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Orchestrating Sustainable Success:
The Power Of Predictive Maintenance And Human Behaviour

Here, Jeff Dewing, CEO of Cloud delves into the world of predictive maintenance. In this piece, Jeff sheds light on the vital role of predictive maintenance in bridging technology and human behaviour to drive change.

In an era where global efforts are laser-focused on achieving energy efficiency and sustainability, an innovative approach emerges – predictive maintenance. Imagine a world where we can prevent problems before they even occur. That's the tantalising promise of predictive maintenance. It's not just about fixing things when they break; it's about using technology to turn data into pre-emptive action, embracing the age-old principle of ‘prevention is better than cure. In turn, not only can costs be drastically reduced, but the data can be used to identify the most energy-consuming assets to help identify areas for reduction and increased sustainability.

Harmonic Distortion: The Musical Note Of Equipment Health

Electrical equipment isn't just noisy; it's like a symphony of energy flow. Just as a discordant note stands out in an orchestra, so does harmonic distortion in electrical waves generated by switches, relays, and transformers. The result is a clear indicator of equipment health.

Predictive maintenance takes this concept and runs with it. By assessing equipment at the harmonic level, we can predict maintenance needs like never before. It's like having a crystal ball for your machines and appliances. This tech can be seamlessly integrated into existing electrical distribution boards, dissecting the electrical currents consumed by different equipment. From there, it tells you whether your equipment is humming along fine, giving you a subtle nudge when it's time for maintenance, or outright screaming when it's on its last legs. But it doesn't stop there – it can also spot those sneaky energy-draining anomalies, helping you in your quest for energy conservation and sustainability.

The Data Revolution: Fingerprinting Our Equipment

The more equipment we monitor with this harmonic data, the smarter it gets. Deployed far and wide in retail and commercial sites across the UK, this system can get to work “fingerprinting” equipment like pizza ovens and chillers. It creates baseline harmonic distortion profiles – like unique fingerprints for each machine. So when something goes awry and your equipment starts playing a different tune, it alerts you. These profiles serve as valuable tools for maintenance planning, enabling timely interventions and reducing unexpected repair costs.

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From Tech To People: A Harmonious Partnership

Let's not forget that tech alone isn't the silver bullet. While technological solutions are undeniably valuable, they are most effective when complemented by a human-centric approach. In this regard, behavioural science takes centre stage. Insights gleaned from harmonic data can be leveraged to encourage people to adopt energy-efficient behaviours, such as turning off power-hungry appliances when they're not needed. Incentives can be introduced throughout the supply chain using gamification mechanisms, creating a network of conscious energy users empowered by real-time savings insights.

Gamification In Practice

Behavioural Gamification is the process whereby game mechanics are incorporated into everyday activities to motivate behaviour change. While gamification for climate change is a nascent research space, studies indicate that it can impact cognitive and behavioural engagement, while providing enjoyable experiences. The human behavioural data linked with Internet of Things (IoT) gamification apps in particular can inform Internet of Behaviour (IoB), enabling users to make better decisions. IoB, in simple terms, is an amalgamation of technology, data analytics and behavioural science.

For example, giving people easy-to-read insights on an app with simple suggestions (i.e. ‘turn off the lights between 10 pm - 4 am as no one is in the building & it will save you £X’ and you'll be rewarded X) making it as easy as possible for employees and the supply chain to behave in a way that’s more favourable to the planet.

Behaviour will change when we are able to present actionable insights to the very people that can affect change, and then deliver instant gratification for their actions. Only then can we achieve momentum towards net zero goals.

In a nutshell, predictive maintenance isn't just about keeping the lights on; it's about orchestrating a symphony of cost-efficiency and sustainability. It's about proactively managing our equipment, backed by data, and driven by the choices we make. We can blend technology with human behaviour, fostering a sustainable future where proactive measures driven by data and conscious choices lead to enhanced efficiency and reliability across the board.