Background
measurable.energy have designed a range of smart plug sockets for use in commercial and industrial settings, which recognises devices which are plugged in and monitors their energy consumption, automatically turning them on and off to eliminate plug power waste. Powered by machine learning, their plug sockets automatically identify and address wasteful energy usage, adapting dynamically to fluctuations in energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions and electricity bills.
measurable.energy approached eg technology due to our electromechanical expertise and previous experience of developing smart power, energy-monitoring products.
measurable.energy smart plug sockets minimise carbon emissions and reduce electricity costs by at least 20%
Understanding the problem
measurable.energy came to eg with a prototype of their device which demonstrated the technical viability of their proposed solution, but needed substantial further development to meet the demanding standards applicable to power sockets and cost targets.
Their minimum viable prototype utilised an early-stage prototype PCB and off-the-shelf components, which were unsuitable for volume manufacture due to their high cost. Although the device worked effectively, our engineers were tasked with optimising the development to ensure compliance and scope for scale.
Plug power – electricity used by everyday devices connected to power sockets or fused spurs – accounts for 40% of total electricity usage in most commercial and office buildings.
Engineering the Solution
Our previous experience with the design and development of smart plugs and the technical demands of standards such as BS 1363 was instrumental in our approach to this project. Having created detailed user and product specifications, we generated a series of concepts for the device. We developed the electronics, optimised the PCB layout and generated proof of principle prototypes to mitigate any identified risks in the process.
The secondary phase was dedicated to detailed design, where we cycled through Alpha and Beta Prototype phases. Our understanding of manufacturing and assembly processes meant that we naturally considered material selection and how assembly sequences, robustness and tolerances would be accommodated using techniques, such as moulding. Our mechanical and electronics engineering teams worked in synergy to fully integrate the mechanics and electronics into a single enclosure that not only met EMC requirements, but was also easy to manufacture, assemble and service, in order to facilitate volume requirements. We were then able to perform initial safety tests on the design and evaluate product performance. To ensure regulatory compliance, it was essential that the faceplate was specified in a fire-retardant material and as per BS1363, the apertures were required to be covered by shutters to prevent accidental shock. It was also necessary for the product to fit into the smallest UK backbox (with a depth of 25mm).
Our team wrote some of the early firmware to enable testing on the early prototype hardware and then worked closely with measurable.energy’s own team throughout the project, as they managed the cloud, AI and machine learning element of the product. As the project progressed we also worked closely with the client’s third party embedded software partner to fully integrate the software and firmware. Our electronics team were able to cost reduce some of the sub-systems: including the PSU (power supply unit), relay and energy monitoring in a compliant way to realise volume manufacture.
Navigating the challenges of procuring components during a global semiconductor shortage was particularly complex. The chip specified in the proof of principle device became unavailable within the project time-frame due to extreme lead times, but our engineers used their experience to redesign and optimise the energy-monitoring sub-system so that an alternative, readily available chip could be utilised.
The final phase of the project was dedicated to providing pre-production prototypes. We conducted a thorough risk analysis and FMEA, ensuring identified issues were addressed and mitigated in any design changes. Rigorous compliance testing was then conducted, prior to transfer to manufacture. Our team worked closely with both measurable.energy and their chosen suppliers to hand the design over and deliver the project within constrained development timescales.
measurable.energy plug sockets harness machine learning to deliver scalability, energy and emission reductions, and significant cost savings.
Regulations and device classification
The ultimate aim for measurable.energy was to achieve regulatory compliance to facilitate market launch.
The extensive electronics engineering was carried out in accordance with regulations BS 1363, BS 60669, BS 61000, IEC 60884 respectively.
EMC approval was gained and they launched the CE Marked product in late 2022.
The full project was developed within our quality system.
End Result
We worked closely with the measurable.energy team, supporting them throughout the multiphase programme. We delivered pre-production prototypes, supported transfer to manufacture and provided the required design and technical documentation to incorporate into their technical file.
measurable.energy successfully launched their smart plug socket onto the UK market in late 2022 and are being used by clients such as Kier, Balfour Beatty, Werneck Group and the University of Reading, the latter of whom have seen a 60% reduction in energy use.
measurable.energy are not short of industry awards for their innovative product. Their most recent win was at the Thames Valley Tech & Innovation Awards, where they were awarded the Sustainable Tech Company of The Year. Other awards and accolades include Best Innovation in IoT & Sensors at the 7th annual CogX Awards, the Most Innovative New Hardware Product award at the 2022 Building Innovation Awards, the Carbon and Energy Reduction and the Sustainability Champion Award at the Big Sustainability Awards 2022. In early 2023, measurable.energy also announced that they had been successful in securing £4.5 million series A funding, dedicated to fuelling the next stage of growth and to eliminate energy waste along with CO2e emissions on a huge scale, with a further investment round of £4m being announced October 2024.
Are you ready to develop your product or idea?
For further information on how eg technology can support in getting your technology or ideas to market or to chat with one of the eg team about your product design and development requirements, please get in touch.
Further examples of our work in CleanTech
Every project we work on is tailored to the needs of our clients. This extends to their privacy requirements and as such this selection of case studies includes those which our clients are happy for us to share. For more information, please get in touch.
