Entelligently app selected for flagship smart cities project
13 Mar 2018THE potential of Entelligently® – our energy and well-being optimisation app – to create a step-change in building performance and occupant comfort has been recognised in its selection for a flagship smart cities project.
The app, which PCSG co-developed with Know-Now Information, was one of eight winners of the Open Innovation Selection Day held by CityVerve, the smart city demonstrator.
The competition aimed to identify “smart solutions that blend technology, data and creativity to tackle the challenges of modern day city living.”
CityVerve’s focus is on the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to meet Manchester’s key challenges and the needs of its citizens. It aims to “build and deliver a smarter, more connected Manchester… creating a city that uses technology to meet the complex needs of its people.”
But its broader aim is to create a blueprint for smart cities worldwide.
Susie Tomson, PCSG’s Sustainability Director and co-developer of Entelligently®, said: “Our recognition by CityVerve is a really exciting step forward. We are taking the human aspect into the IoT world and connecting people to buildings, delivering energy performance and individual wellbeing.”
Entelligently®aims to help organisations to cut their energy bills, while improving the comfort and productivity of their staff.
Office workers effectively become sensors and actuators, by feeding information into an easy-to-use app about their comfort levels – whether they feel hot, cold or sleepy. To encourage this feedback, they receive what we term ‘smart nudges’ or ‘snudges’.
The snudge provides them with information about how they might feel, depending on the combination of environmental conditions, both now and in the future. It also suggests actions to take to avoid discomfort.
A key driver for the app, which has been trialled in two office locations, is the huge gap between ‘as-designed’ and ‘in-use’ energy consumption. Actual energy consumption in many buildings is often 3-4 times the estimated design use.
After many years of hype, the “internet of things” which sees sensors added to everyday objects to generate data that can be analysed and used to improve the performance of services and assets, looks closer to generating transformative benefits for citizens.
At PCSG, we are using this technology to drive sustainability outcomes.
According to Gartner, there will be 25 billion connected things in use by 2020 – compared to the forecasted 4.9 billion for this year.
The need for a fresh approach to energy use in buildings is clear: According to a survey from the National Energy Foundation, which was targeted at facility managers, 75 per cent of respondents stated that improving a building’s energy consumption was a top five priority for their organisation.
Coupled with these drivers, advances in technology and falling prices have made it possible to amass significant volumes of data.
Entelligently® will now join the other winners on an eight-week intensive programme to develop the ideas. The programme includes access to funding and financing advice and market access through smart cities leaders including Cisco and BT.
To learn more about Entelligently® please contact Susie.Tomson@pcsg.co.uk
Follow @Entelligently on Twitter
For more on CityVerve, see: https://cityverve.org.uk/