Elemental Power wins Innovate UK funding for project ALCHEMAI
There are currently two million non-domestic buildings in the UK. These are responsible for 9% of carbon emissions according to government figures. It is estimated that 80% of the buildings we have now will still exist in 2050. This paints a clear picture that there is a need for retrofit interventions to improve the energy efficiency and integrity of non-domestic buildings.
Alongside two other projects funded by Innovate UK’s Net Zero Heat Programme, ALCHEMAI (Advanced Low Carbon Heat and Energy Modelling Accelerating Investment) leverages immersive Digital Twin technology to seamlessly connect sensors, Passivhaus retrofit, electricity trading, and grid flexibility to deliver accessible and affordable clean heating solutions for the diverse needs of a range of non-domestic buildings and occupants including leisure centres, local museums, offices, and schools.
Digital Twins, in the context of the built environment, are digital replicas of buildings created by amalgamating data from diverse sources such as sensors, 3D models, and analytics tools.
The consortia of seven partners behind ALCHEMAI will deliver the project across 12 demonstrator sites to determine what are the best scalable and accessible building upgrades that minimise CO2 emissions and improve the comfort level and integrity of the buildings.
By showcasing the benefits and potential of Digital Twins, ALCHEMAI aims to generate demand and support the low carbon economy in alignment with the UK Government’s broader net-zero strategy. It will also enable local authorities and occupants of non-domestic buildings to make informed decisions on investments in building improvements that maximise impact, save money and reduce carbon.
In addition to reducing economic uncertainty around retrofits, ALCHEMAI has the potential to create low carbon jobs and to safeguard vital community assets by reducing running costs and improving building integrity.
Mike Pitts, Deputy Challenge Director, Innovate UK says:
“Innovate UK’s Net Zero Heat programme seeks to overcome barriers to innovation to enable the UK to prosper from moving quickly away from gas for heat in buildings. The three projects announced today are the biggest investment to date from the programme. We’re really pleased that such promising ideas were developed through an intensive five-day workshop specifically designed to generate these kinds of high-potential projects. The participants are involved from all stages across the process of Net Zero Heat renovations of buildings, and they all seek to improve the process for different types of building with the aim of bringing down cost and speeding up retrofit work.”
Dr Simon Le Blond Technical Director of Elemental Power Ltd
“For any customer site there are vast combinations of possible-carbon saving interventions. Despite the challenge, it essential to quantify how feasible upgrades will perform together such as solar PV, energy storage and heat pumps over their lifetimes to identity the best investment scenario. Our Digital Twin software quickly helps our customers identify the best possible interventions to reach their site’s potential and accelerate their pathway to net-zero.”
We are gathering a team of stars to deliver Net Zero with the latest technology.
We are looking to work with Experienced Software Developers in Python and C++, especially people with experience of 3D immersive digital environments and cloud technologies. We offer:
Remote-first working
(with periodic in-person meetings in Bristol and Birmingham area)
A truly innovative, diverse and nurturing culture
Very attractive compensation, including equity
Please get in touch for further discussion.