Why Texture Doesn't Reverse Engineer APIs - and Why That Matters

In the energy world, integrating with devices has historically meant shortcuts and guesswork. Many solutions rely on reverse engineered APIs - pulling data and issuing commands through undocumented, often brittle methods. This might have been "good enough" in the past, but for Texture, it never met our standard of reliability and trustworthiness.

At Texture, we do things differently. While we're not a device integration company — we're an industry cloud platform built to support everything from data analytics and permissioning to anomaly detection and much more - our customers often need to interact with devices like batteries, solar inverters, EVs, and HVAC systems to power their business logic. That's why we've invested heavily in forging direct, well-supported API partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Rather than scraping internal endpoints, reverse engineering apps, or using hacked-together credentials, we've built genuine relationships that give us stable, documented access to device capabilities. This approach isn't just about integration; it's about delivering an enterprise-grade foundation for the entire energy ecosystem.

#Good Enough Isn't Good Enough

Before Texture came along, "good enough" meant reverse engineered APIs. They're unstable, undocumented, and prone to break at any time.

Worse still, these methods often rely on storing sensitive user credentials, which raises serious compliance, security, and user-experience concerns. When something breaks, you have no one to call - no direct line to the OEM and no official support.

We've spoken with customers who tried using these makeshift approaches in the past. One customer, for instance, struggled with unreliable device dispatches. Their battery export commands wouldn't always register, leaving revenue on the table. Over time, these hiccups become major operational headaches - exactly the sort of issues enterprises can't afford.

#The Difference Between Reverse Engineered and Well-Supported APIs

To understand why Texture's approach stands out, let's look at the landscape of APIs commonly used in the industry. They range from shaky, reverse-engineered methods to stable, fully supported solutions - each offering vastly different levels of reliability, security, and long-term viability.

#1. Reverse Engineered/Scraped APIs

Unstable and Undocumented: These integrations can change at any time without notice and rely on guesswork rather than formal documentation.
Insecure Credential Handling: Often require storing sensitive user credentials (emails and passwords), introducing major security and compliance risks.
No Official Support Channels: When something breaks, you're on your own. Without a roadmap or direct line to the OEM, future updates and feature deprecations come as costly surprises.
High Maintenance Overhead: Engineers spend disproportionate time troubleshooting breakages and adapting to unpredictable changes. This means more time is spent fixing breakages and less on product development.
Limited to app capability: When reverse engineering an app's API, the capabilities are limited to what the user could do with that app. This means higher level capabilities beyond the scope of what the user could do in their app (like Grid Services, see below) are blocked.

#2. Public, Supported APIs

Backed by the OEM: Documented, versioned, and stable, these APIs come with clear specifications and security standards like OAuth, so we never store user credentials directly.
Reliable Communication: Changes or updates are disclosed in advance, enabling graceful adaptation.
Streamlined Onboarding: With robust documentation and predictable authentication workflows, integrators like Texture can onboard new devices much faster - often in just a few days instead of weeks - compared to the guesswork required by reverse-engineered approaches. This efficiency ultimately benefits our customers by enabling quicker access to new device capabilities.
Steady Evolution: Versioned releases and deprecation schedules help you plan ahead, rather than react.

#3. OEM Partnership APIs (Our Preferred Approach)

All the Benefits of Public APIs and More: Stability, security, and official support are just the baseline. OEM partnership APIs also generally include contractual SLAs and dedicated communication channels, ensuring a higher level of reliability and responsiveness.
Specialized Capabilities: Advanced, operational-level features like Grid Services or Demand Response APIs enable deeper control and more responsive commands than any user-level endpoint can provide.
Coordinated Roadmaps: Close collaboration with OEMs ensures we're aligned with upcoming features, so our customers see these enhancements sooner and more seamlessly.
Elevated Support Experience: Direct access to OEM engineers and established relationships mean issues are resolved quickly and collaboratively, minimizing downtime and improving quality.

Securing these OEM-level integrations takes time - often over a year of effort per partnership. But the payoff is real: consistent, stable, and secure device interactions that let our customers focus on what they do best.

#Going Beyond Basic Control: Grid Services APIs

For many of our customers, simply toggling devices on and off isn't enough. They need fine-grained, reliable control - especially for use cases like virtual power plants, price-based dispatching, and demand response events. That's where Grid Services APIs shine.

These specialized OEM endpoints allow our customers to override user-level controls and align device behavior directly with grid conditions and market signals via Texture. With Grid Services APIs, dispatch commands happen when you want them to, unlocking opportunities to capture energy arbitrage revenue and optimize for price or carbon intensity. It's a level of sophistication that just isn't possible relying on scraping or reverse-engineered methods endpoints.

#Earning the Industry's Trust

Device integrations are just one component of Texture's broader vision. As the industry cloud for distributed energy, we support everything from data analytics and permissioning to anomaly detection and network-wide insights. Still, a resilient platform needs a solid foundation, and building direct, trust-based relationships with OEMs is a critical part of that.

These partnerships don't form overnight. We've spent countless hours working with OEMs, demonstrating that we respect their intellectual property, value their time, and are fully committed to maintaining a secure, reliable data ecosystem. In some cases, we've even developed software tailored to their needs, fostering a mutually beneficial loop of innovation.

The result is an ecosystem where everyone benefits - from OEMs and energy providers to the end customers who rely on stable, high-quality integrations that underpin Texture's platform. We explore the importance of this collaborative approach in our article, Collaboration: The Key to Energy Transformation.

#Enterprise-Grade from the Ground Up

For our customers - ranging from grid operators and energy retailers to innovative startups - the benefit is clear. By building on Texture's platform, which leverages secure, well-supported integrations, they avoid the headaches of unreliable endpoints and can focus more on delivering value. They can trust Texture to handle API updates gracefully behind the scenes, insulating them from the complexity and uncertainty that traditionally plague this space.

In other words, we've raised the bar. Not just for how to connect to devices, but for how to build a robust, scalable platform that underpins the entire distributed energy sector. This wasn't the easy path, but it was the right one, and it's one more reason enterprises choose Texture to power their energy operations.

Ready to experience a platform built on genuine partnerships, not guesswork? Contact our team today and discover how Texture's commitment to fully supported device integrations (and beyond) can transform your energy business.