QURRENT FUTURE
13 December 2011 - Igor Kluin founded Qurrent in 2006, and won the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge with his invention the Qbox in 2007. The Qbox is a Local Energy Network Interface. It collects energy data from a building, communicates with the Qserver and switches appliances on and off. Earlier this year, all shares were sold to DOEN Foundation, who then proceeded to merge their own energy company of the future 'We Generate' with Qurrent. Igor is now responsible for their marketing strategy and Michel Muurmans is the new executive director.
Igor, in a previous lifetime you owned an advertising agency which you sold before starting Qurrent. Why did you decide this?
I just didn't find it interesting anymore, and I had felt that way for some time. I was looking for something to grab my interest I guess, and around that time I stumbled across the global energy issues. It took me about an hour to realise that this was the only way forward for me.
You weren't "into" sustainability before then?
Nope, not at all. I just hadn't thought about it before. Once I found out, and learned more, there was no other way to go really.
Did you develop the Qbox yourself?
Igor: Mainly I thought about what the Qbox should be able to do, how it should function. Not just the Qbox, but what an energy management system should be able to do. Then I met with five interested parties who would be able to build it, based on the functional specifications that I'd thought up. The smallest company then felt like the best company to start with, because I didn't even quite know in what direction the development should go and they were ok to change the concept time and time again. Developing the Qbox has been something of an evolution, and it still is as a matter of fact.
It is so much fun to look at the Qurrent graphics that you see when you're a Qurrent user. There is so much to learn from those graphs! If you measure your energy household in detail, there is so much knowledge to be gained from that. That's when you really realise how little you think about it, and how little you think about saving energy.
Michel: It's too easy to say that it's not easy to think about your energy usage. It's just something that didn't interest us, until now. The average consumer knows things that are far more complicated than energy usage. The average phone these days is more complicated than this, or a car. But somehow, consumers do spend a lot of time, effort and money on finding out whatever they can on these products, but fail to think about their energy consumption. It's not at the top of their minds. If there is a good user interface, if something grabs you and interests you, you'll be triggered to start doing something with it.
If you generate your own energy, it quickly becomes addictive to look at your graphics. You can see how much money you're making that day, and how much energy you're saving and using. It's actually very simple, and as long as you're confronted with this in the right way, you will immediately get that.
How long did it take to go from your first prototype to a properly functioning Qbox?
Igor: Until today really….The initial phase took about a year, to go from that first primary board to a version that was thoroughly tested and actually encased. I also spent a lot of time learning myself. I didn't have the first clue about the energy world. So I spent a lot of time gathering information, building a network, making contacts. Those 2 things actually went hand in hand, it all happened simultaneously.
Then it was time to install the latest prototype in a couple of households and start testing live. A lot of work came our way then, because everyone had suggestions for improvements, criticism and generally something to say. The version after that is what we have now, which is installed through a couple of housing corporations. At the same time we developed the Qserver, housed in a data warehouse that's big enough to park a plane in. Also something that needed a lot of time to develop, so a lot of attention went into the server. The server makes sure that the data you send it when using the Qbox is stored securely in a database. The next step is for you to go to a website, log in, and see the data of your energy usage in a simple, attractive and clear way. It cost a lot of time to build these basics, it's a foundation that needed to be stable before being able to build further.
When can I get a Qbox?
Michel: In the first half of 2012 we'll enter the market with several propositions. The new Qbox with all its new features will be launched in April of 2012. Customers can get a Qbox and start using green energy through us right now. Later on, we'll help you to install solar panels if you are interested, without it costing you a lot of money.
We're currently testing the Qbox in dozens of households through housing corporations in The Hague and Leeuwarden, and we recently started two more projects on the Texel island and in Lochem. Next year, thousands of households will be able to buy and start using the Qbox.
Is it relevant for you? If you're even the slightest bit interested in energy consumption, it's relevant. Qurrent is a natural and fun way to understand how energy usage works, and how you can reduce it.
A few months ago all Qurrent shares were sold to DOEN Foundation. Michel Muurmans was asked to be the new director. Michel, it must be an exciting time to start at Qurrent?
Michel: It's an incredible time to be an entrepreneur, a lot is happening in the energy world. Internally, a lot of things are changing as well obviously. We're now creating order from chaos, finding a new foothold. It's a great team, so luckily it's not too complicated. Mostly it's all very exciting! There are now 13 people in our team. At this stage it's not possible to hire 20 people. We need to get crazy busy before we do that. We want to go really fast, but we also need to think things through very carefully, as we're actually building a new company now.
I was asked to apply for the position as director by DOEN Foundation, the new and sole shareholder. I've known Igor for a long time and we're very much on the same page where Qurrent is concerned. We knew we'd be able to work together very well and have fun at the same time. It is a challenge and a big adventure. Big things are now starting to happen. It's challenging to find a way to make our way the standard, and not 'the other option'.
Igor: It's exciting to be part of a movement of entrepreneurs that are all pushing the same philosophy and way of life forwards. Although I hate the word sustainability. This implies that there's another option. That the other option is normal, and sustainable options are "special". It should be the other way around, sustainable ways of producing and living should be the norm, and non-sustainable ways should be considered unusual.
That's why the Green Challenge is important, because it really gives social entrepreneurs a shot at becoming more visible to the world, and more accepted. Good work!
Was it hard for you to sell Qurrent?
Igor: No, not at all. Maybe it sounds strange, but I've known Michel for a long time, and we have the exact same vision as to what should happen in the energy world. It doesn't matter to me who has control of the company, as long as we're all headed the same way. We all want the same thing to happen, to create an awareness that you yourself are responsible for your energy consumption. Because DOEN's dream fund is now injected in Qurrent, we are getting an enormous financial boost, which is fantastic.
For the past two years it has been pretty hard to find funding, in these economic stressful times. Venture capital has pretty much dried up in the Netherlands at the moment. And in DOEN Foundation I actually found my dream investor. Also, it's so much more fun to be able to share everything that is happening with a team of likeminded people. The entire team here wants the same thing, that's incredibly inspiring to work with every day!
Do you have any advice or tips for people who are considering to start their own business?
Michel: The Green Challenge was never won by just a good idea. It was won by proven concepts and products. So once you've had your epiphany, go, create, develop! Bring it into the world and start your business. Tell the world. Nobody knows your idea or your vision as well as you do, so don't be afraid of people stealing it.
Igor: Furthermore, only participate if you are extremely convinced in what you're doing, and for a long time try not to make any concessions. How many times I haven't heard that it was too complex what I was trying to do, to start a whole new sort of energy company. So many people tried to have me sell the Qbox to existing energy companies that were interested. But that just went against everything I believed in. My idea wasn't just about the Qbox, it was about the new way of dealing with energy. What's the use of working extremely hard for something that you don't want there to be? Just doesn't make any sense. No concessions.
