Bamboo Energy creates software that allows consumers to participate in the new energy system

This technological spin-off of the IREC (Institute for Energy Research of Catalonia) created in Barcelona in 2020 has developed an energy optimization platform based on artificial intelligence. The Bamboo Energy platform will coordinate electricity distributors and consumers to define their new roles in an environment where energy flows are no longer unidirectional (from the power station to the consumer), to become bi-directional. Bamboo Energy - which expects to reach 12 million euros in turnover and 100 workers in 5 years - wants to contribute decisively to the promotion of an energy model based on decentralization, the active participation of users and the use of renewable energy sources.

The tech startup Bamboo Energy from Barcelona has launched a software platform aimed at new agents in the energy market, demand aggregators - companies that manage in an aggregated and coordinated way the consumption of various users for its participation in different electricity markets-, which will be key figures in favoring the implementation of renewable energy distributed throughout Europe.

This unique technological solution to manage aggregation arises after seven years of research at IREC and enables companies to operate optimally in new energy markets, generating income while being flexible in consumption and more efficient. Thus, it will coordinate distributors and consumers to define their new roles in an environment where electricity flows cease to be unidirectional (from the generation plant to the consumer), to become bidirectional (the consumer can be at the same time a producer -prosumerand choose the moment to sell and buy energy). The electricity generation of the future will be renewable, more variable, less predictable and decentralized than traditional electricity generation. These changes will affect both the industrial and business sphere as well as the domestic one, and will require greater flexibility in the management of both generation and demand. With its proposal, Bamboo Energy provides the consumer with the technological tools to become an active agent of the system, transforming its flexibility in the consumption of appliances connected to the electrical network into a significant saving in the electricity bill.

In addition, the management of energy flexibility promotes the use of clean energies, promoting decarbonisation.

According to Cristina Corchero, the creator of the platform, founder of Bamboo Energy and director of the IREC Energy Systems Analysis research group, "achieving a 100% renewable energy system is not possible without the flexibility of demand. In this sense, Bamboo Energy is an enabling agent for the transformation of the energy sector ". Thanks to its algorithms, the platform allows functionalities such as forecasting the demand for electricity consumption, predicting customer flexibility, the possibility of making optimal joint offers in real time, the management of all flexible assets (such as electrical equipment, air conditioning, electric vehicles, batteries or cold machines) in response to the request of the network operator, or the issuance of alerts in case the power rises excessively. Through a control center, it connects to the electricity market to offer these services. Àlex Gomar, founder and CEO of Bamboo Energy, emphasizes

"we are aligned with the 2030 SDGs in the world of energy. Our purpose is to be engines to build the technological products that the future energy paradigm needs." A booming startup Bamboo Energy emerges in a very favorable legislative context, with the opening of the energy flexibility markets in Spain at the beginning of 2021. It is currently in a growth phase and plans to accelerate its internationalization, making the leap to different markets in Europe during the second half 2021.

The company expects to reach 12 million euros in turnover and 100 workers in 5 years. The energy sector marketers Nexus Energía and Electra Caldense Energía, and potential independent aggregators such as the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), the Andalusian Technology Park (PTA) or Europastry, and distributors such as e-distribution from the Coordinet project have already started connect buildings and other energy assets through the Bamboo Energy platform.

The law in Spain only allows the aggregation of demand to energy marketers with a sufficient volume of flexible generation (such as industries and tertiary buildings). But it is expected that from the end of 2021 the figure of independent aggregators will come into force (for example, large electrointensive consumers, energy service companies, infrastructure managers, etc.) and, therefore, Bamboo Energy will be able to offer its services to any company that wants to manage the flexibility of its assets in the near future. Later on, local energy communities will also develop, which will be able to buy and manage energy in an aggregate way, which will constitute another growth opportunity for the startup.

