A RESEARCH and development project worth £900,000 has been launched in Scotland to develop breakthrough technology in the energy efficiency market.

NetThings, an Edinburgh based software firm that has developed a web-based energy monitor, has partnered with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, a Swiss non-profit research company, to develop an analytical platform to save energy and increase equipment reliability in commercial buildings.

The two-year project aims to save significant sums of money for governments, councils, schools and commercial properties. Hardware and software will monitor and control energy use, and flag when specific plant and machinery need servicing.