Vattenfall and Microsoft are piloting what is claimed to be the world’s first hourly matching scheme in Sweden that aims to provide customers a new level of transparency into their electricity consumption.

The new 24/7 solution is built with Microsoft Azure IoT Central platform that connects power generation such as wind and hydropower from Vattenfall with data from smart meters that measure real time consumption

Guarantees of Origin (GOs), an electronic document which provides proof of the source of a given quantity of renewable energy, are currently being used today.

It matches production and consumption over a year, however, the new solution matches this hour by hour.

Vattenfall and Microsoft believe that with an increasing number of businesses committing to 100% renewable energy, fulfilling this ambition requires a reliable way of tracking clean power.

This solution is, therefore, expected to enable energy providers to more easily understand demand for renewable energy hour-by-hour and take action accordingly as well as help drive “true market demand” for clean power.

Daniel Akenine, National Technology Officer at Microsoft Sweden said: “With this new level of transparency, you can see if your commitment to 100% renewable energy covers each hour of consumption.

“This pilot that combines Vattenfall’s energy expertise and technology from the Microsoft cloud has the potential to change the dynamics of renewable energy production and consumption to accelerate the reality of a fossil-free future for everyone.”