Home Energy Management Systems in Newcastle
Trials have started in Newcastle with Wondrwall’s AI-powered Home Energy Management System (HEMS) in two, two-bedroom properties to understand how this technology led approach can help with retrofitting existing energy inefficient properties.
The trials are part of a wider partnership that has been running since 2018 between Newcastle City Council, Your Homes Newcastle and EQUANS. This particular pilot involves demonstrating how HEMS technology can work as a fully integrated retrofit solution. The aim is to prove both the technology in action, and that this solution is economically viable for housing providers – such as local authorities and housing associations – as well as for the residents in the property by reducing their energy bills.
Wondrwall is a technology company. Their focus is on changing the way people live and how they use energy. They hope their technology can help make homes ecologically sustainable by using self-learning technology and renewable energy to create homes that operate in an intelligent manner to make them net zero.
Their solution combines three integrated hardware modules to complete a HEMS. This links home automation, gas-free heating, and net zero energy alongside a cloud-based machine learning platform.
Linking this together is the Wondrwall Light Switch. Each one has 13 built-in sensors which when installed throughout the home creates a multi-sensory network capable of capturing habitational data, such as monition, luminosity, humidity, temperature, and sound. The HEMS then processes on average 20,000 datapoints for each home each day which when incorporated with external information such as weather forecasts and energy tariffs plots the most efficient use of the homes, heating, lighting, security, and energy storage. This helps to minimise consumption, maximise self-use and minimise cost.
A design benefit of the HEMS is that it is built in a modular fashion, so this allows it to be easily scalable.
For this pilot the following delivery plan was put together:
- The decommissioning and removal of a legacy gas heating system
- A partial electrical rewire including the installation of a new domestic consumer unit
- A complete re-roof with a dual aspect, in-roof mounted solar PV array (2.64kWp and 3.96KWp respectively)
- The installation of a Wondrwall hybrid inverter and a 6.5kW residential battery
- Ceiling mounting of Wondrwall infrared heating panels
- The installation of a Sunamp hot water heat battery
- Connection of the Wondrwall HEMS with integrated touch screen display
- The installation of a Wondrwall Alarm Siren
Installations were able to be completed within a three-day time frame with the residents in-situ. The homes were also provided with 4G wireless routers for internet back up to ensure there was always a seamless connection. Costs for the whole house retrofit were in line with those associated with the installation of competing low carbon heating systems but with the added benefit of enabling digital, real-time monitoring of the homes thermal and environmental performance.
A dedicated tenant liaison officer has been appointed to support the residents throughout the trial and they also have direct access to Wondrwall’s customer and technical support department.
Wondrwall has used MCS calculations alongside their own data modelling to predict an annual performance for the home. These show Wondrwall’s technology solution to be advantageous when compared to current gas heating usage:
- Net Energy Consumption – 1,782kWh vs 6,243kWh
- Net CO2 emissions – 197kg vs 1,195kg
- Total Energy Bill - £375 per year vs £1,162
Kirsty Tweddell, sustainability compliance manager, Places & Communities, EQUANS said:
“We are delighted to be working with Wondrwall and Your Homes Newcastle on this innovative project. This technology has the potential to transform the quality of life for residents, ensuring their home is comfortable for them, without incurring significant additional costs. Using AI to learn user’s habits will also help to reduce bills by only providing heating with its needed.”
Daniel Burton, chief executive officer & founder, Wondrwall Group added:
“What we are doing here in Newcastle is not only redefining what the affordable housing market deems possible in the face of the retrofit challenge, we are also improving and strengthening communities. Creating intelligent, safe, sustainable homes that residents can be proud of and will also start to play an integral part in the energy systems of the future.”
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