Winners announced in energy categories
The inaugural winners in the much-anticipated energy categories of the Build Back Better Awards 2023 have been announced in London. Getting recognition are a host of innovations including renewable energy systems, heat recovery products, heat pumps, EV chargers and circular economy products which reuse raw materials that would otherwise enter the waste stream. A notable winner was UK company myenergi, which took honours in no fewer than four categories.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
Monta Platform
Monta was founded with a vision to make EV charging simpler and more accessible for everyone. It’s a platform which is designed to make the installation and management of charge points seamless. For instance, it allows installers to manage charge points remotely to see if they’re active or need a manual service. This allows installers to provide additional service subscriptions to ensure the hardware is functional and drives recurring revenue for the installer. The platform is self-healing and can reboot the software to restart the charge without manual intervention. This cuts down on site visits for engineers and means that when a visit is required, they can troubleshoot problems in advance. Monta manages the payments process so that installers can focus on new business over chasing payments. The company also provides a lead generation platform free of charge which allows installers to respond to requests for quotes for installation jobs. The platform allows installers to auto-respond with a quotation or to respond with tailored quotes. The Build Back Better Awards judges cited it for ‘its breadth of services, its ease of set up and its clever smart queuing facility’.
zappimyenergi
Myenergi’s eco-smart electric vehicle charging device – zappi – seamlessly integrates with renewable energy generation technologies to harness self-generated energy and allow users to charge their EV for free. In periods of low generation, zappi is able to automatically optimise around a home’s energy tariff to enable charging at both cheaper and greener times from the grid. It integrates with the company’s eddi inverter which diverts
surplus renewable energy to domestic heating systems; and harvi, an energy
monitoring wireless sensor that allows our products to be installed
without wiring a direct CT clamp. It also works with a dedicated smart home battery solution – libbi. The latter makes intelligent decisions about when it provides and stores electricity based on how much energy is being used, how much is generated from renewables and the customer’s electricity tariff. The hybrid battery system can adapt to a wide range of installation setups, accepting both solar and grid charging.
EV Charger Range
Ohme
Ohme is a dynamic smart charging provider and an energy technology innovator that designs and manufacturers EV charging software and hardware. Its chargers identify the vehicle, the energy tariff and the commuting schedule of the driver and then deliver the required charge to the vehicle in the lowest cost and lowest C02 way possible. Compared to charging a vehicle at peak times, Ohme’s smart chargers can automatically charge the vehicle at up to 70 per cent less C02 simply by delaying the charge to when it's best for the grid or when renewable energy generation is at its highest. In conjunction with the smartest electricity tariffs Ohme’s chargers are also able to generate the lowest cost charge possible. When compared to a standard variable tariff the Ohme charger can deliver up to a 70 per cent cost saving, says the company. The units also have built-in 3G and 4G connectivity.
IO7Ratio
The Ratio io7 is a new generation of EV charge point, designed and manufactured in the UK to enable charging in a multitude of environments. The io7 can be configured to suit the user’s power availability and charging needs, internet connectivity, lighting requirements and budget. The judges cited it for its ‘elegance and high degree of integration’.
SOLAR AND BATTERY STORAGE
libbimyenergi
libbi is a dedicated smart home battery which seamless integrates with myenergi’s home energy ecosystem, allowing homeowners to make the most of renewable energy generation technologies to harness self-generated energy and allow users to charge their EV for free. libbi makes intelligent decisions about when it provides and stores electricity based on how much energy is being used, how much is generated from renewables and the customer’s electricity tariff. The hybrid battery system can adapt to a wide range of installation setups, accepting both solar and grid charging. It’s available in ratings from 5 kWh to 20 kWh. An app connects to all myenergi devices, giving owners full control and access from anywhere in the world.
ArcBoxViridian Solar
Research has found that the DC connectors were the second most likely cause of a solar fire after the DC isolator switch. The ArcBox enclosure simply snaps around a DC connector to ensure that if an arc ever occurs it is safely contained and doesn’t spread to combustible materials in or around the solar installation. The internal lining is made from a ‘refractory material’ more normally found in the form of bricks or blocks that line crucibles and furnaces. Viridian has developed a way to manufacture the material into a shape with much finer details to enable the enclosure of the DC connector with sufficient ventilation to remain within operating parameters and allow moisture to drain away. Testing at Loughborough University has confirmed that the ventilation around the connector while inside the ArcBox is sufficient to keep the DC connector within manufacturers recommended temperature at rated current flow.
