With new technologies from smart home devices like smart light bulbs to heat pumps and electric cars, how we use energy is changing all the time. As our customers needs are constantly changing, we know we need to change too. That's why we created X_Site, our innovation hub designed to help us to plan for the future of energy.
The hub is located in Dogpatch labs in Dublin City Centre and is built to operate like a startup, with the focus on new ideas, agility and solving our customers problems by thinking differently. This year, we launched the X_Potential programme within X-Site. This programme is designed to gather the best ideas from within the entire business, test and develop them quickly in an innovative environment and deliver the products, services and ideas that we feel will help our customers to get more from their energy usage.
The programme has already seen seven projects go from internally submitted ideas to viable business activities. While we can't share the details yet, these projects include new customer-facing software, communications technology for connected devices and platforms for helping people to be more sustainable.
Peace of Mind Trial
X_Site has also supported the experiment phase of our peace of mind product which is currently being trialled. This product can help give customers with elderly or unwell relatives the peace of mind their family are safe, without the need for intrusive monitoring or camera technology. Meaning customers and their families can maintain independence while ensuring that carers are alerted if there is a change in routine, for example if someone isn’t up and about in the morning as usual. The system uses a combination of discreet sensors that monitor movement, temperature and doors opening and closing.
You can find out more about our Peace of Mind trial here.
We understand that, as Ireland's largest energy provider, we have a responsibility to help our customers to make the most of electricity and move to more sustainable energy solutions. X_Potential will continue to help us to identify new opportunities and create innovative products to do just that.