It is a system of small gadgets that collect the information from the appliances and sends it to a web platform that offers the consumer solutions for energy savings. It is called NUbINGS and is marketed since September by a Galician start-up, Efismart, formed by three young physicists.
José Rodríguez, 32, is the CEO. Pablo Pérez, 33, is responsible for Operations. Enrique Figueroa, 37, is responsible for Development. All three are physicists and doctors, one in efficiency, another in ICT and another in electronics. In addition, two of them have work experience in the development of photovoltaic panels. Before developing NUbings they had already founded Efismart from where they worked on energy efficiency projects for SMEs.
“The idea came about because while carrying out efficiency analyzes we realized that there was no commercial product that was good and cheap, accessible through the Internet of Things and that had a good platform with application for mobile phones. We thought it had potential because the electricity bill in Spain had risen by 70 percent in five years and the tool would allow great energy savings” says José Rodríguez.
Average energy savings of 300 euro per house per year
According to the first pilot experiments carried out by the company, the system obtains for its users an average energy savings of 300 euro per house per year. NUbings technological development allows the use of different analysis variables, such as electricity expenditure, hourly consumption or CO2 emissions.
NUbINGS operation is based on a real-time analysis of energy expenditure of household appliances and lighting by using small gadgets with wireless and self-installing sensors.
How is it?
As its CEO tells us the device is the size of a cigarette box. In the power panel below each magneto–thermal switch there is a phase cable that is surrounded with a perimetric clamp. The other side of the clamp is another cable that has a jack connector that plugs into the device.
The devices send the consumption data through the home Internet connection to software developed by the company that manages the information. Based on an own analysis algorithm, the tool returns free of charge the individual results of household appliances and global consumption profiles.
What information does NUbings give you back?
The NUbINGS platform enables you to quantify the savings by connecting the consumption data collected with their database, which includes all electricity rates in the market. Based on this, the system offers information on how to contract the best rate for the user.
In addition, when analyzing the consumption of each electric circuit (usually associated with only one household appliance), the technological tool traces the network and seeks the best alternative to each appliance to increase savings.
It offers a visual and easy to interpret information on the amortization period of the investment to be made with the appliance change, as well as the energy savings that will be achieved and allows the purchase of each appliance suggested from its website.
In addition, the system has multiple functionalities added, since it can be used to detect appliances breakdowns and even as an alarm against potential thefts.
If you put it in a circuit it costs you 79 euro, 99 if you put it in three circuits, and if you want it for six circuits the price is 119 euro. They market it through their website.
