Arden Energy, NWRC and InterTradeIreland collaborate to develop intelligent data management system

Dublin-based electric utility provider Arden Energy, in collaboration with the Business Support Centre (BSC) at North West Regional College (NWRC) and InterTradeIreland’s Innovation Boost programme, has successfully developed an Intelligent Data Management System (IDMS) featuring automated reporting, billing, and dedicated staff and customer portals.

The cross-border collaborative project saw the InterTradeIreland funded Project Manager Mark O’Neill and NWRC Automation & Robotics Technical Consultant Emma Doherty develop Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to integrate the IDMS with existing systems such as SAGE, enabling automated billing and invoicing while eliminating the need for spreadsheets. 

By leveraging smart meter energy data, the project also delivered a customer portal for real-time energy usage insights and improved internal billing automation.

Cathal Ferry, NWRC i4.0 Centre Manager explained how the collaboration came about: ‘’We were contacted by the InterTradeIreland Innovation Boost Consultant Leona Kinahan about an exciting innovation project with Arden Energy. We began discussing the project with Gerard Taylor, Operations Manager at Arden Energy which led to us submitting an application. With the support of Innovation Boost Consultant Leona Kinahan, we undertook the 18-month project. 

“The role was advertised, and we gained an excellent candidate in Mark O’Neill who adapted to the challenges of the role. This project is a great example of how support from InterTradeIreland empowered industry and education to work together to drive innovation and deliver real-world impact.

"By combining Arden Energy industry knowledge with our technical skills in robotics and automation, we developed a flexible system that can help manufacturers save time and costs. Mark O’Neill played a key part in making sure the solution met both technical and business needs. It’s a great example of what strong collaboration can achieve.” 

Gerard Taylor, Operations Manager at Arden Energy added: ‘’This innovation project represents a major milestone for Arden Energy. We’ve successfully developed an intelligent data management system featuring automated reporting, billing, dedicated staff and customer portals.

"By integrating APIs with existing platforms like SAGE, we’ve eliminated the need for spreadsheets and enabled real-time, automated billing and invoicing. Using data from energy smart meters, we also created a customer-facing portal to monitor energy usage and further streamline internal processes. 

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“We've helped our customers reduce costs by up to 20% with zero investment by them, managing consumption via our new platform.

We can now provide simple and transparent reports on usage and costs, enabling businesses to understand their usage and identify savings on their electricity bills. 

“Our partnership with NWRC, supported through the InterTradeIreland Innovation Boost programme, has been key to this achievement. The technical expertise of NWRC’s Industry 4.0 Centre and the leadership of our Project Manager, Mark O’Neill, were critical in transforming a complex idea into a practical, market-ready solution.”

Sean O’Hare, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project Manager at InterTradeIreland, highlighted the importance of the InterTradeIreland Innovation Boost Programme, saying: “Collaboration with partners across the island epitomises the benefits of InterTradeIreland's Innovation Boost programme, and how it connects academia and industry.

The programme aims to develop innovative, real-world solutions that increase efficiency and performance, and the partnership between Arden Energy and NWRC clearly demonstrates how the use of robotics and automation can ultimately refine products, create efficiencies and enhance services. The partnership has had a lasting impact and created exciting new opportunities for further future growth.’’

For more information about Arden Energy visit https://www.ardenenergy.ie/ and for further details on how the BSC can help your business email businesssupport@nwrc.ac.uk or to find out more about the Innovation Boost programme and how to apply go to www.intertradeireland.com/innovationboost.