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Energy saving technology using artificial intelligence seeks commercial agreement with technical assistance

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Reference Number: TOUK20190312001
Publication Date: 14 March 2019

Summary

A UK SME is using machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide highly scalable energy demand management products for the UK and international energy markets. 

The UK company is seeking commercial agreements with technical assistance so they can trial their new product with facilities managers, operations directors, finance directors etc, to deliver lower energy bills and potentially create new revenue streams for building owners and operators.

Description

Central energy grids need to constantly balance the energy demands of the network. One way they do this is by financially reward businesses for turning up, down, or shifting their energy use in real-time in accordance with the energy grid's needs. These are called Demand Side Response contracts (DSR). DSR contracts are all about intelligent energy and for businesses they are a smart way to save on total energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint but it can be a complex and often expensive market to enter.

This UK SME enables businesses to enter the DSR market in a cost effective way by:

- Identifying their capacity to respond without impacting operations.

- Remotely control (turn up or down) their energy use, in accordance with the energy grid

- Providing settlement data to ensure contracts are fulfilled and payments made to the company

The UK company does this by connecting a small box of electronics (iHub) to a building's existing control system (Building Management System - BMS). The iHub sits on top of the BMS and doesn't affect the existing equipment.

The iHub then automatically handles electronic signals from the energy grid to perform DSR responses, changing on-site systems for the response and seamlessly reverting them to pre-response states without any need for manual intervention. The iHub will also handle the detailed energy monitoring required for DSR participation, to ensure that the partner gets automatically paid in full for their response.

In essence, the iHub acts as a virtual facilities manager by automatically managing the building's energy usage and demand side responses from the energy grid.

Advantages and Innovations

The Hardware:
Located in the building, the iHub can send and receive communications, command signals and data feeds from all the other building systems including the energy meter, existing energy management systems such as BMS, SCADA systems and IoT sensors. This wide connectivity makes the company's technology suitable to meet the needs of each installation and allows them to deliver high-quality energy management and analytics, as well as automated DSR response. With inbuilt capability to receive updates, businesses can be first to benefit from future market changes.

The Machine Learning Software
The iHub incorporates AI (Artificial Intelligence) techniques and sophisticated communications systems to control building comfort systems and deliver DSR responses. Comfort systems including lighting and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) are controlled. The AI based system observes the comfort system settings and user interactions, learning about the building users' usage patterns and preferences. This allows the system to automatically find ways comfort systems can be adjusted during a DSR call, resulting in reduced electrical load without disturbing the building users or interfering with business operations, leading to a painless DSR experience.

Because the system provides low-cost installation, self-configuration and self-maintenance it will help many more building operators to participate in Demand Response Side contracts, including non-domestic energy users such as smaller factories, offices, schools, retailers and hospitality businesses.

Stage Of Development

Field tested/evaluated

Stage Of Development Comment

Company has several trials running at university buildings, innovation centres and other modern buildings. Is keen to increase the number of trails and potentially link different buildings together to create a virtual energy market

Because the system provides low-cost installation, self-configuration and self-maintenance it will help many more building operators to participate in Demand Response Side contracts, including non-domestic energy users such as smaller factories, offices, schools, retailers and hospitality businesses.

Requested partner

The company is seeking commercial agreements with technical assistance and wants to trial their new product with facilities managers, operations directors, finance directors and other people responsible for managing the energy requirements of buildings. 

The new system provides low-cost installation, self-configuration and self-maintenance and will be very interesting to non-domestic energy users such as smaller factories, offices, schools, universities, retailers and hospitality businesses.

The role of the partner will be to trial the energy monitoring technology in their building:

Stage 1: The company installs the system in to the building

Stage 2: With technical assistance from the company, the partner will trial the new system

Stage 3: Review the performance of the new system

Cooperation offer ist closed for requests