immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Effizienzsteigerung

  • Robot system optimises lift installation in Singapore

    Robot system optimises lift installation in Singapore

    Schindler’s robotic installation system for lifts, Schindler R.I.S.E, has been used in the new Shaw Tower in Singapore. As the Ebikon-based company reports in a LinkedIn post, the robot plays a key role in the installation by reducing manual labour, improving site safety and increasing the overall efficiency of the installation process. The self-climbing robot autonomously performs installation steps such as drilling and placing anchor bolts.

    With the R.I.S.E system, installation steps can be completed faster than with conventional installation methods. While the system works independently and requires no operation, a camera mounted on the platform enables remote monitoring. In addition, a Schindler R.I.S.E operator remains on site during the installation period for quality control and support.

    “Schindler R.I.S.E is now being used successfully on numerous construction sites around the world. It has not only impressed customers and colleagues with its unrivalled speed and accuracy, but has also drastically improved working conditions for our employees. It is innovation at its best,” says Urs Püntener, Head of Global Fulfilment at the Schindler Group, via the company website.

  • Efficiency boost for hydrogen

    Efficiency boost for hydrogen

    Electrolysis, the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, is a tried and tested process, but is not yet fully utilised in terms of energy technology. Although the theoretical voltage required is 1.23 volts, in practice 1.5 to 1.6 volts are often necessary. This discrepancy is costly and slows down economic utilisation.

    A research team led by Franz Geiger has now identified a central cause. Before oxygen is released, the water molecules must rotate on their axis in order to align their oxygen atoms with the electrode. Only then can the oxygen evolution reaction take place. This rotation requires a considerable amount of energy comparable to that which holds water molecules together in a liquid state.

    Visualisation using laser technology
    This insight was made possible by a new type of analysis method, phase-resolved second harmonic generation. Using this laser technology, the researchers were able to observe in real time when and how many molecules change their orientation. This data provides a precise energetic quantification of the rotation for the first time. A milestone for the further development of more efficient electrolysis processes.

    Particular attention was paid to the haematite electrode, an inexpensive iron oxide that, despite its promising properties, has so far suffered from low efficiency. The new analysis now reveals where there is potential for optimisation.

    Basic pH value as a lever for increasing efficiency
    Another key factor is the pH value of the solution. The study shows that an alkaline environment, i.e. a pH value above 9, significantly reduces the energy required for molecule rotation. This significantly increases the efficiency of the oxygen evolution reaction. Electrolysis hardly takes place below this threshold.

    This realisation opens up new perspectives for industrial hydrogen production. In combination with targeted catalysts and advanced cell materials, electrolysis plants can be operated more economically and with fewer resources in future.

  • AI solution optimises solar systems

    AI solution optimises solar systems

    SmartHelio has developed a predictive diagnostics solution for photovoltaic systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) and launched it on the market in early 2024. It bears the name Autopilot. Since then, this platform for controlling, operating and maintaining solar power plants has optimised the efficiency of 218 such systems with more than 2 gigawatt peak, according to the manufacturer. Their output has been increased by an average of 8 per cent.

    According to the information provided, the plug-in system with more than 50 proprietary algorithms delivers 95 per cent accuracy from day one in detecting faults before they affect performance. According to SmartHelio, the one-time diagnostics process identifies remediable energy losses of up to 7 per cent on average. Data quality is improved by over 98 per cent.

    The service life is increased by eight years, solar energy production by 10 per cent and the return on investment by up to 600 per cent. Above all, Autopilot significantly reduces diagnosis times, says CEO and founder Govinda Upadhyay: “From 358 hours to just 3 hours – the technology is helping us to redefine diagnosis and save solar plant operators time.” The company plans to expand the areas of application to battery storage and energy trading, thereby driving forward the energy transition worldwide.

    SmartHelio is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne based in the canton of Vaud and operates a branch office in Uttar Pradesh, India. The company, which was founded in 2019, will be presenting its technology at the World Future Energy Summitfrom 14 to 16 January 2025. It will be one of eight exhibitors in the SWISS Pavilion as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

  • Benetics presents strong growth

    Benetics presents strong growth

    Benetics has developed software that can be used to efficiently coordinate work on construction sites. Since entering the market in October 2023, the Zurich-based proptech has recorded strong growth. According to an article on startupticker.ch, 25 companies, mainly from the electrical industry, are already using Benetics’ digital application. Most of these are companies with 10 to 15 employees, while the largest customer has over 100 employees using the software.

    “Our app-based tool hardly needs any time for onboarding, makes construction plans digitally usable and, in addition to other functions, has photo documentation of the work done and an integrated intelligent translation service,” Benetics co-founder and CEO Ferdinand Metzler is quoted as saying in the article. Users can enter texts and voice messages in their native language. They are then automatically translated into the languages used by the other participants.

    Benetics is currently run by 13 people, nine of whom come from the development industry. Many of them, including the two other co-founders Aaron Shon and Johan Tibell, previously worked at Google, according to the article. “With our development team, we are quick to implement customer input,” says Metzler. The company also has extensive expertise in big data and artificial intelligence.

  • Bouygues ES builds digitally and with robots

    Bouygues ES builds digitally and with robots

    Bouygues Energies & Services uses work robots and a version of the digital planning method Building Information Modeling (BIM) on a construction site in Zuchwil, BIM-to-field. According to the press release , both will be used as part of the new RiverNest building in Zuchwil. The center of excellence for renewable energy, which will also be the headquarters of the Helion business unit of Bouygues ES, is currently being built as a timber structure on the site on the Aare.

    On the basis of the coordination and execution plans, the basics for the prefabrication of the pipeline construction and the fastening points were modeled. A logistics concept was also drawn up in order to order all materials for the construction of the systems in the desired quantity and in the required dimensions. According to the press release, planning risks can be minimized and sources of error avoided in this way.

    The Jaibot , a semi-autonomous drilling robot developed by Hilti , was also used for the first time in timber construction at the construction site in Zuchwil. Based on the digital planning data, the Jaibot worked its way through the premises and drilled all the holes required for mounting the suspensions. In doing so, he operated independently within a specified radius and also marked the drilled holes for the respective trade, according to the statement. The robot works much faster than a worker and avoids misinterpretation of the planning data.

    This "does not mean that we no longer need the fitter on the construction site," says Yves Kessler, HVAC Division Manager at Bouygues ES in the Jürasüdfuss region. But he no longer has to be used for "low-quality work" such as drilling holes on suitable construction sites.