Support from renowned investment partners After participating in the beginning in the Collider acceleration program as one of the most promising Spanish technology spin-offs, Bamboo Energy became an institutional partner EIT Innoenergy - a European organization that promotes the most cutting-edge innovations in the energy sector - and has been adhered to its Highway program, which has accelerated its growth throughout Europe. Additionally, the company has received a direct aid of 75,000 euros from the Startup Capital line of ACCIÓ (the agency for business competitiveness of the Department of Labor of the Generalitat de Catalunya), intended for tech startups in their initial phase. This endowment will help finance the investment in technological products and talent of a value of 250,000 euros that the company will carry out this year. A leading founding team in research and entrepreneurship The four founders of Bamboo Energy provide credibility and know-how in the field of research and entrepreneurship:

Cristina Corchero, PhD in Optimization and creator of the platform's algorithms and models, is the CSO (Chief Scientific Officer) and CTPO (Chief Technology & Product Officer) of the startup; Manel Sanmartí, Industrial Engineer and MBA at IDM (Switzerland) and expert in energy resources, is the Director of Corporate Development and Technology Transfer at IREC and Business Developer at Bamboo Energy; Mattia Barbero, engineer expert in Energy Management, is a PhD student at IREC that works as a Data Scientist and Product Owner at Bamboo Energy; and Àlex Gomar, an Industrial Engineer and MBA at IESE with a wide experience within the entrepreneurial tech ecosystem and current president of Impact VB, is the CEO of Bamboo Energy. About Bamboo Energy Bamboo Energy is a technological spin-off of IREC created in 2020 in Barcelona that has developed an energy optimization platform based on artificial intelligence, with the purpose of contributing to the promotion of a new decentralized energy model based on renewable sources. It allows to manage, in an aggregate and coordinated way, the consumption of multiple users for them to participate in different electricity markets.

About IREC The Catalan Energy Research Institute (IREC) is the benchmark research center in the energy sector in Catalonia, and is part of the CERCA system of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Created in 2008, it aims to contribute to the sustainable development of society and increase the competitiveness of the industry in the energy sector. The IREC develops world-class research for the medium and long term, innovation and development of new technological products and dissemination of knowledge for citizens.

Source: Bamboo Energy

5G accelerates track construction

They often work at night, unnoticed by the public, yet ensuring all our safety. These are the specialists from Rhomberg Sersa, a leading company in the field of track construction and maintenance. For some time now, high technology has gone hand in hand with steel, gravel and ballast on the construction site. This both ensures the most effective use of the extremely tight maintenance windows and increases safety for workers and train passengers. Most people know from their own experience that construction is no simple matter. We have all heard of people who take on one construction project, but decide never to repeat the endeavour. Opinions about construction workers are formed quickly, and often unfairly. There are additional challenges when it comes to constructing railway infrastructure: extremely short time frames, night shifts, dangerous and hard physical work. In tunnels, for example, you can’t simply double the number of machines or workers; it requires meticulous planning. Digitisation could help in many cases. In the future, digital images of construction sites – digital twins – will be created, simulated and optimised before the excavators drive up with gravel and ballast and implement the model 1:1. Combining technology with construction site reality If digitisation projects fail, it is much more likely a result of focus or culture rather than lack of know-how. The Swiss family-owned company Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group has successfully been able to combine technology with the physical aspects of the construction site. Here, large machines, gravel, ballast and steel come together with 5G, the Internet of Things, the cloud and data-driven business. For Rhomberg Sersa, the 5G network is also key to its to future plans. As Hubert Rhomberg, co-owner of Rhomberg Sersa, explains: “We need innovations to increase our sustainability and efficiency. The construction industry creates lots of emissions, and it is organised in a highly patchwork fashion.” Another driver for digitisation is the shortage of skilled workers demographically: “Working in construction is not sexy. We have to make the work more attractive so that we can continue to find the best personnel in the future. These days, we hire foremen alongside programmers or game developers and they work hand in hand.” How does innovation work? Hubert Rhomberg explains: “We need to be consistent in the way we share knowledge. Communication is key across all units and levels.” Technology is secondary: it’s about people and cooperation. If a foreman on a construction site wants a particular app because he saw a colleague use it, you have achieved your goal. You have to win people over. When Rhomberg Sersa is on a construction site, usually at night, working to very tight deadlines, an increasing number of digital tools are supporting its construction workers. The first steps to a digital construction site, such as artificial intelligence, have been implemented in advance. It recognises the types of construction machines in pictures. Christian Schollenberger, Head of IT at Rhomberg Sersa, explains: “We gave Swisscom’s data scientists 40 hours to develop the data model. We can recognise devices and machines in photos. The model now has 95 per cent accuracy.” This information flows into planning and logistics. Hubert Rhomberg has a practical view of innovation: “Innovation is not witchcraft; it’s a systematic approach. Collect ideas, evaluate them, park them, discard them or move on. Out of ten ideas, only two will make it further.” But not at any cost: “You have to create a precise framework and stop if you don’t reach the intended goal. You discard these ideas or accept the timing is not right,” adds Hubert Rhomberg. Another step is the prototype of a track survey trolley on which a cloud, mobile network connection and much more is installed. Christian Schollenberger said: “The cameras on the survey trolley measure the railway track while it is moving with an accuracy of tenths of a millimetre. This allows you to see where maintenance work is needed and to reduce breakdowns on the world’s busiest rail network.” The survey trolley even detects loosened nuts when travelling at 60 km/h over the track. Rhomberg Sersa and Swisscom are currently working on a total of five sub-projects, which include 5G, the Internet of Things, cloud and data-driven business, which they are testing in the tough track construction environment. According to Julian Dömer, Head of IoT at Swisscom: “We are testing the technologies in the tough environment and proving they work. The systematic innovation at Rhomberg Sersa serves as a model for the entire industry. They are combining technical innovation with economic benefit.” Technologies used and their function Data encompasses every conceivable type of information. But not all information is of equal value, which is why it has to be analysed and processed. This information provides an overall picture of the construction site. The more detailed the picture, the better the construction project can be planned.

