Vellex Computing is accelerating the sustainable energy transition by leveraging the power of AI and high-performance computing to automate and simplify industrial processes. The company aims to invent and harness innovative computing technologies to tackle humanity's most formidable challenges and pioneer a sustainable future.
FELLOW
Palak Jain
Palak Jain is the co-founder and CEO of Vellex Computing. As a senior research associate at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, she conducted foundational research in computing and grid technologies that led to the formation of Vellex Computing. She received her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the National University of Singapore, where she was part of the Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore program.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
Climate change is driving electrification and decarbonization of many sectors of the energy economy, such as transportation (electric vehicles), heating (electric heat pumps), data centers, and energy generation and storage. Thus, recent years have witnessed an explosion of businesses that want to connect and operate energy resources on the electric grid. However, getting an energy asset connected to the grid is an arduous process that takes years or more, requires specialized technical knowledge, and requires navigating complex and varying regulatory procedures. Businesses want to develop innovative energy technologies without the burden of dealing with grid interconnection.
Technology Vision
Vellex Computing's solution is Interconnection Concierge, a software platform that leverages AI and high-performance computing to automate and accelerate grid interconnection and energy asset operation. Interconnection Concierge is a comprehensive solution for customers that can reduce their interconnection costs by more than 50 percent. Interconnection Concierge handles every aspect of customers’ grid interconnection processes, including technical feasibility studies, estimation of interconnection timelines, estimation of upgrade costs, and regulatory matters.
Potential for Impact
Interconnection Concierge can reduce manual processing time by 90 percent, significantly enhancing the operational efficiency and profitability of businesses by mitigating risks associated with non-compliance. By assisting energy project developers in navigating siting and interconnection processes, Interconnection Concierge accelerates interconnection requests by 90 percent and virtually eliminates rejection rates due to non-compliance. By 2050, this could result in an additional 500 terawatt-hours of renewable energy utilization annually, compared to current estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, leading to a reduction of over 500 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions per year.
Twitter
@vellexcomputing