The awards were presented on the evening of December 15 in Madrid. The Director of the Hub Innovation to Market (HI2M) at SENER, Luis Marzá, accepted the award on behalf of the company, alongside two RESPIRA^® team members from SENER Infrastructure, Guillem Peris and Sergio Escribano.

The iMm Managing Change Awards are presented annually by the Institute of Marketing and Management S.L in order to recognize and reward companies and individuals that support and encourage change in organizations, promote trends, uphold entrepreneurial ideas, bring culture and knowledge to today’s society, and implement changes aimed at well-being, productivity and organizational happiness.

RESPIRA^®, SMART VENTILATION

RESPIRA^® is an artificial intelligence solution that is capable of determining the ideal ventilation strategy by defining several criteria and reading parameters in real time, such as the indoor temperature, humidity, air quality, and the efficiency of HVAC devices. This information is used by a dynamic algorithm to predict the environmental conditions (depending on the weather forecast, the service to be provided and other factors) and then apply a mode of operation to the ventilation units in order to ensure proper air flow while minimizing electricity consumption inside the structure. Thanks to the ability of RESPIRA^® to optimize HVAC systems with machine learning and automatic learning applications, the performance of HVAC systems is constantly being evaluated to yield the perfect ventilation strategy at all times.

The RESPIRA^® system is already present in several facilities; most notably, it has been in use in the conventional metro network of Barcelona since July 2020. In this facility, the use of RESPIRA^® has led to significant energy savings for Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, resulting also in more efficient temperature control, with a drop of more than 1º C inside the network and the consequent improvement in passenger comfort. By correlating all the information, technicians can improve maintenance tasks by quickly identifying any abnormal operation in specific devices of the HVAC network. They can also determine which stations in the network require new investments in order to ensure optimal passenger comfort. The RESPIRA^® system is thus helping to efficiently and sustainably manage the HVAC components.

RESPIRA^® is part of one of SENER’s strategic lines in the field of infrastructure, which seeks to develop intelligent digital systems that provide solutions to the real problems of the various stakeholders in the value chain and in society as a whole by relying on the combined expert technical knowledge of its engineers and the enormous potential of new digital technologies.

The awards were presented on the evening of December 15 in Madrid. The Director of the Hub Innovation to Market (HI2M) at SENER, Luis Marzá, accepted the award on behalf of the company, alongside two RESPIRA^® team members from SENER Infrastructure, Guillem Peris and Sergio Escribano.

The iMm Managing Change Awards are presented annually by the Institute of Marketing and Management S.L in order to recognize and reward companies and individuals that support and encourage change in organizations, promote trends, uphold entrepreneurial ideas, bring culture and knowledge to today’s society, and implement changes aimed at well-being, productivity and organizational happiness.

RESPIRA^®, SMART VENTILATION

RESPIRA^® is an artificial intelligence solution that is capable of determining the ideal ventilation strategy by defining several criteria and reading parameters in real time, such as the indoor temperature, humidity, air quality, and the efficiency of HVAC devices. This information is used by a dynamic algorithm to predict the environmental conditions (depending on the weather forecast, the service to be provided and other factors) and then apply a mode of operation to the ventilation units in order to ensure proper air flow while minimizing electricity consumption inside the structure. Thanks to the ability of RESPIRA^® to optimize HVAC systems with machine learning and automatic learning applications, the performance of HVAC systems is constantly being evaluated to yield the perfect ventilation strategy at all times.

The RESPIRA^® system is already present in several facilities; most notably, it has been in use in the conventional metro network of Barcelona since July 2020. In this facility, the use of RESPIRA^® has led to significant energy savings for Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, resulting also in more efficient temperature control, with a drop of more than 1º C inside the network and the consequent improvement in passenger comfort. By correlating all the information, technicians can improve maintenance tasks by quickly identifying any abnormal operation in specific devices of the HVAC network. They can also determine which stations in the network require new investments in order to ensure optimal passenger comfort. The RESPIRA^® system is thus helping to efficiently and sustainably manage the HVAC components.

RESPIRA^® is part of one of SENER’s strategic lines in the field of infrastructure, which seeks to develop intelligent digital systems that provide solutions to the real problems of the various stakeholders in the value chain and in society as a whole by relying on the combined expert technical knowledge of its engineers and the enormous potential of new digital technologies.

The awards were presented on the evening of December 15 in Madrid. The Director of the Hub Innovation to Market (HI2M) at SENER, Luis Marzá, accepted the award on behalf of the company, alongside two RESPIRA^® team members from SENER Infrastructure, Guillem Peris and Sergio Escribano.

The iMm Managing Change Awards are presented annually by the Institute of Marketing and Management S.L in order to recognize and reward companies and individuals that support and encourage change in organizations, promote trends, uphold entrepreneurial ideas, bring culture and knowledge to today’s society, and implement changes aimed at well-being, productivity and organizational happiness.

