last question is the big challenge. It is a question central to Lviv Business School and its MSc in Technology Management. For both the LvBS and Greencubator the Smart Energy Forum is a step towards the establishment of a globally linked Cleanweb eco-system in Ukraine that produces successful solutions, products and companies.

Partnerships are crucial for this. Relationships must be developed between entrepreneurs, programmers, activists and policy-makers. This is why we are pleased that Microsoft, the Lviv IT-BPO cluster and the city of Lviv are partners of the Smart Energy Forum.

Cleanweb opportunities

Where are the Cleanweb opportunities? What companies have already established themselves?

Ukraine’s energy hungry factories and apartment blocs are prime candidates for cleanweb solutions. In the US C3 and Opower are using big data to provide energy to homes and businesses more efficiently. Spain’s Optimitive provides online tools to monitor energy use in industrial processes.

Companies like Clean Power Finance and Mosaic are using the Internet to attract funding for solar energy or energy efficiency projects. In the era of budget cuts and belt tightening this seems like the right way forward

Sharing economy companies such as AirBnB and Zipcar mentioned above, allow consumers to reduce costs by sharing resources. Cleantech companies are also emerging in waste management and agriculture.
All of the above markets exist in Ukraine, and are screaming out for Cleanweb solutions. Will Ukraine’s IT sector jump at the opportunity? And will investors finance them?
From international experience, it seems yes. For the investor Cleanweb offers the familiarity of the IT sector. Cleanweb companies usually need small amounts of investment, and can create value rapidly. This is exactly what investors want to know.

Open data, open government, open sustainability

Cleanweb is driven by the massive increase and availability of data. Opening this data can lead to efficiencies. For example, by sharing transport data a city can encourage the development of more efficient services whilst using fewer resources. By sharing energy data energy companies can encourage better management of energy consumption. The city of Rotterdam recently joined forces with a Cleanweb Netherlands’ Hackathon to motivate teams to develop decentralized energy solutions for the city. To do so the City of Rotterdam shared enormous amounts of data with Hackathon participants.

Ukraine’s Maidan revolution was all about ensuring open government, civic responsibility and prosperity. One of the greatest barriers to achieving those goals is Ukraine’s corrupt and wasteful energy industry. The IT sector has the power to make a significant contribution to breaking that barrier. Is it ready to do so?
Alex Romaniuc, Smart Energy Forum