arbnco partners with Centrica to improve energy efficiency across SMEs in the UK

The Scottish technology firm has received a £641,000 contract as part of phase two of the ‘Boosting Access for SMEs to Energy Efficiency’ project

Software provider firm arbnco has partnered with energy firm Centrica to develop a prototype of its Digital Energy Efficiency Platform (DEEP) to improve energy efficiency across the UK’s 5.9 million small and mediums sized enterprises (SMEs).

The project brings together experts from arbnco, Centrica, Energy Systems Catapult, Aston Business School, Durham County Council and sustainable finance company, Cyan Finance.

DEEP plans to optimise a business’ total energy consumption and the energy performance of its premises. To achieve this it will utilise a range of data sources such as energy consumption retrieved automatically or supplied by an SME and accordingly provide recommendations for costs, suppliers and finance options.

Under the second phase of the project, the prototype will be deployed in three locations across the Scottish landscape including the central belt of Scotland, the West Midlands and Bridgend, Wales.

Andrew Stewart, Research and Development Manager at arbnco said: “The first phase of the project focused on the technical feasibility of the platform as well as, understanding of the obstacles that SMEs face when it comes to energy efficiency. A review of potential business models was conducted by Energy Systems Catapult during the first phase.

“Bringing Centrica on board for phase two will provide greater insight and access to SMEs as we look to roll the platform out nationwide. By providing SMEs with critical insight into their energy use and tailored retrofit recommendations, based on an assessment of the energy performance of their building and patterns in their energy consumption, we can help thousands of businesses become more energy efficient.”

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