KLUGIT
2019
Klugit is a growing Startup whose mission is to put families on the frontline, fighting for a clean energy future by saving, storing, and renewing energy.
With this project, Klugit wants to develop an easy-to-use and easy-to-install solution to turn any electric water heater into a smart appliance. These new smart features lead to energy savings, avoiding heating water when there is no need to do so. Also, it allows demand response services by giving preference to heating in low-demand energy periods, taking advantage of cheap tariffs and greener energy.
NEED HELP
DEVELOPING
YOUR TECH
PRODUCT?
ABOUT THE PROJECT
PROJECT GALLERY
01.
Problem
It’s a known fact that any electric water heater wastes energy and money. For instance, right after a shower, the boiler starts heating up even if it is the last shower of the day. Since the boiler´s insulation is not perfect, it will lose energy over time.
This wasted energy can represent up to 1.5 kWh per day!
02.
Hypothesis
Is it possible to save energy in water heaters by applying Artificial Intelligence mechanisms to normal boilers?
It would allow the system to learn the user’s water consumption pattern and optimize the heatings to save energy and money.
03.
Proof of Concept
To find the technology required to validate the concept, we developed an electronic box that we call KLU (Klugit Lab Unit). This is an IoT device that collects data from several different sensors and sends all of it to our cloud system. Besides that, it also allows to turn OFF/ON the water heater. In this stage, neither the cost nor the design was taken into account.
To validate the hypothesis, we distributed 10 KLUs in different houses and public spaces collecting valuable information about the dynamics of the system. In just 2 months we were able to prove the energy-saving potential of the solution.
05.
Pilot Project
Pilot projects are the real scenario test, so we put the Klugit plug into the wild. So far we delivered 30+ units to home users, inside 3 pilot projects.
One of them is going on in Azores with Azores electricity provider - EDA with amazing results. We were able to save more than 130 EUR/year per family and, at the same time, shift electricity consumption away from fossil fuel-based periods to more renewable available ones.
In these pilots, we are validating the product as a whole: its usability, its reliability, the packaging, all the infrastructure, and the mobile app.
We are creators like you, we understand your pains and vision for the future.
Book a call with us!
04.
Prototype
At this stage, we worked in 2 parallel development branches: design and engineering. Each area had several iteration cycles of specification, prototype, and validation to test assumptions of how the product should work and look.
Design
The design phase is all about human interaction, how it looks and how it feels. We started by defining and building the user’s journey: the unboxing, the installation, and the product setup. Then, we started with the high-level sketches, defining the form factor and size of the plug, and working on the smart sensor’s usability and aesthetics. We did a lot of prototyping in the smart sensor, given its impact on the final design. The focus was to obtain something easy to install and that at the same time assured a rigid connection to the hotter pipe.
Engineering
In the engineering phase, the primary goals were to ensure the reliability, cost-effectiveness, and safety of the product. This involved creating engineering specifications based on functional and regulatory requirements, followed by multiple prototyping cycles in both hardware and software. Hardware prototyping included components such as electronics, plastics, springs, cables, and assembly processes, all designed for ease of assembly. Digital tools were used for creating models and electronics, with validation preceding materialization processes through fast prototyping tools. Simultaneously, software validation involved libraries, basic firmware architecture, and layer-by-layer development of software features, increasing in complexity with each cycle. The result was a stable cloud platform capable of managing up to 100 devices, encompassing databases, frontend and backend interfaces, and a mobile app.
At this stage, we worked in 2 parallel development branches: design and engineering. Each area had several iteration cycles of specification, prototype, and validation to test assumptions of how the product should work and look.
Design
The design phase is all about human interaction, how it looks and how it feels. We started by
KLUGIT
2019
Klugit is a growing Startup whose mission is to put families on the frontline, fighting for a clean energy future by saving, storing, and renewing energy.
With this project, Klugit wants to develop an easy-to-use and easy-to-install solution to turn any electric water heater into a smart appliance. These new smart features lead to energy savings, avoiding heating water when there is no need to do so. Also, it allows demand response services by giving preference to heating in low-demand energy periods, taking advantage of cheap tariffs and greener energy.
PROJECT GALLERY
01.
Problem
It’s a known fact that any electric water heater wastes energy and money. For instance, right after a shower, the boiler starts heating up even if it is the last shower of the day. Since the boiler´s insulation is not perfect, it will lose energy over time.
This wasted energy can represent up to 1.5 kWh per day!
02.
Hypothesis
Is it possible to save energy in water heaters by applying Artificial Intelligence mechanisms to normal boilers?
It would allow the system to learn the user’s water consumption pattern and optimize the heatings to save energy and money.
03.
Proof of Concept
To find the technology required to validate the concept, we developed an electronic box that we call KLU (Klugit Lab Unit). This is an IoT device that collects data from several different sensors and sends all of it to our cloud system. Besides that, it also allows to turn OFF/ON the water heater. In this stage, neither the cost nor the design was taken into account.
To validate the hypothesis, we distributed 10 KLUs in different houses and public spaces collecting valuable information about the dynamics of the system. In just 2 months we were able to prove the energy-saving potential of the solution.
05.
Pilot project
Pilot projects are the real scenario test, so we put the Klugit plug into the wild. So far we delivered 30+ units to home users, inside 3 pilot projects.
