Commercialisation of a decision support tool for improving large facility energy management

能源账单在全球范围内飙升，公共、商业和工业组织面临严重的财务压力。人们越来越需要提高能效和改进运营以控制成本。与此同时，许多国家做出了净零承诺，要求这些组织紧急采取行动减少碳排放。医院和大学等大型组织通常拥有并运营多项能源资产。降低碳排放和能源成本的努力导致了热电联产(CHP)、可再生能源技术(风力涡轮机和太阳能光伏)和储能的安装。目前，现场能源管理系统的运行和控制策略相当简单。它们没有对能源价格的动态变化和电网服务的机会做出反应。寻找技术的最佳组合和规模以降低成本和碳排放是复杂的，并带来经济和技术上的不确定性。现场能源管理人员需要支持来协调现有能源资产，评估新能源资产的技术、经济和排放影响，并将其有效整合。我们开发了软件算法，将基于物理的现场能量流动模型与计量数据相结合，通过协调多个能源资产来确定最佳运营和发展路径。我们的软件将位于设施的现有能源数据管理系统之上，以解决如何将能源账单和/或碳减少1。更好地控制现有能源资产2。增加新的现场可再生能源和储能3。有效应对动态能源价格，包括电网服务。我们的方法提供了对运营改进和新资产整合的快速且具有成本效益的评估。一项独立的市场研究确定了产品与市场的良好匹配，我们得到了潜在客户和合作伙伴的热情支持。这个项目将使我们的概念从研究领域转化为商业产品，并确立我们的市场地位。这将使我们能够建立一个商业化团队，根据最终用户/客户的反馈开发我们的产品，并在真正的商业环境中进行演示。项目成果将使我们能够接触新的客户和合作伙伴，证明我们的产品和服务的好处，以及达成销售和合作伙伴协议的商业定位。该项目将使我们能够进入英国市场。

Energy bills are soaring worldwide with public, commercial, and industrial organisations facing severe financial pressures. There is an increasing need for energy efficiency and operational improvements to control costs. At the same time many countries have made net-zero commitments that require these organisations to act urgently to reduce carbon emissions.Large organisations such as hospitals and universities often own and operate multiple energy assets. The drive towards reducing carbon emissions and energy costs has led to the installation of combined heat and power (CHP) generation, renewable energy technologies (wind turbines and solar PV), and energy storage. The operation and control strategies of on-site energy management systems are presently rather simple. They do not respond to dynamic changes in energy prices and opportunities for grid services. Finding the optimal combination and sizing of technologies to reduce cost and carbon emissions is complex and brings economic and technical uncertainties. Site energy managers require support to coordinate existing energy assets, evaluate the technical, economic and emissions impact of new energy assets and integrate them effectively.We have developed software algorithms that combines a physics-based model of the energy flows within the site with metering data to identify the optimum operation and development path through the coordination of multiple energy assets. Our software will sit above the existing energy data management systems of a facility to address how energy bills and/or carbon can be reduced by1. better control of existing energy assets2. the addition of new on-site renewables and energy storage3. responding effectively to dynamic energy prices including for grid services.Our approach provides a rapid and cost-effective assessment of operational improvements and new asset integration. An independent market study identified a good product-market fit and we have received enthusiastic support from potential customers and partners.This project will allow us to move the concept from the research domain into a commercial product and establish our market position. It will allow us to build a commercialisation team to develop our product with end-user/customer feedback and demonstrate it in a real commercial setting. The project outputs will allow us to approach new customers and partners with evidence of the benefits of our product and services, and the commercial positioning to enter sale and partner agreements. The project will enable our entry into the UK market.