• Data collection: the Internet of Things collects data on the construction site. Practically everything on a construction site generates data: machines, tools, measuring devices and employee devices. The more data collected, the larger the silo of data that can be utilised.

• Transporting data: transmission takes place over 5G because the data from the construction site must be brought together centrally.

• Data pre-processing on site: because an enormous amount of data is generated on the construction site, it is pre-processed on site in an Edge Cloud before it is transmitted. Image recognition of video data takes place at this early stage, for example.

• Data utilisation: all of the pre-processed data comes together in the actual cloud. However, significant value can only be obtained from the data through the incorporation of further sources, the analysis of longer periods of time and the integration of further sources, such as other parties involved in the construction. The task now is to recognise patterns from this data and to use data analytics to gain insights that make construction sites simpler, more sustainable or safer. This data can then be refined using algorithms and artificial intelligence, as required.

The specific project of Rhomberg Sersa and Swisscom In their joint project, Rhomberg Sersa and Swisscom are developing and testing sub-projects for digital construction sites:

• Local 5G networks on construction sites that connect all devices and machines that generate data. This application is particularly important internationally, where mobile phone coverage is lower than in Switzerland and temporary local networks could step into the breach.

• Local cloud on a railway wagon, which pre-processes the large amounts of data using artificial intelligence and machine learning on the construction site. This involves applications for personal safety (e.g. using image recognition in dangerous situations), construction progress and measurements.

• Edge IoT: How can Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models be used directly on the IoT devices instead of a cloud?

• Tracking and localisation of machines and things on different construction sites in different countries. This is vital because maintenance windows are extremely short and therefore construction sites need to be perfectly planned.

• Machine monitoring: using all machine data to proactively avoid failures, bill directly or issue alerts.

Source: Swisscom

Vodafone uses AWS Wavelength to launch first Multi-access Edge Computing

UK business customers and software developers can now use the ultra-low latency capabilities this partnership provides to do things that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

• Wavelength on the Vodafone 4G and 5G networks delivers ultra-low latency capabilities to UK business customers and software developers serving the UK market.

• Customer trials continue in Germany, with general availability scheduled for later in 2021.

• Unique combination of Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) and Vodafone’s 5G network set to enable creation of novel services and use cases that would not be possible otherwise.

Vodafone has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) services delivered with AWS Wavelength for Vodafone business customers in the UK.

The launch follows Vodafone trials with companies in a range of areas, including sports technology, autonomous transport, biometric security, remote virtual reality, and factory automation. Vodafone is the only telecoms operator able to offer business customers the combination of 5G and MEC services in the UK.

