By Astrid Helene Mortensen and Nelly Sander, AAU Kommunikation og Public Affairs

Between 10 and 20 percent energy savings on the heating bill. This is the benefit for the companies and individuals who use Neogrid Technologies' solutions for intelligent control. And according to the director, the research collaboration with AAU has significantly contributed to the company's achievements in the nearly 15 years it has existed.

"There is no doubt that the collaboration with AAU Energy has been crucial to our success. Through research projects, Neogrid Technologies has been able to test and qualify new methods and technologies. For example, the projects SUSTENANCE and SERENE have significantly contributed to the development of the company's solutions for household heat pumps, energy communities, and the power grid," says director Henrik Lund Stærmose.

Handheld Heat Regulation in Cold Storage Provided Inspiration

The cleantech company specializes in intelligent control of heating in buildings based on data such as temperature, energy consumption, and weather conditions. It started with a group of former colleagues from the mobile industry who were looking for opportunities to start a company:

"We had heard about someone with a cold storage who had an employee who had to turn off the power when it became expensive. So we thought: We can do that smarter. We can build some hardware for that, and we can also make some software that can control it," says Henrik Lund Stærmose.

And so it was. By modelling the energy needs of buildings, Neogrid Technologies can accurately calculate when and how much heat needs to be delivered, resulting in significant energy savings for the company's customers. At the same time, Neogrid Technologies has had a positive impact on job creation in Northern Jutland with approximately 15 employees so far and ambitions to grow.

Research Collaboration Allows for New Ideas

Not all projects end in success. Some research projects do not deliver the expected results, and often significant self-financing is required from the company's side. Nevertheless, the director would not do without the collaboration.

"The research projects have been a source of innovation and learning, and they have given the company a break to think long-term and experiment with new ideas. They have been an invaluable part of Neogrid's journey, and they will continue to play an important role in our future development," he concludes.