RESPIRA^®, SMART VENTILATION

RESPIRA^® is an artificial intelligence solution that is capable of determining the ideal ventilation strategy by defining several criteria and reading parameters in real time, such as the indoor temperature, humidity, air quality, and the efficiency of HVAC devices. This information is used by a dynamic algorithm to predict the environmental conditions (depending on the weather forecast, the service to be provided and other factors) and then apply a mode of operation to the ventilation units in order to ensure proper air flow while minimizing electricity consumption inside the structure. Thanks to the ability of RESPIRA^® to optimize HVAC systems with machine learning and automatic learning applications, the performance of HVAC systems is constantly being evaluated to yield the perfect ventilation strategy at all times.

The RESPIRA^® system is already present in several facilities; most notably, it has been in use in the conventional metro network of Barcelona since July 2020. In this facility, the use of RESPIRA^® has led to significant energy savings for Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, resulting also in more efficient temperature control, with a drop of more than 1º C inside the network and the consequent improvement in passenger comfort. By correlating all the information, technicians can improve maintenance tasks by quickly identifying any abnormal operation in specific devices of the HVAC network. They can also determine which stations in the network require new investments in order to ensure optimal passenger comfort. The RESPIRA^® system is thus helping to efficiently and sustainably manage the HVAC components.

RESPIRA^® is part of one of SENER’s strategic lines in the field of infrastructure, which seeks to develop intelligent digital systems that provide solutions to the real problems of the various stakeholders in the value chain and in society as a whole by relying on the combined expert technical knowledge of its engineers and the enormous potential of new digital technologies.

The Sener engineering and technology group and the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) have signed a partnership agreement to jointly develop a project to identify the risk of contagion from SARS-CoV2 in enclosed spaces.

Under this agreement, Sener is providing its RESPIRA^® artificial intelligence system, which can be used to dynamically control ventilation in enclosed spaces. The Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology (CBMSO, CSIC-UAM) is providing its equipment for capturing airborne viruses and microorganisms, as well as its procedure for identifying SARS-CoV2 in filters using optimized PCR methods.

This collaboration between Sener and the CBMSO (CSIC-UAM) started in October, sponsored by the Deputy Office for Knowledge Transfer (VATC in its Spanish Acronym) of the CSIC. Since then, teams of engineers and scientists from both entities have been working together to produce an effective control system that reduces the risk of contagion from Covid-19 in enclosed spaces, which will be compared against measurements taken by the CBMSO (CSIC-UAM). If the system is shown to work correctly, it could be installed in spaces where large numbers of people congregate, such as airports, stations, public transport vehicles, shopping centers, sports stadiums, auditoriums, schools, hospitals, museums, exhibition centers, etc.

RESPIRA^® is an artificial intelligence platform that is capable of improving the air quality inside an enclosed structure by defining several criteria and reading parameters in real time, such as the indoor temperature, humidity and air quality, and the efficiency of electrical consumption. These data are used by a dynamic algorithm to predict the environmental conditions (depending on the weather forecast, the service to be provided and other factors) and then apply a mode of operation to the ventilation units in order to ensure the air quality and lower the heat index, while also minimizing electricity consumption inside the structure.

Sener’s Innovation Director, Òscar Julià, says that «RESPIRA^® applies smart ventilation control to maximize the supply of fresh, outside air to enclosed, complex spaces, such as shopping centers, airports, train stations and hospitals, reducing the risk of proliferation of microorganisms. In this regard, this collaboration with the CBMSO (CSIC-UAM) is going a step further in detecting the SARS-CoV2 virus in the air. As a result, we hope to be able to offer the users of these facilities a system to guarantee a safer space with the lowest possible risk of contagion.»

And he added: «At Sener, we view the digital transformation as integrating new technologies into the environment, the ultimate goal being to make them available to society. We are looking for sustainable and environmentally friendly innovations that can improve people’s lives. RESPIRA^® is an example of how an Artificial Intelligence solution can help mitigate the impact of this pandemic.»

For Antonio Alcamí, a CSIC researcher involved in the project: «This collaboration is an opportunity to complement the system developed by Sener and the methods for detecting airborne SARS-CoV2 that we have optimized at the CSIC in order to reduce the risk of contagion and improve our health.»

The CBMSO (CSIC-UAM) has developed an air sampling system that can capture microorganisms and viruses, including SARS-CoV2, and it has optimized an advanced PCR method (PCR digital droplet) to quantify the exact number of virus particles present in the air at any given time.

For Ángela Ribeiro, Deputy Vice-President of the CSIC Knowledge Transfer: «The CSIC has once again shown its strong commitment to the effective transfer of the quality work carried out in its centers and institutes. In this case, we looked for the appropriate framework to establish an important public-private partnership that is already starting to yield results.»

