Tag: Sustainability

How can professors and lecturers at Hochschule München (HM) make their teaching more practical? As part of the Co-Innovation Lab (CIL), the project team has transformed the complexity of sensor data collected in the buildings of HM into an intuitive, user-friendly dashboard. By providing quick and effortless access, the team has changed the way lecturers and students interact with real-time data.

Addressing the challenge involves eliminating time-consuming obstacles and bottlenecks faced by HM lecturers and students when retrieving HM’s sensor data. The opportunity lies in enabling educators to autonomously establish an optimal learning environment and allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings, facilitated by the newly introduced HM InsightHub.

As a university of applied sciences, HM offers practice-based programs for global careers. HM InsightHub enables lecturers to easily access and retrieve authentic real-time data for their students to practically learn data science through real projects working with sensor data. Based on the existing infrastructure of sensors, networks and gateways, the team streamlined the various sources into one central dashboard that allows the user to customize and download a dataset based on their needs. In collaboration with the client Prof. Dr. Johannes Ebke of the faculty for Computer Science and potential end users, the team identified the most pressing need. As said by Prof. Dr. Ebke: “By picking this use case, the team has enhanced the software product that I had in mind and made it more useful for everyone.”

During the development phase, the project team ensured that the solution is scalable. In future, the dashboard will be able to be equipped with additional data sources and expanded as required. Furthermore, the data will not only be made available to Munich University of Applied Sciences, but also to other universities to encourage research. Additionally, the team also provided Prof. Dr. Ebke with a mobile webpage that enables him to track sensor health and improves the day-to-day maintenance of the sensors installed at HM.

The cross-cultural team is composed of a group of Master’s students from the Digital Technology Management program at HM as well as Finnish Computer Science students from Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK). The cooperation was not without challenges, because everyone needed some time to warm towards each other, but near the end the team came together as one and leveraged the capabilities of modern technology to enable close communication across the two programs. The team was supported by the course instructors Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm and Prof. Dr. Slamka, as well as Hans-Jürgen Haak, coach for agile working, as well as Jere Käpyaho and Annemari Stensbacka to ensure the project was a complete success.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka, Hans-Jürgen Haak, Jere Käpyhao and Anne Mari Stenbacka (TAMK). The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project Results: Presentation, Press Release, Working Backwards, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team

In an era marked by environmental consciousness and the pressing need for sustainable solutions, educational institutions are grappling with the challenge of managing their ecological footprint with sustainable construction. Recognizing this imperative, students from Hochschule München and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) have collaboratively developed a web-based project management solution for sustainable buildings tailored for Solidar Planungswerkstatt to unveil GreenTect—an innovative solution poised to revolutionise how we monitor and enhance sustainability in educational classroom building.

Time-consuming process and lack of collaborative workflow

The educational project building landscape grapples with three key challenges. Firstly, the task of template selection consumes valuable time, posing a hurdle to efficient project initiation. Second, the fragmentation of project information hampers seamless collaboration among team members, leading to inefficiencies and communication gaps. Third, the search for reliable sustainability criteria resembles a treasure hunt, scattered across various resources. Addressing these challenges requires a strategic solution which simplifies template selection, enhances team collaboration, and consolidates sustainability criteria for educational projects. This integrated approach aims to streamline processes, foster teamwork, and empower decision-makers in the realm of educational project management.

Bridging the Gap with GreenTect 

“Solidar Planungswerkstatt has been at the forefront of sustainable construction, and GreenTect is a testament to their commitment” – Dr. Günter Löhnert, Founder of Solidar Planungswerkstatt

Enter GreenTect—an intelligent, user-friendly platform designed to cultivate sustainability in every aspect of construction projects. Navigating the complexities of educational project management, our web application introduces a transformative solution for sustainability coordinators. 

• The template builder offers access to a diverse array of pre-designed templates tailored for various sustainability projects. 
• Robust customization tools empower coordinators to edit templates, ensuring precise alignment with project requirements. 
• Collaborative document space acts as a shared workspace, facilitating real-time contributions, reviews, and feedback from team members. 

