Turning Adversity into Triumph: Kiwi Energy's Cross-Industry Innovation

Kiwi Energy is one of the few companies in Taiwan to have secured a retail electricity sales license at an early stage, and it has consistently focused on serving the consumer market.

Kiwi Energy is one of the few Taiwanese companies to have secured a retail electricity license early on while focusing on the consumer market. Its operations span green power supply, smart energy management, and integrated storage systems. The company's name, "Kiwi," is steeped in serendipity and insight. Reflecting on the inspiration behind the name, Steve Huang, CEO of Kiwi Energy recalls, "I was on my fourth entrepreneurial venture when, during a post-dinner walk enjoying a kiwi, the idea struck me. The fruit's striking color, its delicious appeal, and society's innate affinity for green—all aligned perfectly with the green energy industry. Thus, I chose 'Kiwi'."

The kiwi's brown skin, reminiscent of Earth, juxtaposed with its vibrant green interior symbolizing life and vitality, further underscores the company's commitment to sustainability. Additionally, the abbreviation "KW" cleverly echoes the unit of electrical power, reinforcing our mission of resource recycling and the creation of a closed-loop ecosystem—from generation and consumption to storage and recovery.

Steve Huang, CEO of Kiwi Energy

Changing Tracks: From Medicine to Silicon Valley to Green Energy Entrepreneurship

Born in Taipei and educated in Canada, Huang hails from a family of doctors. Despite being accepted into the University of Toronto's Medical School, the emotional toll of witnessing patient loss during hospital internships led him to a pivotal decision. "When I saw a patient pass away for the first time, I felt utterly powerless. Had I pursued medicine, I would have been burdened by constant sorrow," he explains. Determined to seek a more fulfilling path, Huang shifted his focus to an MBA and computer science, eventually embarking on his career in Silicon Valley.

In 2000, he joined NVIDIA as a part-time engineer, where he honed both technical and managerial skills. Immersed in the innovative startup culture, he learned that true innovation extends beyond technical breakthroughs—it also involves the effective integration and recycling of resources. This insight became a cornerstone in his subsequent leap into Taiwan's nascent green energy market. Inspired by Germany's "Hundred Thousand Roofs" initiative in 2004, Huang envisioned a future where every household could serve as a mini power plant, sparking an energy revolution. "At that time, apart from a handful of solar power plants, few were exploring this field in Taiwan. I saw it as a prime opportunity to leverage my strengths," he recalls.

Hitting Rock Bottom and Rising Again

In 2011, Huang embarked on an independent entrepreneurial journey with the aim of accumulating capital and investing in advanced technology research and development—specifically in energy management systems and innovative solar inverters. After years of persistent effort, his team successfully developed the Asia-Pacific region's first micro-inverter and smart energy management system, launching the product under their own brand across more than 30 countries with sales exceeding 100,000 units.

However, the tide turned in 2014 when Chinese manufacturers—including giants like Huawei and GoodWe—entered the market with aggressive low-price strategies. "Initially, they competed by offering prices at half our rate to secure distributors. Eventually, prices plummeted to a quarter of ours, triggering a mass exodus of distributors and a severe drop in sales. Facing mounting inventory and cash flow challenges, we were forced to downsize continuously over three years—from 100 employees to barely 10 or 15," Huang recounts. Ultimately, the company had to cease operations, plunging him from a high to his lowest point.

In 2016, with the company shuttered, only NT$3,000 left in the bank, and two young children at home, Huang describes those winter days as unbearably bleak—"I'd wake up each morning not knowing what to do." This hardship spurred a deep reflection on entrepreneurship and resource utilization.

"I refused to spend my days working for someone else's dream. I wanted people to recognize the value I created, not just the name behind it," he asserts. Reinvigorated by this resolve, Huang refocused his efforts on the underdeveloped consumer end of the market. With Taipower rolling out time-of-use pricing and smart meter policies, he recognized a tremendous opportunity to help households reduce electricity bills while enhancing the overall power usage experience. Simultaneously, he saw the potential to merge the green energy industry with the circular economy—establishing a smart management system that creates an efficient closed loop among generation, storage, and consumption, thereby minimizing waste and promoting sustainability.

Huang believes that, in the future, green electricity will ultimately achieve price parity with conventional grey power—a milestone often referred to as "Grid parity"—with this golden crossover potentially materializing within the next one to two years. Although Taiwan's electricity tariffs have historically been low, ongoing market adjustments are expected to encourage more consumers to switch to green power.

The Future of Green Energy: Blueprint for Building the "Green Energy Amazon"

Huang elaborates on his perspective regarding Taiwan's retail electricity market: "Although about 83 companies have registered and received retail electricity licenses from the government, only slightly more than 30 actively engage in transactions. Retail electricity providers generally fall into two camps—those that evolved from power generation companies, and those solely focused on retail, like us and companies such as Sunny Founder, along with some diversified enterprises entering the market." He warns that many Taiwanese business owners mistakenly assume that success in power generation naturally translates to successful electricity retailing. "The retail electricity business is not just about trading green power—it's about offering a comprehensive energy service model. Much like the telecommunications market 30 years ago, when Chunghwa Telecom dominated before the emergence of multi-player competition, the future of the power market lies in delivering diversified services," he explains.

