The Challenge:
When Tanya Ewing dreamt up her concept of a system for monitoring energy consumption in the workplace, she knew that she was going to need help turning a new idea into working reality. Working on her own initiative she’d been able to produce a physical mock-up of her invention, but in order to impress potential investors the housewife turned entrepreneur needed to replace what was essentially a plastic box with lights into an actual working prototype.
Having exhausted her own electronics knowledge, Ewing needed a trusted partner capable of working with her company – Ewgeco – to turn its vision into a real world product.
The Solution:
Working closely with Ewing to ensure that her vision was realised, ISLI’s research team set about putting together the components required to complete the project after successfully applying for funding from the Electronic Design Support Service (EDSS) now replaced by the DoRIES Scheme.
Using the initial funding for an architectural scoping of the project’s requirements and pricing, ISLI subsequently won the contract to develop Ewgeco’s first working prototype and took the product on to the point where it could be formally launched with a professional quality demonstration. Some time after the device’s full market release the Institute was re-engaged to conduct a cost engineering exercise that successfully removed $100 per unit in materials costs.
Following the project, the ISLI team also drove an engagement between Ewgeco and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to develop a diversified radio platform designed to meet the needs of future interoperability in a multi-protocol environment.
The Result:
Founder Tanya Ewing is in little doubt that ISLI’s involvement has been crucial to her company’s commercial and technical success. Now offering a full range of domestic and commercial monitoring products, the Ewgeco system displays electricity, water and gas consumption using an easy to understand, engaging and intuitive ‘traffic light’ style display that rises and falls in real-time, allowing owners to identify potential savings from their utilities spending.
Recently named one of the most iconic inventions of the 21st Century by the British Library, today Ewgeco is a patent pending, award winning energy monitor display holding a number of global design registrations. The company received second round funding in 2010 and is now one of the fastest growing brands in the energy consumption market.