Hence, this trifecta of features creates a centralised hub for streamlining template selection, customization as well as team collaboration for a more efficient and successful journey through the complexities of sustainable educational building projects.“The collaborative effort from the team has yielded a solution with immense potential to transform how we approach sustainability in building projects. I am confident in the positive impact it will bring to the industry.” Dr. Günter Löhnert.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka, Hans-Jürgen Haak, Jere Käpyhao and Anne Mari Stenbacka (TAMK). The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project results: Press Release, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team

To ensure the fulfillment of sustainability goals, Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) aims to improve the waste separation of students on campus. Within the context of a Co-Innovation Lab and DTLab project, students from TAMK collaborated with students from Hochschule München (HM) to launch a web application “Ask Binny” aiming to increase student engagement in waste separation.

Sustainability in focus

In order to uphold sustainability goals and decrease the cost caused by unsorted waste, a functioning waste management is required at TAMK. Additionally, TAMK is a holder of the Ekokompassi certificate which requires that a certain percentage of all waste on campus is recycled. While the interest in sustainability topics among students is high, unclear instructions contribute to a lack of engagement in waste sorting. This results in incorrect sorting, detracting from TAMKs sustainability efforts.

A simple solution for a complex issue

With the support of facility management in the persons of Silja Kostia and Saana Raatikainen from TAMK, the project team is now introducing “Ask Binny”. The web application offers guidance for students by identifying waste types and offering information on the location of the right bins on campus.  It thereby focuses on eliminating the complexities and unclear instructions that contribute to inefficient waste sorting. The mascot Binny the Bin is designed to simplify the often-complex task of waste sorting for students and improve engagement. With the “Ask Binny” web application, students now have access to centralized information, clarification of where and how to sort, and the confidence to determine the appropriate disposal method for their waste.

Fostering a movement throughout TAMK

“Ask Binny” is already available in building C and targets the most common waste items found on campus. Additionally, the integrated map feature enables students to effortlessly locate the most suitable disposal bins. As the client confirmed, “Ask Binny” is informative in a simple and positive way. It enables TAMK to foster a widespread movement towards sustainable waste management practices as the facility management at TAMK will take over the web application to further develop it.

One of the main challenges that became initially evident in the context of the project was the necessity of managing the diversity of the team through the usage of clear communication. Because of this, communication channels as well as teamwork schedules were agreed understanding and listening to each of the members involved. This was of utter importance since given the fact that the project was primarily conducted in an online setting most of the job was done on an asynchronous manner. The project demonstrated the vital importance of incorporating diverse cultural insights and varied professional expertise, which collectively contributed to a robust exchange of ideas and substantially enriched the collaborative process. Coordination of team skills toward a common goal in the context of an international IT project proved to be not only the key challenge of the project but also an invaluable learning output for the whole team.

The web application was developed by an international project team consisting of Maria Victoria Bachmann, Ignacio Barraza, Yesim Kerim Kaya, Chiara Dietz (Master students from the DTM-programme) and Moritz Ulsess Bachelor student in Business Administration at HM) and Terhi Järvinen, Ella Kataja, Niko Lähteinen, Jussi Rinta-Kiikka (Bachelor in Computer Science from TAMK).  at HM) and Terhi Järvinen, Ella Kataja, Niko Lähteinen, Jussi Rinta-Kiikka (Bachelor in Computer Science from TAMK). “Ask Binny” was developed in the context of modules of HM and TAMK under Hans-Jürgen Haak, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof.  Dr. Jessica Slamka, Anne-Mari Stenbacka and  Jere Käpyaho.

Get to know more about “Ask Binny” in the following video.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka, Hans-Jürgen Haak, Jere Käpyhao and Anne Mari Stenbacka (TAMK). The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project Results: Press Release, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Chiara Dietz

Willari, a specialized sports equipment repair and rental business in Finland, aims to implement a digital solution to enhance customer satisfaction. The six-member team from Finland, led by directors Annika and Jonas, embarked on a collaborative journey with the Co-Innovation Lab’s consulting team, initiating an open-ended process that began with an intensive problem-finding phase involving all stakeholders.

Internal processes with the greatest potential for digitization and benefit

Through extensive interaction with Willari’s employees, the consulting team concluded that the primary beneficiaries of a digital solution, beyond the website, would be not the customers but specifically the repair team, whose work had been predominantly paper-based. Following the project’s kickoff in Finland, the interdisciplinary team, comprising six German master students and five Finnish bachelor students, began agile development work virtually, generating initial ideas and visions. The team was supported by the course instructors Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka and Hans-Jürgen Haak.