Q.HOME COREHanwha Qcells
Q.HOME CORE is an integrated solar inverter and energy storage system. Using Samsung battery cells and scalable between 6.8 and 20.5kWh of capacity, it allows the homeowner to see live and historical performance and make full benefit of time-of-use tariffs, grid charging and setting discharge times. In the event of power blackouts there are emergency power features so the battery capacity can remain deploying power into the property.
The Q.OMMAND application is synchronised with Samsung Smart Things, meaning that smart appliances, sockets and even Samsung heat pumps can be analysed and controlled through a single Qcells application.
HEATING AND VENTILATION
eddimyenergi
The myenergi eddi is a state-of-the-art eco-smart power diverter, designed to help households save money and save energy. The first product in myenergi’s connected ecosystem, eddi helps users make the most of green energy generated by their solar panels, wind turbines, or other domestic renewable tech. Rather than exporting surplus electricity back to the grid, eddi redirects extra power to a designated heating appliance, such as an immersion heater, storage heater, underfloor heating, electric heater or any other electrical resistive load up to 3.7kW with a mechanical thermostat. This means a home can be heated using 100 per cent renewable energy, saving money on energy bills and helping to save the planet. eddi can be configured to send energy to up to two heating appliances sequentially with the option to select appliance priority as needed, giving homeoweners control over where green energy is used.
E-Tec HybridAlpha
The E-Tec Hybrid heating system from Alpha offers homeowners a pathway into renewable heating without losing the reliability offered by the tried-and-tested gas boiler. It pairs an efficient boiler – the Alpha E-Tec 33 – with an external heat pump unit. The Smartech controls cleverly combines live energy prices with the outdoor temperature to choose the most efficient combination to heat the home; and when hot water is required, it is provided instantly by the gas boiler. To ensure that the property is heated efficiently, it automatically adjusts the heating flow and water temperature in the radiators depending on demand and also the outside temperature. The maximum you can heat the water can also be adjusted for the heating circuit; however, this will still vary depending on outside temperatures as the system calculates the most efficient one required. The E-Tec Hybrid means that hot water is instantaneous and there is no need for hot water storage. The system can run on existing pipework meaning that the homeowner doesn’t need to worry about any drastic changes to their heating system, such as upgrading radiators. The boiler is also compatible with a 20 per cent hydrogen blend.
AQ17iMasterTherm
The AQ17i is the most compact heat pump in the AquaMaster range. It has an output range of 1 to 5kW and is suited to homes with limited space. It’s cleverly assembled inside a unit that is small enough to fit inside a kitchen or utility room cupboard and the casing has been subject to extensive testing to ensure minimum noise. A flexible capacity range combined with variable inverter drive and expansion valve control guarantee high-efficiency heating at an affordable cost. Features include a seven-year warranty, variable output control, low noise with special insulation, no need for a buffer tank and output
water up to 60 oc. There’s also a smartphone control app, internet diagnostics and visibility of real time energy consumption. The AQ17 has been used to great effect in an innovative new build project of 170 carbon zero homes at Eastern High, Cardiff, which combines industry leading technology and construction. The units are connected to 79 geothermal boreholes up to 180m deep.
RETROFIT PRODUCT
Zypho
Showering is the second most energy-intensive activity in the UK. The average family spends around £600 per year on hot water for showering. Yet the water runs down the drain, taking a lot of heat in it.
Zypho reclaims much of this wasted heat. By replacing a section of waste pipe with a simple heat exchanger, the outgoing water is able to transfer its heat into the fresh incoming cold water heading to the shower mixer. As a result, the ‘cold’ feed to the shower mixer is warmer. To achieve 38-40°C, the
amount of hot water used is reduced.
Zypho’s range of products saves between 30 and 80 per cent of heat, depending on the model used.
Zypho can be easily retrofitted, saving 600 to 2000 kWh annually. This is equivalent to what three to seven solar PV panels would generate a year. However, PV would cost thousands, Zypho only costs a few hundred.
Zypho is available both as a vertical or horizontal unit and can be located under shower trays or baths with minimal plumbing. Weighing around 5kg, the carbon emitted in production is paid back within a couple of months, says the company.
Smart Kinetic Light Switch,Retrotouch
The Retrotouch Smart Kinetic light switches operate wirelessly, without requiring any additional wiring, making the installation process effortless and hassle-free. Another key advantage is their kinetic technology. They use energy harvesting technology, which means they generate their power when you press the switch, so you don't have to worry about replacing batteries or wiring them to the mains. This feature is not only convenient but also environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, making it an excellent choice for retrofit projects.
