3e-Houses - IP Performance in EC partnership to spearhead European Social Housing Smart Metering Project
IP Performance are currently taking part in a 3-year European Commission project designed to measure the impact of installing energy efficient smart metering products into social housing. The consortium contains large international corporates, specialist technology companies and public sector organisations in the UK, Germany, Spain and Bulgaria. The UK partnership is made up of Bristol City Council, Toshiba Research Labs, Knowle West Media Centre and IP Performance Ltd.
The first year has consisted of detailed planning and design work especially in the area of establishing a methodology able to measure the impact of technical advances in energy metering technology. One of the key goals of the project is to determine how much the introduction and data presentation of new energy technology can influence human behaviour to reduce energy consumption. The pilot installations (in Germany and Spain) have started to get underway and the technical solutions are being tested and refined. The UK partnership will monitor, observe and add their expertise to these pilots before beginning the UK installation in 2012. IP Performance’s specific role is in providing the expertise in wireless networking which is envisaged to be necessary to transport the energy data from the buildings to a central hub for processing and subsequent distribution to residents.
IP Performance’s contribution to the project is being managed by Paul White, and Dr Alan Holt is providing the necessary technical consultancy. Paul and Alan have already attended meetings in Barcelona and Brussels and are looking forward to the challenges ahead.
Paul comments: “This is an exciting project that gives IP Performance the opportunity to channel its expertise into something a little bit different with an important social impact. As well as strengthening our links with local government in Bristol we are looking forward to playing a full part collaborating with the household names that make up the project both here in the UK and in the rest of Europe.
For more information on the 3e-Houses project, please visit the website at www.3ehouses.eu.
