"SolarOnCare" Teams Up with POSTECH to Launch Joint Research on Next-Generation VPP Platform

H Energy (CEO IlHan Ham), operator of the AI-based solar energy platform "SolarOnCare", signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Open Innovation Big Data Center (OIBC) at POSTECH (Director: Professor Young Myoung) on September 12, 2025, to jointly conduct research and development on “Leading Technologies for Intelligent Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Platform Operation.” Under this agreement, the two organizations will carry out a five-year collaborative research program from September 2025 to August 2030, aiming to advance the intelligent VPP platform.

This collaboration goes beyond technology development to include technology transfer, expert advisory services, and industrial application expansion as core objectives. H Energy’s flagship energy platform services, "SolarOnCare" and "MoHAT", will serve as the primary demonstration base for this industry-academia partnership.

Of particular note is the integration of SolarOnCare’s accumulated SaaS-based AI capabilities and distributed resource platform operation experience with POSTECH OIBC’s data and research expertise in VPP and electricity trading. SolarOnCare is a SaaS platform that combines proprietary AI forecasting algorithms with big-data-driven clustering techniques to analyze power plant data in real time, automating the entire process from power generation guarantees to anomaly detection, corrective actions, and revenue management. As of September 2025, the platform has attracted 4,700 installations, establishing a new standard for power plant operation and management.

The energy investment platform "MoHAT" distributes solar power revenues to its members, transforming individuals from mere investors into active energy producers and owners. Within five years of its launch, "MoHAT" has become the largest distributed energy investment platform in Korea, with 190,000 cumulative users and a total investment of KRW 360 billion, leading the domestic market.

CEO IlHan Ham of H Energy stated, “This industry-academia collaboration aims not only at research but also at producing tangible outcomes that can be directly applied to platform services such as "SolarOnCare" and "MoHAT". It marks a turning point for expanding H Energy from a national leader to a global representative in the intelligent VPP platform sector.”

Professor Dong-Koo Choi of POSTECH OIBC added, “Collaboration with H Energy, which possesses industry-verified data and technology, will contribute significantly not only to academic research but also to the advancement of Korea’s renewable energy sector. It will play a crucial role in transforming the electricity market paradigm based on VPPs and distributed energy resources and serve as a global hub for energy transition.”

Meanwhile, CEO IlHan Ham was awarded the Bronze Tower Industrial Medal at the “2025 Small and Medium Business Technology & Management Innovation Fair,” hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on September 4, in recognition of his contributions to the domestic renewable energy sector, officially demonstrating his leadership in energy technology innovation and platform ecosystem development.

Source: Asia Economy | https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/2025091515083247710

Reporter: Jin Jeong (peng1@asiae.co.kr)

(2025.09.16.)