Hitachi’s Smart Island project to improve energy efficiency
25 April 2019
Hitachi
Description
As a member of the Smart Islands Partnership on the Isles of Scilly, Hitachi is helping to implement a set of interconnected projects, with the aim to cut electricity bills by 40%, meet 40% of energy demand through renewables and see 40% of vehicles be low carbon or electric by 2025.
With support from the European Regional Development Fund, Smart Energy Islands aims to use technology to reduce the carbon footprint of the island whilst optimising locally-produced, renewable energy. Other delivery partners include PassivSystems, Moixa and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
Around 400kW of solar panels were installed on the roofs of 70 homes, the fire station, a recycling facility and desalination plant, and in a solar garden by the airport. Homes are also piloting a variety of energy technologies, including batteries and air source heat pumps. Hitachi’s cloud-based Internet of Things platform and Artificial Intelligence will manage energy use: learning consumption patterns, optimising how power is collected and used, and linking it to the electricity grid. By integrating solar power, batteries and smart heating technologies, the scheme will make 100 homes more energy-efficient, while also providing energy efficiency support to 200 businesses in the islands and mainland.