An off-grid power solution by OOM Energy

Craig Clydesdale, Founder and CEO of OOM Energy, with the unit which is a dedicated energy system called an Integrated Energy Platform™ (IEP). — Photo courtesy OOM Energy

Around the year 2000, the power industry deregulated in Texas and Alberta. Craig Clydesdale, CEO and founder of Oakville, Ontario-based OOM Energy, saw an opportunity. Simply put: “I thought it might be cool to put a computer on top of a generator and then turn generators on and off in a smart way that could be the power of the world,” he said. “I created a software platform with the intention of putting it on top of the distributed power.”

The “smartphone” solution to energy

The company was founded in 2015 when OOM Energy met a need for energy generation that is simple and cost-effective. “A couple years ago we discovered that our clients are looking for a solution to their problems: power cost, power quality and the environment,” said Clydesdale.

The problem: no one used this type of technology yet. OOM Energy was forced to figure out each component of the system on its own. The result is OOM Energy’s “smartphone” solution for power, offering companies the flexibility and autonomy to energize their projects without co-ordinating with the traditional grid.

Clydesdale and his team built the dedicated energy system from the beginning. “We did everything—from understanding how the generators work to how you connect to the grid and regulations,” he said. “Piece by piece we installed numbers of facilities across industries: farming, gas, residential.” Recently, they’ve moved on to mining operations.

The reaction has been positive. “Virtually every company we talk to wants to sign up,” he said. “I call it the smartphone moment in the industry.”

Portable, dedicated power

OOM Energy’s Integrated Energy Platform (IEP) offers on-site, reliable, secure and clean power—all generated off the grid. The system itself is a scalable, portable “plug and play” box available in three sizes. Clients might need one or multiple boxes—the system is designed to offer this flexibility. More boxes generate more power, and each can be switched on as needed. Each system generates power dedicated to the client for a fixed monthly fee.

Virtually anyone who needs power benefits from this system, especially large companies looking for cost-effective, environmentally friendly solutions to energy generation. Power is a large cost factor, especially for the mining industry. “If you don’t have power, you aren’t in business,” Clydesdale said. With the IEP, companies can be up and running quickly. Ongoing reliability is also important—the system is based on simple, robust components and is monitored in real time remotely to ensure stable power generation.

Creating a cleaner future

It’s clear that OOM Energy is dedicated to providing a cleaner solution to the public power grid. “As a company, we have a strong mission statement. We believe that for any business to be sustainable, you have to be good for all three: people, planet, and profit. If you aren’t able to meet all three of those, you won’t be sustainable moving forward in the modern world,” said Clydesdale. OOM Energy looks for companies that share a similar philosophy, as well as understand the value of collaboration when it comes to these important issues.

Clydesdale said OOM Energy’s goal is simple, “As we know, everyone has a smartphone in their hand. We believe that soon everyone will have a dedicated energy supply.”