The awards were presented on the evening of December 15 in Madrid. The Director of the Hub Innovation to Market (HI2M) at SENER, Luis Marzá, accepted the award on behalf of the company, alongside two RESPIRA^® team members from SENER Infrastructure, Guillem Peris and Sergio Escribano.

The iMm Managing Change Awards are presented annually by the Institute of Marketing and Management S.L in order to recognize and reward companies and individuals that support and encourage change in organizations, promote trends, uphold entrepreneurial ideas, bring culture and knowledge to today’s society, and implement changes aimed at well-being, productivity and organizational happiness.

RESPIRA^®, SMART VENTILATION

RESPIRA^® is an artificial intelligence solution that is capable of determining the ideal ventilation strategy by defining several criteria and reading parameters in real time, such as the indoor temperature, humidity, air quality, and the efficiency of HVAC devices. This information is used by a dynamic algorithm to predict the environmental conditions (depending on the weather forecast, the service to be provided and other factors) and then apply a mode of operation to the ventilation units in order to ensure proper air flow while minimizing electricity consumption inside the structure. Thanks to the ability of RESPIRA^® to optimize HVAC systems with machine learning and automatic learning applications, the performance of HVAC systems is constantly being evaluated to yield the perfect ventilation strategy at all times.

The RESPIRA^® system is already present in several facilities; most notably, it has been in use in the conventional metro network of Barcelona since July 2020. In this facility, the use of RESPIRA^® has led to significant energy savings for Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, resulting also in more efficient temperature control, with a drop of more than 1º C inside the network and the consequent improvement in passenger comfort. By correlating all the information, technicians can improve maintenance tasks by quickly identifying any abnormal operation in specific devices of the HVAC network. They can also determine which stations in the network require new investments in order to ensure optimal passenger comfort. The RESPIRA^® system is thus helping to efficiently and sustainably manage the HVAC components.

RESPIRA^® is part of one of SENER’s strategic lines in the field of infrastructure, which seeks to develop intelligent digital systems that provide solutions to the real problems of the various stakeholders in the value chain and in society as a whole by relying on the combined expert technical knowledge of its engineers and the enormous potential of new digital technologies.

Sener and Ferrocarril Metropolità de Barcelona (FMB) have signed a collaboration agreement to launch a new initiative called RESPIRA^®, whose main objective is to improve passenger comfort inside Barcelona’s metro stations through the efficient and optimised use of ventilation systems.

RESPIRA^® is an artificial intelligence system that will make it possible to set up an ideal ventilation strategy for each of the metro lines, in terms of improving comfort and energy efficiency. The new system, developed by Sener, takes into account the temperature perceived by passengers and workers by using a comfort index, as well as various criteria and variables, such as temperature, humidity, air quality inside the stations and the electrical consumption of the ventilation. With these data, it implements a dynamic algorithm for predicting environmental conditions inside the stations. Additionally, the system can also be used to make long-term forecasts, thus allowing FMB to prioritize future investments and maintenance work.

Sener’s Director of Innovation, Òscar Julià, states that «RESPIRA^® will be used to monitor and process over 500 million datapoints a year. Thanks to its self-learning process, the system will be able to adapt and act in advance.» By maximising the performance of the current shafts and fans with the help of artificial intelligence, the system will reduce the average temperature of the tunnel, improve air quality and thermal comfort for the more than 400 million journeys made by the Barcelona metro every year.

In the initial phase, the system will be installed in Line 1 in May of this year, where it will be used to control all the fans. In the remaining lines of the conventional network (lines 2, 3, 4, 5), the system will be phased in throughout 2020.

Main advantages of RESPIRA^®

On the one hand, RESPIRA^® will be used to monitor the environmental conditions inside the stations (temperature, humidity, heat index and air quality, among others) in real time, which will be useful in identifying problem spots within the metro network.

And, on the other, it will be used to monitor the operation of the fans and their effect on indoor temperatures, which will be of significant help to the maintenance activities required for the installation and to the efficient management of future investments.

This initiative is consistent with the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approved by the UN:

• Enhance the health and well-being of metro users by improving the thermal comfort and air quality.
• Help use energy more efficiently by saving up to 30%, and contribute to reducing the carbon footprint by more than 700 tons of CO₂ a year.
• Develop an advanced technology system with a distinctly innovative nature.
• Offer an environmentally friendly product that promotes sustainable development by minimizing equipment operating hours, reducing wear and tear, the maintenance and/or replacement period of the equipment, all while helping manage future investments in the ventilation system.

The RESPIRA^® project is one of the digitalisation initiatives of Sener, a technology group with more than 60 years of history, which has been a leader in innovation in many sectors of activity. For Sener, the digital transformation does not consist of using new technologies, but of integrating them into the business from its conception, and in line with the company’s founding vocation: to put technology at the service of society, providing innovations capable of improving people’s lives and that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.