Technology
Minibems technology delivers efficient, controllable and sustainable heat networks.
Minibems is an IoT technology used for the control and management of heat networks. From in the field real-time control algorithms that run inside controllers, to dashboards that provide telemetry, insight and remote control.
Minibems is a digital heat network solution that enables high-performance and ultra-efficient delivery of heat.
Patented flow control
Heat networks face an invisible problem – they are designed for continuous peak load conditions – but should operate at low load. Most heat networks do not have the real-time control modulation required to deal with low load conditions, and so they continue to over-deliver flow rate and temperature for most of the year, resulting in poor efficiency.
Minibems achieves best-in-class network flow control by real-time modulating flow rates to actual demand. Heat demand is normally low, as such modulation results in much lower flow rates which results in lower return temperatures, less boiler cycles and higher boiler efficiency. Minibems patented flow control software uniquely leverages flow measurement, which is more stable than temperature-based flow control, and results in industry leading flow control across the heat network.
Meet SmartTalk
It’s not good enough to just deliver great control in the field, heat networks are continually operating and require data, telemetry and management to perform well. Minibems’ management tools are honed to the heat network space and enable efficiency, maintenance, commissioning and billing to all be remotely managed.
Our SmartTalk heat network software platform has been curated to optimise installation and service delivery, reducing management time and operating costs. By using SmartTalk you can deliver outstanding customer service, reduce fuel costs and remotely manage your repairs and maintenance delivery.
Dynamic
Dynamic is our heat network efficiency management tool for visualising and managing the energy efficiency of your heat network. Dynamic grabs all your fuel, energy centre, block, apartment and house-level meter data and allows you to see where losses are occurring on your heat network.
Telematic
Telematic reduces call-out rates and maximises on-site repairs, by giving you full data-driven monitoring and remote control of HIUs and CIUs. It means you can discuss with the customer their problem without anyone going to site, and in our experience means that most issues can be managed remotely, or if someone needs to go to site, then the task and/or part is understood and can be dealt with quickly.
Validate
Validate allows you to instantly see the real-time commissioning state of the entire heat network. Using our traffic light system, you can see team’s progress through the commissioning process. The HIU Passport functionality allows you to register serial numbers, meter addresses and generate final commissioning certificates using data recorded automatically by the system.
Billi
Billi is our meter and billing API that allows you to provide services to thousands of customers through a single cloud-based API. Billi eases the task of getting meter data out of the building, allows real-time meter reads and enables payment transactions.
Minibems control hardware
Minibems’ home control system provides heating and billing control, using state of the art processing power for real-time heating control, monitoring and metering. Minibems hardware bring commercial grade Building and Energy Management System (BEMS) capability into every residential home on a heat network.
Minibems Touch features a sleek 5-inch colour touchscreen display, allowing a resident quick access to billing data, control of their heating, see their transaction history and change system settings. Minibems Connect directly controls HIUs and CIUs and has all the required I/O for working with industry standard hardware.
Minibems technology stack
Minibems IoT technology stack consists of several layers that work together to enable high-performance operation of Minibems controllers in the field. The device layer includes the Minibems Connect and Minibems Touch, along with all the peripheral layer of sensors, valves, pumps and meters used for controlling and monitoring heat. The network layer enables communication between the field controllers and the cloud. The data layer stores live and historical data; and the SmartTalk application layer delivers the user-facing software services Dynamic, Telematic, Validate and Billi.
Minibems background
In 2012 a biomass engineering team realised that rural heat networks running from biomass boilers were not as efficient as promised. Ofgem introduced the renewable heat incentive (RHI) requiring applicants to submit quarterly fuel and meter returns, which uniquely provided data and insight into heat network inefficiency. Addressing this inefficiency was the genesis of Minibems.
Research and development was conducted over three years before commercial release in 2016. Minibems won its first major heat network project for 350 homes in 2017 and went on to develop a portfolio of new build and retrofit projects. In 2023, recognising a mutual synergy and approach in how best to build and manage communal and district heating, Minibems merged with Evinox to position ourselves as a leader in the digitalisation and decarbonisation of heat networks. Minibems continues to be developed as Evinox’ core digital technology for heat networks and benefit from Evinox’ vast experience gained over 20-years and hundreds of projects.
Market-leading smart hardware
Evinox designs, manufactures, installs and maintains a range of industry leading smart controlled ModuSat Heat Interface Units, Cooling Interface Units, Fan Coil Units, Combined Heat & Hot Water Units and Prefabricated Utility Cupboards.
Customised services
Evinox transforms conventional heat network management into an optimised, data-driven and consolidated service. From initial design and planning to installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance, our bespoke services ensure your systems operate at peak efficiency.
Interested in finding out how our technology can transform your heat network?
