A Smart Distributed Energy Management System for Purpose Built Student Accommodation

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**Problem**Most Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) have the potential to reduce energy usage by 25% but to achieve this, you need a building energy management system (BEMS). However, current BEMS have a centralised architecture that makes it very expensive and less flexible and are therefore not widely used.**Solution**Our solution is a distributed energy management system (DEMS): every room has its own simpler energy management system called EyeNode, while all these EyeNodes (rooms) are coordinated wirelessly by a simple central server. EyeNode has been developed by EyeseaGreen over the last 12 months. A small number of EyeNode components have been successfully trialled over the last 6 months but to enter the PBSA market with this disruptive product, it is essential to conduct a large-scale trial at a reputable institution.**Project, Objectives and Focus**Our project is to prove the business case for the use of a novel DEMS by conducting a large-scale trial in 200 rooms at Churchill College, University of Cambridge. The objectives of the project are (i) adaptation of EyeNode for site-deployment, (ii) demonstration of the use of EyeNodes in 200 rooms and (iii) data collection and comparison against a prior energy usage baseline to prove the energy savings achieved. Our focus is to ensure that this project provides evidence of a strong value proposition for EyeNode, which will give strong credibility to the technology and reduce the barriers to market entry. This will directly lead to EyeNode's commercialisation at a time when it is most required to tackle the current energy and climate crisis.**Innovation**EyeNode integrates EyeseaGreen's novel room sensor, EyeSense, with smart devices. This enables EyeNode to control energy usage in a room at less than one-tenth the cost of BEMS, whilst adding more functionality and better scaling potential. The implementation of DEMS in PBSA is novel and has the potential to disrupt a stagnating industry.**Benefits**In the UK, there are 680000 PBSA rooms (42% University-owned) and this total addressable market of EyeNode has an estimated potential annual CO2 emissions reduction of 162000tons with an annual energy saving of £88million. The rapid growth of EyeNode technology will reduce energy wastage, reduce CO2 emissions, promote better wellbeing, improve productivity and actively target net-zero.