Six sustainable tech projects from 2020

We have an ambition to be directly involved in at least 100 sustainable tech projects every year that makes a difference. Here’s six examples from 2020.

  • Published: 26. February 2021
  • By: Isabelle Sarah Borchsenius | Marketing, Communication & Sustainability Manager at Data Respons
  • Company: IT Sonix

2020, has taught us how quickly we can adapt to new challenges. From one day to the next, the majority of our employees left the offices and got used to working remotely. People, companies and politics adapted almost overnight. With this experience in mind, we know we have the capability to make quick changes and we can transfer this experience to other challenges. For instance, the transition from fossil to renewable energy.

Covid also reminded us, once again, of the necessity of increasing the speed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals and in this, businesses play a crucial role. Data Respons has committed itself to enable minimum 100 sustainable technology every year. With an added ambition to increase the number of projects year on year to support our ambition to facilitate sustainability through technology. Here are six green tech projects from 2020 that enabled more sustainability, realized by our German daughter company, IT Sonix, through their customers.

1. Online energy trading platform for renewable energy

Women working on computer
IT Sonix has developed a platform to easily trade renewable energy.

IT Sonix has developed an energy trading platform for its German market and is now expanding the concept to the whole of Europe. On this platform anyone can sell their own renewable energy from a min. size of 3000 MWh, like for instance solar, wind, water or biogas. As an energy supplier you can thus be sure that your offer is taken to market in the best possible way, and that you will get the correct market price, without any delay.  This platform also indirectly incentives more people to invest in small scale renewable energy by making it possible and easy to sell their excess energy to the market.

We developed the platform that enables trading renewable energies for our customer. We have been working on this project for over a year and until now is was a rather small team. We are delighted that we can contribute to our customers success. Now we help to make it available in all Europe. This case contributes to the green shift by enabling the possibility to capitalize on sustainable energy production with little effort and energy market knowledge”, CTO at IT Sonix, Artur Schiefer emphasizes.

2. Online solar power platform for all

Solar power parks in Germany.
Solar power parks in Germany.

Another similar project is an online platform to publish a proposal for a solar power plant. The owner of any given land area describes the conditions and environment for where solar power panels shall be installed. Solar energy and energy storage providers can then contact the landowners and propose their individual offers. Another advantage this platform provides is that the platform also functions as a bridge to the open energy market. As a landowner with a solar energy plant on your property you can buy the energy back later at a discount or use it at other places like your vacation home.

Through this online platform an owner of an area that can fit a small solar plant can easily connect with the right companies and become almost self-sufficient with renewable energy. Most importantly the platform lowers the bar for more people to become providers of renewable energy and taking part in the smart energy infrastructure.

3. Smarter and more effective windmills

Smarter windmills save costs and energy.
Smarter windmills save costs and energy.

The third project is about making winds turbines and more effective and intelligent through automation and smarter connectivity. Wind turbines need regular maintenance and cannot run under certain circumstances, like when endangered birds are passing through the area or when the wind reaches too strong levels.

It Sonix developed and implemented a software stack that gathers data on the availability of wind turbines through a given timeframe. As a consequence, data allows more reliable planning of operational time and predicted downtime. Through better data and operational understanding, it also becomes easier to integrate wind energy into the grid and have clear picture on the potential energy mix at any given time.

4. Smart charging network across Germany

Car Charger
IT Sonix has supported a charging network across Germany.

If you are one of the pioneers that have purchased an electric car in Germany, you probably have experienced some frustrations in not finding a functioning charger or you got lost in the jungle of varying charging providers.

IT Sonix has developed a platform that gathers several charging providers on the same digital platform making it easier have an electric car and use it across charging providers. The platform is already being rolled out across Germany and next in line is Europe. Adding more existing charging providers and new car chargers.

5. Urban electric car sharing

Inside of a car from the passenger seat
Car sharing in big cities: with an electric fleet of cars.

Cars are parked 95% of the time. IT Sonix has also developed a cloud backend and architecture, worked on frontend user experience, and designed mobile apps, that enables pure electric car sharing in Berlin. The mission is to use cars more efficiently, contribute to electrification and avoid unused cars and reduce the number of cars in the cities. The platform is planned to roll out internationally in 2021.

Electric car sharing provides flexible mobility without the costs, commitment, and responsibilities of owning an own car. At the same time, you contribute to a quieter, less polluted and more livable city by only occupying a car when you really need it and by driving purely electric. Ultimately, this solution helps to save money, both for businesses and individuals as both customer types can rent electric cars on-demand and hereby reduce costs.

6. Transporting more goods with fewer trucks

Truck on the highway¨
Connected trucks help save time, resources and costs.

IT Sonix has developed a solution that connects every truck to the cloud, thus enabling connectivity and data gathering on a whole new level. Better data and connectivity enable much efficiency and the possibility to transport more goods with fewer trucks on the road. The solution has provided the steppingstone for automated and optimized rides. Also making it possible to predict which routes save the most emissions, and to give the driver feedback on how to drive more economically. To mention a few of the features.

Allowing a company to track its vehicles in real-time helps to avoid delays, simplifies communication and avoids unnecessary rides. Finally, it increases safety by addressing unsafe driving and helps the driver to optimize the driver experience through an own driver app.

 

This is IT Sonix

IT Sonix is located in Leipzig with 125 employees. The company is leading niche providers of specialist services and SW technology (Java, Embedded, Cloud and AI) specifically aimed at “Connected Car” solutions, internet of things, mobile services and embedded applications.

They have been active in telematics, communication and project management for more than 15 years specializing in agile software development for client-server, mobile applications and on-boar units. The company are deeply involved in the ongoing digital transition for some of the leading automotive brands in Germany, some of the world’s most dynamic and R&D intensive industries.

 

It Sonix have been part of the Data Respons group since 2018.