The process of deploying MEC infrastructure can also be known as moving services ‘closer to the edge of the network’. AWS Wavelength brings AWS compute and storage services to the edge of Vodafone’s network, enabling applications that require increased speeds, massive bandwidth, and ultra-low latency, such as industrial automation, video analytics and machine learning inference (artificial intelligence) at the edge, and interactive live video streaming. Hosting applications closer to the end user means that data does not have to cross the internet to be processed in locations around the world. This approach means that lag, known as latency, can be almost eradicated as data is both captured and processed closer to the end-user device, offering much faster response times and a much-improved experience. There are additional advantages beyond the speed and latency capabilities of MEC, including:

• Security: distributed deployments could minimize the impact of single cybersecurity incidents.

• Cost: processing data closer to where it is generated means enables better use of bandwidth.

• Scale: additional resources can be deployed on-demand as and where needed to increase capacity.

In partnership with AWS, Vodafone can initially offer low-latency MEC services to customers in London and the surrounding area, as well as towns and cities including Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and Cardiff. In the MEC coverage zones, in optimum conditions, latency could be as low as 10 milliseconds Round Trip Time (RTT) between the base station and MEC infrastructure. In 2022, Vodafone will deploy AWS Wavelength to serve customers in Scotland and the northern regions of England, with additional locations being added.

Anne Sheehan, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said: “We are taking our business beyond the traditional boundaries of telecoms connectivity services so that we can bring customers amazing new services. Edge Compute and 5G is a combination no other service provider can deliver in Europe, which means we can offer something unique to our customers. We’ve already seen new services being developed by our trialists – the potential for completely new ideas enabled by this combination is massive.”

George Elissaios, General Manager of AWS Wavelength and Director of Product Management, AWS, said: “By combining AWS Wavelength and Vodafone 5G, businesses and applications developers can now leverage the full breadth of AWS cloud services right at the edge of 5G networks. This enables Wavelength customers to explore new business opportunities, build applications and services that were not possible before, and transform user experiences in the UK.” What is critically important about MEC is the ability to build and commercialise services that would not have been possible before. New services and applications are likely to be defined by a blend of highly responsive MEC infrastructure and the high-bandwidth, high-capacity features of 5G connectivity, for example:

• Healthcare: the introduction of MEC capabilities in the healthcare industry is a step towards more proactive and autonomous care by analysing data at the point of collection in an environment where seconds count.

• Smart manufacturing/Industry 4.0: low latency capabilities help to enable immediate responses and real-time insights. The ability for equipment to make decisions based on real-time information without human intervention or delay could be a significant advantage for an organisation.

• Transportation/logistics: the optimisation of traffic routes, for more effective city traffic management or logistics companies, could significantly impact quality of life in city centres and the environment. A more intuitive and digitised transport system also sets the scene for the management of autonomous vehicles in the future.

VR and AR start-up Xpllore has also trialled the multi-access edge computing service from Vodafone and AWS WavelengthSince the partnership with AWS was announced in November 2020, Vodafone and AWS have been working with several customers through its Edge Innovation Programme to demonstrate MEC capabilities. More than 180 companies signed up to the programme, including:

• Sportable: sports technology company Sportable provides insight using proprietary technology worn by players and embedded in balls. The distributed MEC pilot proved to be more affordable than LAN and lower latency and faster than the internet to transfer packets of data, providing real-time insight for fans, coaches and broadcasters. Latency was lowered to 36.55 milliseconds on average compared to 221.87 milliseconds for the internet.

• Aurrigo: Aurrigo has piloted an autonomous shuttle bus which runs between the park and ride and the campus at Cambridge University, with MEC and 5G capabilities greatly improving safety and performance. This the door for more smart city use cases involving autonomous vehicles, as well as the “mobility as a service” model.

• Keyless: Keyless is a biometric “passwordless” security solution that makes this authentication process faster, more secure and more reliable. Distributed MEC, using Vodafone’s 5G network, handles this compute-heavy authentication process near instantly, improving the experience for consumers without compromising on security or privacy and supporting retail customers to reduce abandoned payments.

• Xpllore: an interactive remote-virtual reality experience where the low-latency benefits of MEC created a smoother experience for students and teachers.

• Interdigital: using Vodafone’s 5G network and AWS Wavelength, Interdigital experienced an average upstream bandwidth above 50 Mbps and an average end-to-end latency less than 15 milliseconds. Focusing on two Industry 4.0 use cases, the detection and disposal of defects on a production line and the remote navigation of a vehicle on the factory floor, Interdigital were able to dramatically improve performance thanks to high bandwidth and low latency improvements.

Source: Vodafone