DatenWerKIOS

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly have access to detailed energy data from smart meters. They can utilise this data to access extensive information – but are currently not making efficient use of these resources: Many SMEs lack viable business models, resources, or expertise to exploit this data, both economically and for the energy transition. Accordingly, the challenge is to develop a user-friendly solution that bundles energy data and processes it with AI-based tools, such that SMEs and other stakeholders can benefit directly from it.

The aim of the DatenWerKIOS project is to develop an open, publicly accessible platform that securely bundles energy data from SMEs and makes it available centrally. Using AI, consumption patterns and anomalies can be identified and recommendations for action can be derived. As a first step, the project team determines the requirements for such a platform through interviews, workshops, and continuous testing. On this basis, AI models are trained and the platform is iteratively built and optimised. The researchers investigate how companies and non-commercial actors, such as local authorities, can be brought together. In addition, they identify the decisive factors for the attractiveness of the platform. Then, prototype implementation is carried out in close cooperation with SMEs, starting with a pilot group of selected companies.

If successfully implemented, the data platform will enable both SMEs and other stakeholders to gain valuable operational insights from their energy data – both within their own companies and aggregated across many companies.

The Researchers at the Wuppertal Institute contribute to the project through quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical social research: They conduct qualitative interviews with the pilot group to determine needs, acceptance, and relevant energy-specific operating data. Additionally, a quantitative survey of SMEs is conducted to examine acceptance and diffusion potential for open energy data and community platforms.