We are are pleased to announce the ‘BLCK BOX’ project as the latest winner of an ‘I’ve got an idea’ Fund award .

BLCK BOX is the idea for an innovative tool that uses granular data from sensors to create digital twins for commercial buildings. The digital twin is capable of accurately quantifying heat loss on a room-by-room basis that is viable for a reliable decarbonisation strategy for commercial buildings. The model can be used to highlight fabric improvement opportunities as well as provide accurate measurements for heat pump sizing

The Prospectory Idea Fund is covering the purchase of the necessary sensors for the project’s initial experimentation in 2 test buildings to validate the concept.  The plan is to use the first part of the 2024/25 heating season for data collection and digital twin building and the 2nd half of the heating season to validate the outcome of the new models. One data point per sensor will be collected every minute for a period of 6 weeks generating approximately 1 million data points to build a sophisticated digital twin. The project team will then validate their calculations with smart gas meters and also heat meters already installed in the buildings.

The Idea Fund always welcomes applicants who are testing their ideas through their own DIY experimentation however sophisticated or simple in kind.