AJ Engineering use gov’t initiative to deploy IoT in tackling carbon footprint

AJ Engineering, a company specialising in steel fabrication and construction services, has leveraged IoT technology to manage its carbon footprint and enhance operational efficiency. The SME has secured funding and technical support from CENSIS, Scotland’s innovation centre for sensing, imaging, and IoT technologies, positioning it to achieve considerable savings in its annual electricity consumption through innovative smart monitoring systems.

This initiative is part of the IoT Evolve programme, backed by the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), aimed at assisting SMEs in the region to develop and apply IoT technologies.

AJ Engineering’s premises now benefit from a network of connected sensors, enabling the management team to precisely identify energy usage and implement measures to reduce consumption in specific processes or buildings. The technology has revealed substantial savings opportunities, especially in heating and lighting areas previously unnoticed as significant energy consumers.

Unlike traditional smart meters, the IoT system offers detailed insights into specific equipment and circuits, enhancing the company’s decision-making capabilities and supporting its goal to achieve net zero emissions. Additionally, the technology promises cost reductions in monthly overheads and fuel expenses.

Access to real-time data on the company’s carbon footprint also aids AJ Engineering in showcasing its environmental credentials to existing and prospective customers, who increasingly require such information for their carbon accounting practices. The Carbon Trust reports that the average UK SME generates about 15 tonnes of CO2 annually, accounting for 44% of the country’s total non-household emissions.

Graham Alexander, General Manager at AJ Engineering, commented on the impact of the smart monitoring system:

“Introducing this smart monitoring system has opened our eyes to how different parts of the business consume energy. The equipment has allowed us to have a much better appreciation of what aspects of our production and business are the largest energy consumers.

“As well as cutting our own carbon footprint, the technology will have benefits for customers across the sectors we operate in. They are increasingly asking us to supply information about our carbon footprint and the energy consumed by specific processes for their own emissions reporting. With access to accurate real-time data, we will be well-equipped to do so.”

CENSIS engineers developed a modular system featuring multiple sensors that transmit data wirelessly via a LoRaWAN network, managed by telecommunications company North. The company has access to an app-based dashboard for remote data interpretation and display, a critical feature given the site’s limited cellular coverage and the placement of equipment in hard-to-reach areas.

The success of this project is seen as an inspiration for other SMEs in Scotland’s manufacturing sector to explore the adoption of similar IoT technologies.

Ally Longmuir, Business Development Manager at CENSIS, expressed enthusiasm about AJ Engineering’s venture into IoT:

“This was AJ Engineering’s first foray into the world of IoT, and it is great to see the business realising the benefits of the technology almost immediately. Sustainability and carbon accounting are only going to become more critical as Scotland approaches its 2045 net zero target, and this is a great example of how digital adoption can support the wider goals and be applied to almost any industry.”

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