One of them is going on in Azores with Azores electricity provider - EDA with amazing results. We were able to save more than 130 EUR/year per family and, at the same time, shift electricity consumption away from fossil fuel-based periods to more renewable available ones.
In these pilots, we are validating the product as a whole: its usability, its reliability, the packaging, all the infrastructure, and the mobile app.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
NEED HELP DEVELOPING
YOUR TECH PRODUCT?
We are creators like you, we understand your pains and vision for the future.
Book a call with us!
04.
Prototype
At this stage, we worked in 2 parallel development branches: design and engineering. Each area had several iteration cycles of specification, prototype, and validation to test assumptions of how the product should work and look.
Design
The design phase is all about human interaction, how it looks and how it feels. We started by defining and building the user’s journey: the unboxing, the installation, and the product setup. Then, we started with the high-level sketches, defining the form factor and size of the plug, and working on the smart sensor’s usability and aesthetics. We did a lot of prototyping in the smart sensor, given its impact on the final design. The focus was to obtain something easy to install and that at the same time assured a rigid connection to the hotter pipe.
Engineering
In the engineering phase, the primary goals were to ensure the reliability, cost-effectiveness, and safety of the product. This involved creating engineering specifications based on functional and regulatory requirements, followed by multiple prototyping cycles in both hardware and software. Hardware prototyping included components such as electronics, plastics, springs, cables, and assembly processes, all designed for ease of assembly. Digital tools were used for creating models and electronics, with validation preceding materialization processes through fast prototyping tools. Simultaneously, software validation involved libraries, basic firmware architecture, and layer-by-layer development of software features, increasing in complexity with each cycle. The result was a stable cloud platform capable of managing up to 100 devices, encompassing databases, frontend and backend interfaces, and a mobile app.
KLUGIT
2019
Klugit is a growing Startup whose mission is to put families on the frontline, fighting for a clean energy future by saving, storing, and renewing energy.
With this project, Klugit wants to develop an easy-to-use and easy-to-install solution to turn any electric water heater into a smart appliance. These new smart features lead to energy savings, avoiding heating water when there is no need to do so. Also, it allows demand response services by giving preference to heating in low-demand energy periods, taking advantage of cheap tariffs and greener energy.
PROJECT GALLERY
ABOUT THE PROJECT
01.
Problem
It’s a known fact that any electric water heater wastes energy and money. For instance, right after a shower, the boiler starts heating up even if it is the last shower of the day. Since the boiler´s insulation is not perfect, it will lose energy over time.
This wasted energy can represent up to 1.5 kWh per day!
03.
Proof of Concept
To find the technology required to validate the concept, we developed an electronic box that we call KLU (Klugit Lab Unit). This is an IoT device that collects data from several different sensors and sends all of it to our cloud system. Besides that, it also allows to turn OFF/ON the water heater. In this stage, neither the cost nor the design was taken into account.
To validate the hypothesis, we distributed 10 KLUs in different houses and public spaces collecting valuable information about the dynamics of the system. In just 2 months we were able to prove the energy-saving potential of the solution.
02.
Hypothesis
Is it possible to save energy in water heaters by applying Artificial Intelligence mechanisms to normal boilers?
It would allow the system to learn the user’s water consumption pattern and optimize the heatings to save energy and money.
05.
Pilot project
Pilot projects are the real scenario test, so we put the Klugit plug into the wild. So far we delivered 30+ units to home users, inside 3 pilot projects.
One of them is going on in Azores with Azores electricity provider - EDA with amazing results. We were able to save more than 130 EUR/year per family and, at the same time, shift electricity consumption away from fossil fuel-based periods to more renewable available ones.
In these pilots, we are validating the product as a whole: its usability, its reliability, the packaging, all the infrastructure, and the mobile app.
04.
Prototype
At this stage, we worked in 2 parallel development branches: design and engineering. Each area had several iteration cycles of specification, prototype, and validation to test assumptions of how the product should work and look.
Design
The design phase is all about human interaction, how it looks and how it feels. We started by defining and building the user’s journey: the unboxing, the installation, and the product setup. Then, we started with the high-level sketches, defining the form factor and size of the plug, and working on the smart sensor’s usability and aesthetics. We did a lot of prototyping in the smart sensor, given its impact on the final design. The focus was to obtain something easy to install and that at the same time assured a rigid connection to the hotter pipe.
Engineering
In the engineering phase, the primary goals were to ensure the reliability, cost-effectiveness, and safety of the product. This involved creating engineering specifications based on functional and regulatory requirements, followed by multiple prototyping cycles in both hardware and software. Hardware prototyping included components such as electronics, plastics, springs, cables, and assembly processes, all designed for ease of assembly. Digital tools were used for creating models and electronics, with validation preceding materialization processes through fast prototyping tools. Simultaneously, software validation involved libraries, basic firmware architecture, and layer-by-layer development of software features, increasing in complexity with each cycle. The result was a stable cloud platform capable of managing up to 100 devices, encompassing databases, frontend and backend interfaces, and a mobile app.
NEED HELP DEVELOPING
YOUR TECH PRODUCT?
We are creators like you, we understand your pains and vision for the future.
Book a call with us!