Energy and resource surveillance systems without the challenges of batteries

Project Information

RePower

Grant agreement ID: 681390

DOI

10.3030/681390

Project closed

EC signature date 19 June 2015

Start date 1 July 2015

End date 31 December 2015

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

REMONI A/S
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RePower (Energy and resource surveillance systems without the challenges of batteries)

Reporting period: 2015-07-01 to 2015-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Problem
Waste and overconsumption of resources are major challenges in EU, as it leads to unnecessary environmental burdens and economic loss. To lower the loss, monitoring building health and energy consumption are of great importance. Because the sensors measuring the building health and energy consumption must often be placed in the building constructions (inside the insulation, behind walls, floors, ceiling, in concrete, etc.), it is very expensive if the batteries must be replaced. Batteries are typically avoided using energy harvesters, which harvest energy from the surroundings, but the existing energy harvesting technologies do not work inside the building constructions.

Solution
The patented RePower solution is created to solve an industry-wide challenge not properly addressed by any of the competing technologies to deliver battery-less sensors to monitor e.g. buildings, powerlines or machines, by harvesting the energy from the outside of multicore power cables, without damaging the cable in any way. Multicore cables are widely present in building constructions, and this energy source is therefore present throughout the buildings. RePower thereby disrupts the market for sensor systems, by enabling battery-less sensors in an environment where batteries have been the only option, until today. Compared to other sensor energy sources, RePower is:
(A) Usable in building installations;
(B) Cost-efficient;
(C) Non-invasive;
(D) Long-life;
(E) Safe;
(F) Made for slim designs

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Project results
At the current stage, a prototype of RePower is developed and patented. In the conducted Phase 1 project, RePower has been business developed, demoed, and improved on both the encapsulation and efficiency. In Phase 2, it will be proved in full scale solutions for building health monitoring and OEM, matured for efficient serial production, and the business will be updated for sales in the international markets.

Market
Our first customer segment is the non-residential buildings, because these customers are simultaneously aware of the economic benefits of building health monitoring and the challenges of using batteries. When proved in the primary segment, the building health solution will be extended to the other building health customer segments. In second stage, we will extend to OEM solutions, and in a third stage RePower is further cost-optimised using ASIC design. The Go-to-market strategy is based on international partnerships on sales and distribution. Caverion is our current main partner, who is one of the biggest building facility companies in Northern and Central EU, with more than 17,000 employees.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

In year three to five after market-launch, we expect a yearly turnover of 1.3 million RePower driven units, delivering an added revenue of 68 million €, and about 265 new employments at ReMoni and our partners. In the later step three, RePower is ASIC cost optimised, which will enhance the market and employment further.

Installation guide for RePower

RePower installed on a cable