At a glance
- Unified database enables accurate energy forecasting
- 90%+ prediction accuracy for consumption and emissions
- Cost and time savings via predictive insights
- Real-time dashboards improve ESG visibility and reporting
Overview
As governments, businesses, and individuals strive to reduce their carbon footprints, understanding the baseline through data is crucial for measuring progress. Public transportation is key to reducing road and air travel, thus lowering global emissions. Governments and transport providers are actively working to meet the growing demand for sustainable transit solutions.
Data analytics and Decision Intelligence company, Toustone | COSOL is helping Australian transport operators measure and interpret their complex energy and emissions data via predictive analytics and machine learning (ML) this greatly assists them in working to reduce their operating costs and environmental footprint.
Problem
One of Australia’s largest rail operators approached us due to a lack of a unified and organised database, which was hindering their ability to accurately forecast energy consumption. The operator faced contractual mandates with private enterprises and government departments that included penalties for misforecasting energy usage.
Recognising that incorporating more data sources improves prediction accuracy and extends forecasting capabilities, the operator enlisted our expertise to establish a robust data foundation and implement an accurate energy consumption measurement and prediction system.
Approach
We collaborated with the transport operator to simplify data measurement and reporting, automating data collection from multiple, complex sources. Vast electrical consumption data from smart power metres across its network was broken into five-second increments and surfaced in real time, for example.
Beyond calculating the total energy consumption of trains, COSOL's Sustainability Suite creates dynamic data scenarios based on variables such as schedules, trip numbers, electric train acceleration/deceleration, patronage, train weight, weather, and seasonality (including large events like the Melbourne Cup or the Sydney New Year's) - these all impact energy consumption predictions.
Applying ML empowered the train operator with the ability to analyse usage patterns such as energy volume and know where it’s being used, when the peaks and the troughs occur, etc. Dashboards allow for easy visualisation of the transport operator’s ESG metrics, drilling down to micro-detail (if needed), and the usage from a single meter within a station.
The client can pinpoint what is using the power from a specific meter in seconds, such as a faulty elevator causing a consumption spike.
Outcome
COSOL’s Sustainability Suite now gives the transport operator the insights to strategise based on highly accurate energy forecasts to drive cost efficiencies and significantly boost and accurately track sustainability efforts. Once installed, the train operator ran an energy-saving experiment. They slightly slowed down a train, immediately seeing an energy reduction in the dashboard, without negatively affecting customer experience.
Knowing where the biggest consumers of electricity are and the ability to compare asset design for optimum electrical consumption is a game-changer. COSOL's Sustainability Suite can cover all the transport operators’ ESG bases, including accurate forecasting of carbon emissions, without needing to deploy a task time. This frees them up for opportunities to grow their top and bottom lines, like supplementing renewables.
Best of all, we got the job done in just 6-8 weeks.
About COSOL
COSOL is built on one belief: in asset-centric industries, reliability is everything. We’re a trusted, data-led asset management experts for organisations around the world who can’t afford to fail. And known for our deep expertise, dependable delivery, and ability to keep critical assets performing at their best.
The company recently celebrated 25 years in business, are Australian-owned and operated, and recognised as reliable partners by their clients across the globe.
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