Canary Wharf trials two new smart-city innovations

SEaB Energy and Demand Logic have each been awarded £50,000 to implement their technologies at the Canary Wharf estate in the Docklands, as part of the Cognicity Challenge.

SEaB Energy has developed a micro power plant that turns food and organic waste into heat, energy and water directly on-site where the waste is produced.

The technology reduces the carbon footprint of the site, as well as lowering the cost associated with transporting food waste to external processing plants. It could provide between 5-10% of the energy used by the Canary Wharf estate.

SEaB Energy chief executive Sandra Sassow said: “This will allow us to demonstrate to businesses that their waste can be transformed into revenue and carbon offsets, even where space is at a premium.

“Not only does this make sound commercial sense but it also helps meet their sustainability objectives and lower target emissions for new developments.”

Building efficiency

Demand Logic was the other competition winner with its web system that monitors and controls non-essential electrical outputs such as air condition, heating and ventilation.

The system monitors temperatures constantly and reacts in case of irregularities, saving a technician the laborious job of trawling through data to spot if anything is going wrong.

Demand Logic’s system could reportedly save up to 10% of the annual energy bill.

In related news today (18 May), the Institute for Sustainability has partnered with the Mayor of London’s office to launch a similar competition to encourage small businesses to develop smart city innovations.

The winners of the competition will get the chance to pitch their ideas to “senior decision-makers” from the organisations leading London’s largest developments.

Brad Allen