CODA Delivers Energy Efficiency of Non-Traction Rail Assets

12 January 2023

As energy costs continue to rise and the need to accelerate global climate action intensifies, it is increasingly important for every industry to pursue more sustainable practices proactively. The digitalisation of the rail industry has a crucial role to play in the creation of more efficient rail transport, and this includes addressing non-traction energy consumption.

Traction vs non-traction energy

Although rail transport is considered the most energy-efficient mode of passenger transport, there is still scope for improvement within the sector. Rail sector energy consumption can be split into traction energy, associated with hauling trains, and non-traction energy, associated with running rail network buildings and infrastructure. Non-traction energy consumption includes the energy used in running rail operators’ offices, stations, car parks and depots and in technical railway operations such as signalling, telecoms and traffic control.

It is estimated that more than 10% of rail operators’ energy usage can be attributed to non-traction energy consumption. This means that addressing this usage can reduce the sector’s power consumption significantly and create a more sustainable and efficient rail industry.

Improving non-traction energy efficiency

The revolutionary CODA solution has the power to transform rail operators’ energy management strategies. By combining localised sensors, cutting-edge building controls, metering solutions and intelligent analytics, CODA can help rail network operators to uncover opportunities to lower their consumption and limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The CODA solution can be retrofitted into existing infrastructure and tailored to any business or building, making it an economical monitoring system. CODA can be installed into station platforms, depots and offices to provide granular sub-metering of energy-intensive activities and assets. By closely monitoring assets such as HVAC systems, lighting, lifts and escalators, CODA can measure their performance and ensure they are working as efficiently as possible.

For example, by monitoring the use of lighting within a station, CODA can highlight instances in which areas are illuminated unnecessarily. This enables maintenance teams to make changes and improvements to the lighting systems, thereby reducing energy consumption and lowering power bills. Monitoring individual assets can also provide property managers with early indication of asset performance degradation. This makes it possible to facilitate predictive maintenance routines that will prevent the asset from pulling unnecessary load while also extending the lifecycle of the asset and reducing the chance of downtime; whilst at the same time optimising maintenance costs.

CODA offers users a complete visualisation of the building or site, which means that property managers can ensure that energy consumption and costs are being attributed correctly. For example, by monitoring individual assets and areas, it is possible to quantify the energy consumption of retail or hospitality outlets within a station. This is non-traction energy usage that may otherwise be falsely attributed to the network operator, thereby driving up their overall consumption figures and increasing their carbon footprint.

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For further information please contact the team on email: info@codacloud.io