Facilitating work through an easy-to-use digital solution

The web-based prototype offers the potential to manage the key work processes of the Tampere team digitally, eliminating paper waste. From customer onboarding in the bike shop to repair instructions for workshop staff and customer communication—everything can be captured and managed digitally within a single tool. Additionally, the solution serves as a starting point for a data-driven approach, capable of evaluating various data points to enhance customer service. Given the dynamic environment, especially during peak seasons, the development work focused on creating an easily navigable solution that meets the demands of workshop staff.

For the client Willari, the project was a success: “The project team working on Willari’s assignment did a great job overall, although the assignment was challenging and required development and brainstorming. The project team actively contacted Willari´s staff and listened to their wishes and requirements. We enjoyed working with the project team!”.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka, Hans-Jürgen Haak, Jere Käpyhao and Anne Mari Stenbacka (TAMK). The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project Results: Presentation, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, FAQ

Authors: Lukas Schindler

Zimpertec is a german company producing solar systems for people living in rural areas worldwide. The after-sales service and repairment process for solar technicians has been a complicated and time-consuming process until now. Technicians were not able to analyze the system data, repair the system immediately and always had to bring the system back to a central hub.

Through Solar InsightZ, technicians are now able to connect their smartphone to the solar system and access vital data of the system and receive error notifications. Making solar system data accessible and visible to technicians is boosting the efficiency of the maintenance process and minimizing downtimes.

According to Zimpertecs COO Ulrich Zimmermann:  “Solar InsightZ extends Zimpertec’s product USP (Unique Selling Proposition) with a further core element of better and simpler usability. In addition, it simplifies after sales support through a faster and more efficient error identification “.

In a time when sustainable practices are not only encouraged but expected, the development of energy efficient solutions is of great importance. Zimpertec recognizes the importance of responsible practices in the solar industry. The implementation of Solar InsightZ will help significantly reducing the environmental impact by curbing E-Waste. In the future technicians will also have the possibility of data sharing with Zimpertec. This improved data collection will serve a dual purpose. It not only ensures effective data analytics but also sets the stage for future sustainable product development of solar systems.

A collaborative effort

The development of Solar InsightZ was a collaboration between students from a variety of academic backgrounds, including digital technology management, business administration and computer science. The project was executed in close cooperation with Zimpertec and Mr. Zimmermann. This has been central to adapting the application to the specific needs of the industry. Furthermore, the work was guided by experienced course instructors – Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka, Jere Käpyhao and Anne Mari Stenbacka- and further enhanced by the strategic input of Agile Work Coach Hans-Jürgen Haak. This joint effort was key to the success of the project, as it combined academic knowledge with practical application.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Jessica Slamka, Hans-Jürgen Haak, Jere Käpyhao and Anne Mari Stenbacka (TAMK). The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project Results: Press Release, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team

‘CoolVent’, a solution for efficient ventilation control across the university campus, is being developed by a team of experts from the Co-Innovation lab at University of Applied Sciences in Munich. The application contributes to the possibility of reducing energy consumption and therefore save costs and expenses.

High energy consumption and the resulting rising costs

In times of energy transition and climate change, the focus is on particularly high energy consumption, which can be reduced through intelligent applications. Also public institutions want to and have to contribute to a sustainable future. Nevertheless traditional ventilation systems are often inefficient and can lead to unnecessary energy consumption, since smart technologies are not yet being used in this context. This ultimately leads to higher costs for the facility. Therefore a lot of energy is consumed for cooling rooms that are not used. Building energy consumption has become a major concern for facility management teams and university departments.

Data generated insights for energy saving

“Showing the potential of data generated insight for energy saving” – With this mission statement as a guiding principle, Matthias Maier, research associate at HM, commissioned the expert team. In the context of helpful coaching by Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof Dr.-Ing. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Johannes Ebke, and Hans Jürgen Haak, the student team developed a concept and the accompanying application ‘CoolVent’ that is useful for energy saving by optimizing ventilation settings. The student team is composed of the business students Fabian Langseder, Laura Lenk and Benedikt Henning and IT students Aleksandar Culafic, Laurenz Fuchs, Julia Kassapidis, Maximilian Reichl and Yannik Zbick.

