Using building simulations to improve efficiency has saved 37 power stations from being built.

That’s the statement from Don McLean, founder and CEO of IES, a Glasgow-based company with an international reputation.

He believes his company’s innovative technology can provide many of the tools to achieve Scotland’s ambitious decarbonisation targets.

Buildings and cities are currently one of the single greatest contributors to energy use and related carbon emissions worldwide and so they present one of the greatest opportunities for decarbonisation.

In this Herald webinar Don and his associate director Valeria Ferrando are joined by John McLean, senior project manager at Glasgow City Council, to discuss digital twins and how they are being used at Pollok Park, in Glasgow to cut emissions.

A Digital Twin is a digital replica of physical conditions, for example the park and its buildings, that allows users to understand how they impact and change their environments. The digital twin approach considers physics inputs, simulation processes and real data, combined with machine learning and Internet of Things (IoT) data. Their use enables assessment, engagement, and prediction at a building, community, or city scale. Within the energy realm, digital twin technology has the capability to integrate physical infrastructure, decision making at urban planning level, networks, renewable generation, and building design, operation and retrofit. They can provide insights into energy use and allow users to test and optimise initiatives that comprise energy generation, use and storage.

“People talk about machine learning and AI, but what does that mean?” Don said.

“When you come to the built environment where is the data to help you make a decision? What we do is apply physics, instead of relying on AI, the physics doesn’t have to learn, it knows. It allows us to be much more accurate and help us onto the path to decarbonisation. We are regarded globally as the leader in building simulation. We have a very strong international reputation, we’ve probably saved around about 37 power stations from being built, but that’s only part of the journey. We’ve been designing our technology for today and for the future and using digital twins is a big part of that.“

The Pollok Park Digital Twin project was commissioned by Glasgow City Council as part of their commitment to become Net Zero Carbon by 2030. Its vision is to make maximum use of the City’s green and blue infrastructure in order to mitigate emissions elsewhere in the estate.
The Digital Twin is being used to inform decision-making on how to make the park energy independent and take it off-grid, generating energy and heat locally. The Digital Twin allows them to run different scenarios virtually and to understand the opportunities and limitations of various approaches. The digital twin will help the city to tell the story of complex energy interactions and trade-offs more simply and more effectively engage citizens.

The park has a unique history with energy dating back to the days when Clydesdale Horses were the inspiration for Glasgow-based engineer James Watt in calculating the power of his new steam engine and popularising the term ‘horse powered’ in order to market his powerful new engine.

The restored, A-Listed, 17th Century Pollok House Stables in Pollok Park will become the ‘Home of the Clydesdale Horse’ and aims to become the world centre for this iconic breed protecting it for future generations.

This energy history develops through the industrial revolution and follows the development of the park’s water mill that was first used as a flourmill, then a saw mill and a water turbine power station in the mid- 19th century. Currently unused, it is today being considered as part of a sustainable energy solution for the park.

“Initially the connection with IES was based on the work to refurbish the Burrell Collection but we quickly realised we could roll it out across the park,” John McLean from Glasgow City Council said.

“We’re going to install generators in the sawmill to create energy from the river. The intention is to create a park as a microcosm of the city which is self-sufficient and sustainable. It’s not just about us though, the public can interact with the project and learn things they can do to become more environmentally friendly too. It has massive potential.”

IES is running an online demonstration on 30 September. Join here:

https://go.iesve.com/introduction-to-icl-webinar-sept-21/ies