An energetic tool to help manage business ambitions
THE word legacy is somewhat overused. But Visi – the real-time energy monitoring technology, installed by EDF Energy at sports venues across the Olympic Park – has a business case that reaches beyond the Games.
Visi (see screenshot right) helps energy managers understand and reduce electricity consumption. It will remain at the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre and Velodrome when the athletes have gone home. But, in a bid to help managers and employees understand their own energy issues, EDF Energy will also offer Visi technology to its business customers.
Visi offers managers insight into a building’s energy use. The costs of wasted energy can mount up. And simply switching off equipment that employees control individually – such as computers in an office or a bakery oven in a supermarket – can make a big difference. Visi will provide the statistics to back up company policies.
The technology also allows employees to interact with a real-time display of the energy being used within their workplace to see how it changes during different parts of the day and year; along with the impact that factors such as the weather have on consumption levels. Historic energy trends also provide a valuable tool for monitoring use.
On its travels across the globe, EDF Energy has literally helped keep the Olympic flame ablaze (it fuelled the 8,000 relay torches and the Olympic Cauldron). Through the vagaries of various climates, EDF has managed to keep the fire burning. When it comes to powering the country, innovative companies will also keep the lights on, but costs also matter. Visi will help make the case for less waste – which can only be a good thing.