They are designed to work with traditional wiring using relay blocks which can be wired to any lighting circuit, making them ideal for retrofit projects that aim to update the lighting controls in older homes or buildings.
They come in various finishes, including black, white and with chrome trim to match any decor. Additionally, they are available in one to two-gang options, making it easy to control multiple lights from a single location.
They can be integrated with various home automation systems, including Google Home and Amazon Alexa, to enable voice control of the lighting. Ecosystems such as EnOcean, KNX and Philips Hue. They also have a smartphone app, allowing users to control the lighting from their mobile devices.
Integrated LED Light Kit,Solatube
Solatube® International’s Integrated LED Light Kit allows the combination of natural light and traditional electric light from a single fixture for a cleaner ceiling appearance and nighttime illumination. It works by harnessing the sun’s (free) natural light during the day, and additionally offers cost and energy-efficient LED lighting at night. The Solatube harvests daylight at the rooftop, transfers it down a highly reflective tube, and distributes it evenly into an interior space through a diffuser at the ceiling — on both sunny and cloudy days — with virtually no maintenance. In the evening, the LED lighting takes over. In addition, the high-efficiency LED lighting system includes a dimming option that can be paired with manual and automated dimming controls, which is perfect for offices and schools where lighting control and comfort are important.
Demand Controlled Ventilation Range,Aereco
Aereco has developed the concept of demand controlled ventilation which modules airflow rates according to indoor air quality. Aimed at both residential and office buildings, the Aereco Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) adjusts the rate of air exchange minute by minute, room by room, based on actual need. And because Demand Controlled Mechanical Extract Ventilation (DCMEV) only needs ducting from wet rooms, it makes the system suited for cost effective installation as a whole house ventilation system. The firm says it makes it ideal for refurbishment and retrofit work. Both the inlets and the extracts units react to indoor air quality and adjust the rate of airflow. The fan detects these changes by pressure, which means minimal cables and no control wiring is required and adjusts the flowrate accordingly. The fan is as quiet as a PC and very energy efficient. It requires no filter change, only minimal servicing and should give years of trouble-free running.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Circular PlaceRecolight
Circular Place is an online luminaire exchange from Recolight designed to prevent new, nearly new and pre-used luminaires from being recycled or ending up in landfill. It matches donors – such as real estate developers, electrical, fit-out and waste contractors, and commercial property tenants –
with recipients including organisations and businesses opting for their own reasons – cost, sustainability etc – to install pre-used lighting.
Another key target is the growing number of specialist remanufacturers who will recondition, upgrade, test, warranty and market the luminaires.
A particular focus will be luminaires used in so-called generic Cat A fit-outs, installations of lighting, ceilings and carpeting designed to provide a minimum workable space and help the letting agent to sell the lease. These luminaires – often barely used – frequently end us in a skip as waste.
Recolight currently collects over 1,000 tonnes of light fittings annually. Many are fluorescent fittings with large numbers of identical fittings removed. Currently, virtually none is reused. Some are in very good condition before removal but much of the value is destroyed by recycling. This is the reason Recolight challenged itself with the question: Can we change that?
Merten M-Pure Ocean Plastic Range,Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric’s Merten M-Pure Ocean Plastic is made from 50 per cent regular plastic and 50 per cent from discarded fishermen’s nets.
Millions of tonnes of plastic waste end up in the sea every year and discarded fishing nets, known as ghost nets, are particularly problematic.
The United Nations Environment Program says that they damage and kill sea creatures that become entangled and subsequently suffocate or starve.
According to the UN Environment Programme, discarded fishing gear accounts for 10 per cent of the plastic waste in the oceans.
The nets are collected from beaches and all along the coastline and even from fishermen themselves. The nets are cleaned, sorted, shredded and then the plastic is processed into a recycled polymer. DSM, a specialist company, recycles more than 3,000 tons of nets every year from coastal areas, making an important contribution to protecting the environment.
