A Derby smart building and IT infrastructure firm has experienced an increase in inquiries from companies wanting to monitor their energy use “on a granular level” – including right down to an individual kettle – as bills rise and more staff return to the workplace.
Scenariio, based in Siddals Road, says it is now visiting a growing number of firms who want to know how smart technology can help them better understand their energy consumption by pinpointing exactly where and how their electricity is being used.
The upswing comes as UK firms brace themselves for increased running costs during the approaching winter months due to continuing high energy prices.
And it comes in the wake of news that UK staff are returning to the workplace in larger numbers to avoid having to use their own heating and run appliances during the day, according to a survey carried out as part of the recent Virgin Media 02’s Business Movers Index.
Scenariio is a UK pioneer in the use of sensors designed to monitor energy use and its technology can provide up-to-the-minute data on how much power is being used by measuring the electricity flow on individual circuits.
Among the 200 sensors it has fitted across its own offices – Scenariio also has sensors monitoring air quality and occupancy levels – are devices which indicate when someone boils a kettle, switches on the air conditioning, turns on a light or a monitor or even uses one of a number of electric vehicle recharging units outside.
All the information is fed through in real-time via the internet to a dashboard, which is visible on a screen in the office or can be viewed via a mobile phone.
This gives Scenariio a better understanding of how much each device costs to run and where staff can help to save money by switching off monitors or boiling less water every time they make a drink.
Scenariio has supplied the technology, which could save larger companies thousands of pounds each year, for a number of years, but Rob Pritchard, the firm’s managing director, said rising energy bills has prompted UK firms, both based locally and elsewhere, to take action.
He said: “We are definitely seeing greater interest from organisations wanting to better understand their energy usage.
“Historically they know what their buildings use through the traditional/smart electric meters, but they only tell you how much, and not where and when, so as companies aim to improve their energy efficiency and ultimately cut their costs, they need to measure their usage at a more granular level.
“This data then needs to be visualised to allow them to make better informed decisions on how to make efficiencies, which they can do via our dashboard. Seeing the data in front of them makes the case for changing their approach and people’s behaviour even more compelling.
“Knowledge of data is power and huge savings can be made simply by having a better understanding of energy usage. Now that winter is nearly here and more staff are returning to their desks, companies can use technology to make sure they are aligned with their efforts to drive down energy costs and achieve their net zero targets.”
Established in 2013, Scenariio has installed smart building technology, including intelligent lighting, integrated and supplementary sensor networks and audio-visual systems, at premises across the UK.
Its clients include Severn Trent Water, Tarmac and Gymshark, as well as, closer to home, Derby College and the popular Bustler Market street food venues in Derby and Nottingham.