From the outset, Kiwi Energy has concentrated on retail electricity services aimed at end users. "My philosophy is that green electricity will soon reach price parity with traditional power—a 'Grid parity' that could materialize within a year or two. Although Taiwan's electricity prices have historically been low, market adjustments will increasingly motivate users to switch to green power," says Huang. In this transformative phase, Kiwi Energy is leveraging the circular economy by building a complete ecosystem that integrates generation, storage, management, and consumption. This platform enables the seamless alignment of power flows, information, and capital, ensuring that resources are maximized and recycled. For end users, tangible savings are paramount—even if some choose green energy for environmental reasons, the ultimate decision hinges on cost competitiveness with Taipower.

"Our core objective is to help users achieve noticeable savings on their electricity bills," Huang emphasizes. "That's why we have invested heavily in AI and precision matching technologies—advanced algorithms allow us to substitute expensive conventional power with cheaper green electricity during peak periods, thereby delivering real financial benefits." This strategy embodies the circular economy: through intelligent management, energy is dispatched efficiently and recycled across different time slots, minimizing waste. Although smart meters are becoming increasingly common and raising public awareness about Taipower's initiatives, many consumers still struggle to grasp time-of-use pricing. In reality, green energy usage must be coupled with such pricing strategies—where high costs during peak periods contrast with lower rates off-peak. Intelligent management enables users to optimize their consumption during low-price periods, effectively substituting high-cost power sources. Over the past three to four years, Kiwi Energy has tested hundreds of algorithmic models to identify a suite of solutions that perform robustly across various scenarios. This rigorous, iterative process has enabled users to experience the tangible benefits of green energy—transforming the perception of green power from a mere environmental choice into a practical, cost-saving alternative. This is the very essence of applying circular economy principles in the green energy domain: maximizing efficiency and regenerative resource use at every stage.

Today, as Kiwi Energy stands on the brink of a new era, Huang and his team are expanding their focus beyond retail electricity services. They are now building an integrated platform that encompasses power generation, electricity trading, storage, and smart energy management. "The price competitiveness of green energy will only intensify in the future. Our mission at Kiwi Energy is to make green power an accessible choice for every household and business," Huang declares. In this ambitious blueprint, the circular economy philosophy is woven throughout every process—from production to consumption, storage, and recovery—ensuring that every unit of energy is utilized to its maximum potential for sustainable development.

The future price competitiveness of the green energy market is only expected to strengthen. Kiwi Energy's mission is to ensure that green power becomes a truly accessible option for every household and every business.

In pursuit of consumer market innovation, Kiwi Energy has launched several groundbreaking services—from AI-driven, precise energy consumption analyses to pilot projects with FamilyMart convenience stores—all designed to reduce energy expenses for users. Recounting a notable collaboration with FamilyMart last year, Huang explains, "We began by conducting a detailed analysis of the energy usage across FamilyMart outlets. By integrating a low-price time-of-use scheme, we were able to significantly reduce their electricity bills. Initially, only 10 stores were approved for the pilot. After three months—and upon reviewing the concrete data and billing results—the program was gradually expanded to 100 stores, ultimately reaching 500 outlets by the end of the year." According to data, each store saved approximately NT$40,000 to NT$50,000 in annual electricity costs for franchisees. Furthermore, FamilyMart's operations team discovered that centralized management of all 5,000 outlets yielded even more impressive cumulative benefits. Addressing two primary challenges—excess contracted capacity leading to high overage fees and escalating electricity costs—Kiwi Energy introduced an energy storage solution that automatically discharges when a store nears its contracted limit and stores power for time-based arbitrage during off-peak periods. This dual-action not only creates direct economic benefits but also exemplifies the circular economy, wherein energy storage and release form a sustainable, self-reinforcing cycle. Overall, under this integrated green power and storage scheme, each store can save nearly NT$100,000 per year.

Huang underscores that Kiwi Energy offers far more than mere green power trading—it delivers a full spectrum of energy management services, including green electricity supply, advanced storage systems, and an AI-powered smart energy management platform that enables unified, real-time oversight of electricity consumption across thousands of outlets. This holistic system not only optimizes energy use but also operationalizes the principle of resource recycling at every juncture.

Looking ahead, Huang is unequivocal about Kiwi Energy's ambitions beyond the Taiwanese market. "Our goal is to build an international green energy platform—essentially the Amazon of green energy—that provides diverse and personalized energy services worldwide. We are actively preparing to expand into markets such as the United States, Japan, and Australia later this year." He adds, "We aim to establish an ecosystem that integrates generation, trading, financing, and financial services—where power, data, and capital flow seamlessly together, and every unit of energy is regenerated and maximized in value. This is how we will truly realize energy liberalization and benefit every user."

On the topic of team building, Huang beams with pride: "Our core team comprises professionals from various countries and fields—a CTO from Scotland, a global BD leader with U.S. experience, and engineers in India dedicated to AI energy management. Although our team is relatively small, each member has weathered the trials of startup life. We share a common dream and commitment to embedding innovation and circular economy principles in green energy services." He firmly believes that only by delivering tangible value and practical solutions to customers can companies thrive in the green energy market—a conviction that underpins not only a revolutionary business model but also a steadfast faith in future energy trends and sustainable resource utilization.

With Taipower's time-of-use pricing policy steadily advancing and green energy technologies maturing, Huang envisions a future where more households and businesses opt for green power, catalyzing a transformative upgrade of the entire electricity market. "I often imagine a time when every household can easily access green electricity—not only saving money but also fostering a more environmentally friendly and sustainable energy ecosystem. This closed-loop of resource use and value regeneration is the blueprint of Kiwi Energy's dream and the driving force behind my relentless entrepreneurial journey," he concludes.