“Through an application that is precisely developed according to the stakeholder needs and directly with the users feedback, we want to make energy saving simple and transparent” – Scrum Master from the ‘CoolVent’ Team. ‘CoolVent’ is a user-friendly web-application that allows facility managers to increase efficiency of the controlling for the ventilation systems according to room occupancy and air quality data. The system utilizes data gathered by sensors installed in several rooms across the campus and obtains important information about the semester planning. The room plan is then aggregated and displayed in a transparent view to help the facility manager to efficiently adjust the ventilation at the beginning of the semester. In addition, with sensor data, very granular adjustments can be made regularly, based on recommendations from live sensor data, which measures whether a room was actually occupied at the planned times This allows fine adjustments to be made at regular intervals throughout the semester.

„The ‘CoolVent’ System, developed by the student team, can be used by the facility management to improve operation times of their ventilation systems. This would lead to significant reductions of the universities energy demand, as well as operational costs.”– Cooperation Partner, Matthias Maier.

Video Music: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/REW_1123/dead-sea/the-lowest-place-on-earthmp3/

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Johannes Ebke and Hans-Jürgen Haak. The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. They are supported by Amazon Web Services with state-of-the-art cloud technologies and the Working Backwards innovation methodology. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project results: Press Release, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team

As part of the Co-Innovation Lab, a student group from Hochschule München develops a groundbreaking system to tackle food waste in commercial kitchens by generating valuable insights on wasted food types through computer vision and machine learning algorithms.

An Urgent Need for Optimized Tracking of Food Waste

Commercial kitchens providing meals for schools and hospitals often find uneaten food being left behind, but are left in the dark about exactly what food items are disliked by their customers. This not only leads to wasted food, which negatively affects the environment, but is also problematic from a business perspective as it affects the financial performance of the kitchen.

For a fresh perspective on how food waste can be measured within kitchens, the InnovationLab of the IT department of the City of Munich commissioned the consulting team of the Co-Innovation Lab of the Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) consisting of both business and IT students. The consulting team received support from their professors as well as a project coach from the InnovationLab.

Enabling Smart Food Waste Management

The prototype utilizes a Raspberry Pi camera to provide accurate and reliable data on the wasted food items. This data, presented on an intuitive dashboard, empowers commercial kitchen managers to optimize their menu planning and operations more effectively – resulting in a reduction of food waste and notable cost savings.

„We wanted to make a positive impact on the environment by tackling the issue of food waste“, said Sophia Huber, co-founder of WasteNoBite. “By leveraging the power of advanced algorithms and computer vision, we can help kitchens reduce their food waste and save money in the process, which can be reinvested in an even better experience for the customers.”

Pioneering in Food Waste Recognition with Artificial Intelligence

The positive impact of WasteNoBite is also being recognized by Dr. Stefanie Lämmle, the head of the InnovationLab of IT@M. “The idea stems from the belief that artificial intelligence possesses the transformational power to tackle global food waste effectively. With this product, we not only want to revolutionize the recognition of food waste, but also make a positive contribution to sustainability and create a better future for our planet.”

Increase efficiency and improve sustainability today with WasteNoBite’s innovative system for data-driven insights and instant feedback!

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Johannes Ebke and Hans-Jürgen Haak. The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. They are supported by Amazon Web Services with state-of-the-art cloud technologies and the Working Backwards innovation methodology. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project results: Presentation, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team

Students from Hochschule München have developed ZERO, a multifunctional energy management system for the IT department of the City of Munich (it@M). This solution aims to track, visualize, and evaluate electricity consumption data of office spaces and devices so the department can make more informed decision-making for enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability. The team collaborated in a cross-functional setting for three months, comprising IT and Business students, to create the solution prototype. They applied the AWS working backward method and worked in an agile Scrum working environment throughout the solution development.

it@M recognized the challenges associated with a lack of transparency and accessibility in energy consumption data of their buildings, hindering effective evaluation of energy usage behaviour in their office spaces. An innovative solution is needed to collect and visualize energy data for informed decision-making on energy savings strategies.

ZERO aims to provide the management within the department with a more tangible understanding of energy consumption, offering enhanced accessibility and traceability. Currently in its prototype phase, ZERO aims to improve and optimize energy management. Its unique selling points (USPs) include transparency, a centralized view of electricity consumption, the ability to compare energy consumption, its traceability, and increased awareness of energy consumption.