Nos Sphere 228Diplomat Design
Created by London designer Matthew Kavanagh, the Nos Sphere 228 chandelier is part of a range of lights made from recycled laughing gas canisters. Discarded nitrous oxide canisters are collected from the streets of London. Traditionally part of the catering industry, and more recently consumed as a semi legal high, they are a common sight scattered across urban parks, gutters and pavements outside nightclubs. ‘I've been seeing these canisters littering the streets as I cycle around London and thought it was an incredible waste of a beautifully engineered single-use component. Then the suggestion of a chandelier came from fellow designer Rupert Matthews’. Each Nos Sphere 228 chandelier uses 228 of these recycled canisters, which are machined, threaded, polished and assembled by hand. This beautiful object is then given a second life in a chandelier of dancing light. At a glance, the effect is a cloud of of pristine mirror finish jewels, but on closer inspection one can see fine scratches or surface blemishes; subtle evidence of their recycled origins and a textural fingerprint. A single narrow-focus recessed LED spotlight was chosen to illuminate the chandelier providing some drama and ensuring a dappled silhouette below it, magnifying any subtle movement.
EVO Downlight Linea Light Group
Every single element of Linea Light’s series of EVO downlights has been designed to be assembled and disassembled without using any tools, but just with mechanical movements. This innovative system also allows you to
customise your fixture with over 600 different combinations which span three
different design aesthetics (Quantum, Vos, Warp), two optic layouts to increase visual comfort, five optics with different openings, three colour light temperatures and three different powers controlled by on-off, dimming 1-10V and DALI protocol with double IP. Moreover, the optic group guarantees an IP65 front protection rating, total protection against the ingress of dust and fine particles, as well as water spray and jets.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
Zoneworks XT Hive Clevertronics
Clevertronics’ Zoneworks XT HIVE provides real-time status of emergency lighting installations and automatically produces detailed test and maintenance reports. It can work on one building or a large multi-building estate, and facility mangers can access all devices and records from one central point remotely or on site. The system came into its own during the pandemic lockdowns as commissioning, monitoring and testing could all be achieved remotely. It features one single RF gateway system per 1,000 fittings and an unlimited number of fittings per system. When installed each fitting self-discovers others around it dynamically building and maximising the efficiency of the network which in turn minimises commissioning and system management time. DSM Meshing manages the optimal communication path of each fitting using frequency, signal strength and timing. In a 1,000 fitting network, this ultra-fast data network enables the collection of status and test results in one second or less per fitting.
Airstop Isocell
Isocell Airstop is a range of range of products for achieving wind, air and water tightness for any building, whether it’s block, concrete, steel, ICF, CLT or timber frame. It includes the Diva + moisture-variable vapour barrier, whose membrane changes its diffusion resistance depending on the current humidity. During the winter months room atmosphere is generally dryer. The sd-value of the vapour barrier increases. This process results in the penetration of only a little water vapour into the construction and/or into the insulation. In summer, when there is sufficient solar insolation, the relative humidity behind the membrane is higher as a result of reverse diffusion. The water molecules are stored in the membrane. The sd-value sinks, causing more water vapour to escape from the construction and into the rooms and the building element becomes dryer.
SMART HOME
All-in-one Ceiling Speakers,Lithe Audio
Unlike traditional speakers that require a separate amplifier or receiver, the Lithe Audio All-in-one ceiling speakers have a built-in amplifier, eliminating the need for any additional equipment. This design saves space and simplifies the installation process, making it suited for smart home systems where every component must work together seamlessly. Another key feature of these speakers is their integration with other smart home systems. They are compatible with a range of popular smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Airplay 2. This feature enables users to control the speakers using voice commands, mobile apps or integrate into wider smart home systems, making it easy to customise their audio experience. The speakers are fully scalable, making them ideal for single-room solutions like extensions, as well as full whole-home systems. Users can start with a single pair of speakers and gradually add more over time as needed, without worrying about compatibility issues.They feature a two-way design with a silk dome tweeter and a woven cone woofer, providing clear highs and powerful bass. They also have a frequency response range of 55Hz to 20kHz, ensuring that users can enjoy their music or media with exceptional fidelity.
myenergi rangemyenergi
Myenergi’s range of products form a seamless ecosystem in a home, connecting and managing renewable energy and EV charging. Its eco-smart electric vehicle charging device – zappi – seamlessly integrates with renewable energy generation technologies to harness self-generated energy and allow users to charge their EV for free. In periods of low generation, zappi is able to automatically optimise around a home’s energy tariff to enable charging at both cheaper and greener times from the grid. It integrates with the company’s eddi inverter which diverts
surplus renewable energy to domestic heating systems; and harvi, an energy
monitoring wireless sensor that allows our products to be installed
without wiring a direct CT clamp. It also works with a dedicated smart home battery solution – libbi. The latter makes intelligent decisions about when it provides and stores electricity based on how much energy is being used, how much is generated from renewables and the customer’s electricity tariff. The hybrid battery system can adapt to a wide range of installation setups, accepting both solar and grid charging.
