The challenge
Delivering smarter energy management
We are developing new control systems using advanced communication and information technologies to manage and use energy more intelligently. Intelligent control can allow energy systems to respond to their environment and make operating decisions based upon achieving specific energy goals.
Our response
Making renewable energy more reliable
By introducing intelligence into the ways that our energy is generated, transmitted and consumed we can also achieve higher level goals – such as making energy from renewable sources more reliable and cost-effective.
By making renewable energy more reliable we hope to encourage its use in the marketplace and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our technologies are designed for homes, commercial buildings and the energy distribution system.
Intelligent energy projects:
- optimal air-conditioning control uses weather data, energy market pricing and feedback from building occupants to intelligently alter the operation of a building’s air-conditioning system to save energy, money and greenhouse gas emissions
- solar cooling uses heat from the sun as an energy source which can be used to generate cool air for use in buildings
- secure grids use network design and configuration, control strategies and grid collaboration to allow automatic reconfiguration in response to threats, improved power quality and increased efficiency (and therefore reduce emissions)
- the Virtual Power Station intelligently aggregates renewable energy generators – such as solar panels – and energy storage into a cost-effective and reliable electricity supply network
- smart fridges can plan ahead and coordinate when they consume energy in order to smooth the intermittent power output from renewable generators such as wind and solar farms, while keeping within usual temperature limits.