The main features of the ZERO prototype are the centralized overview of buildings and devices, which are offering transparent insights into energy consumption for management-level stakeholders. ZERO offers a comprehensive comparison of the office space’s energy consumption not only in isolation but also in relation to other examples from everyday life, such as energy consumption of private households or cruising range of an electric vehicle that can be reached with the same amount of energy. Furthermore, ZERO provides energy-saving tips that appear each time the  homepage of the dashboard is reloaded, ensuring that users, especially employees of it@M are consistently exposed to practical ways to reduce energy consumption at work.

On July 10th, the ZERO team had the opportunity to showcase their solution to it@M, and it was a resounding success. Dr. Stefanie Lämmle, the head of InnovationLab, expressed her admiration by stating: “We are impressed by the solution presented by Team ZERO. We would love to further explore the potential of the ZERO prototype”.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Johannes Ebke and Hans-Jürgen Haak. The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. They are supported by Amazon Web Services with state-of-the-art cloud technologies and the Working Backwards innovation methodology. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project Results: Press Release, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team

In a world of increasing gas prices and sustainability concerns, private households are feeling more and more under pressure and are yearning for insights into their consumption and a way to reduce gas usage. For this reason, and to tackle the ubiquitous effects of climate change, the Umweltinstitut Munich has joined forces with Hochschule München to create a game-changing solution for monitoring household gas consumption.

Simplifying Gas Consumption Management

Today, the Bundesnetzagentur estimates that 85% of private households are unable to track their gas consumption during a year, leaving many surprised confused and ill-equipped to make informed decisions when receiving the annual gas bill from their gas provider. People are therefore seeking effective ways to better control their gas consumption and reduce their emissions as well as annual gas bill. The potential for savings in the private sector is immense, as Gunnar Luderer, leading researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, states that a “30 percent reduction in gas consumption is possible and important.”

Introducing the PowerMate App

That is where PowerMate comes into play. During the Co-Innovation Lab at Hochschule München, an interdisciplinary team of 8 computer science and business administration students has developed PowerMate. PowerMate, is a user-friendly app that provides customers with a compact device, seamlessly connected to their gas meter, along with an intuitive app interface to view real-time gas consumption data. The app not only offers valuable insights into gas usage habits. Users are able to identify spikes in gas consumption and, in case of above average gas consumption, are informed to change their heating behaviour, empowering them to reduce gas consumption. The aim is to simplify gas consumption management and empower users to adjust their heating behaviour to save energy.

“At PowerMate, we believe that managing your gas consumption should be simple and easy,” says Antonino Grasso, member of the development team of PowerMate. “With PowerMate, users will be able to make quick decisions about their energy consumption and instantly adjust their energy usage, which will lead to a reduction in consumption, as well as cost-savings.”

Using PowerMate is simple and straightforward. Customers can easily connect an old smartphone or sensor to their gas counter and download the app to start visualizing their gas usage. The app provides personalized insights and tips for saving money on gas bills.

Leonard Burtscher from the Umweltinstitut München, who acted as client and advisor during the project states: ” am very satisfied with the cooperation with the student team and see a lot of potential in the developed solution”.

About the Digital Innovation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab

This solution was designed in a joint project between the Digital Transformation Lab and the Co-Innovation Lab of Hochschule München guided by the lecturers Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel, Prof. Dr. Lars Brehm, Prof. Dr. Johannes Ebke and Hans-Jürgen Haak. The Co-Innovation Lab offers students a virtual platform for learning how to work as a consulting team by creating temporary partnerships between companies, students, and lecturers.

For more information about the Co-Innovation Lab, contact holger.guenzel@hm.edu or lars.brehm@hm.edu.

This Co-Innovation Lab project was carried out in cooperation with the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

“The Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to the major social challenges of our time. Together with stakeholders in the private sector, students develop future-oriented solutions. They are supported by Amazon Web Services with state-of-the-art cloud technologies and the Working Backwards innovation methodology. We live digital transformation.”

More information about the Co-Innovation Lab and the Digital Transformation Lab (DT.Lab) at Munich University of Applied Sciences:

• Website Co-Innovation Lab: https://www.co-inno-lab.org/
• Website DT.Lab: https://hm.edu/dt-lab/ & Challenge auf der DTLab-Website
• Project Results: Press Release, Working Backwards, Empathy Map, Story Board, FAQ

Authors: Project team