DCD Zero Downtime: The Bi-Weekly Data Center Show Bonus episode - An energy OS for data centers with Drew Barrett, Zendo Energy
Sep 29, 2025
Drew Barrett, COO and co-founder of Zendo Energy, shares insights from his extensive 13-year career at Octopus Energy. He discusses Zendo's innovative Energy OS, designed to optimize energy procurement for data centers. Key topics include real-time signals to suppliers for better trading, the impact of AI workloads on energy demand, and strategies to unlock stranded capacity for significant savings. Drew emphasizes the importance of local renewable integration and the need for technological advancements to manage market volatility, aiming to help data centers turn energy into a competitive advantage.
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Octopus Background Shaped Zendo
- Drew Barrett spent 13 years at Octopus Energy across renewable investment and procurement roles.
- That experience exposed him to corporate PPA structuring and the disconnect between sustainability goals and on-the-ground energy procurement.
Energy OS Connects Contracts To Compute
- Zendo calls its platform an Energy OS that links supplier contracts, data center operations, and compute application loads.
- The platform stitches time series such as market prices, weather, and tenant loads to enable smarter procurement and sustainability.
Send Real-Time Signals To Suppliers
- Measure and share real-time signals because you cannot manage what you cannot measure.
- Send live forecasts to suppliers so trading and hedging adapt to actual behind-the-meter generation and reduce contract risk premiums.