Smarter Charging Through Partnership
We spoke with Nikolai Heum, CTO and co-founder of Enode, about the technology behind their API platform, the role of integration in grid modernization, and how it’s partnership with Sense unlocks smarter energy management for both EV drivers and utilities.
As electric vehicles scale, so does the complexity of managing distributed energy demand. Sense’s latest integration with Enode marks a critical step in solving a persistent challenge: connecting fragmented EV data across manufacturers into one intelligent, responsive platform.
By embedding Enode’s API into the Sense Home app, we’re extending our real-time visibility in the home to the EV itself, capturing live data streams like battery status, charge rate, and usage trends across 45 brands and over 365 models. This creates a unified layer of intelligence that enables more accurate load forecasting, targeted demand response, and seamless customer engagement at the grid edge.
We spoke with Nikolai Heum, CTO and co-founder of Enode, about the technology behind their API platform, the role of integration in grid modernization, and how this partnership unlocks smarter energy management for both EV drivers and utilities.
Q: What is Enode and what are the challenges that you’re focused on solving?
Enode provides the leading API platform for connecting energy devices like EVs, chargers, solar inverters, and batteries to digital apps and services. The biggest challenge we solve is fragmentation. Every device brand has its own way of sharing data and controls. Enode removes that complexity by providing one integration that works across hundreds of devices, so energy companies can focus on building products that accelerate electrification.
Q: What makes Enode’s approach to device integration so unique?
We combine breadth and depth. Our coverage spans over 1,000 models across 100+ manufacturers, and we don’t stop at connectivity. Enode provides real-time data and control capabilities that enable advanced use cases, from richer EV insights today to smart charging and solar-aware load shifting in the future.
Q: How did you first hear about Sense, and what made you decide to collaborate?
We’ve followed Sense for years as a pioneer in home energy intelligence. Their expertise in real-time energy monitoring aligns perfectly with our mission of making energy data actionable. Partnering was a natural step. Together we can bridge the gap between awareness and control, starting with EV drivers.
Q: How does Enode’s technology work with the Sense user experience?
Sense gives households visibility into how energy is used at home. By integrating Enode’s API, that visibility now extends to EVs. Sense users can see real-time EV data like battery status, charge rate, and charging activity directly in their app. Over time, this data also creates the foundation for new features like smart charging.
Q: How will this partnership benefit EV drivers that use the Sense mobile app?
EV drivers will get richer insights into their charging, including battery status and the ability to distinguish between multiple EVs in the home. That makes EV ownership simpler and more transparent.
Q: How do utilities benefit from the adoption of Enode’s technology by companies like Sense?
Utilities gain access to aggregated, flexible load at the grid edge. Through partners like Sense, Enode enables utilities to integrate EVs and other devices into demand response programs, time-of-use pricing, and broader grid management efforts. The result is a grid that’s more reliable and resilient.
Q: How can Enode’s technology help address the challenges faced by the grid due to growing EV adoption?
Unmanaged charging can put serious strain on the grid during peak hours. Enode enables EV data and controls to be integrated into digital services at scale, creating the foundation for smart charging that shifts demand to times when the grid is less stressed or renewable energy is abundant. That helps lower emissions, reduce costs, and limit the need for expensive grid upgrades.
Q: What other types of DERs does Enode support? What use cases for device integration excite you the most beyond EVs?
Beyond EVs, Enode connects to solar inverters, home batteries, and heat pumps. The most exciting opportunities come from combining them. For example, charging an EV directly from rooftop solar or discharging a home battery to reduce peak demand. The more devices we connect, the more value we can unlock for consumers, utilities, and the grid.
Nikolai Heum is the Co-Founder and CTO of Enode. He defines the company’s long-term technology roadmap and drives Enode’s mission to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy system by connecting and optimizing the world’s energy devices. Before Enode, Nikolai joined Monio as engineer number two, where he helped build the company through to its exit, and has since invested in and advised several Nordic startups.