Atamate provides an advanced building management system that is data-driven, wireless, and easy to install, requiring only standard electricians.  

Atamate’s primary role in the ALCHEMAI project is data collection to establish the baseline building performance of the demonstrator sites. When analysing retrofit options, there is huge value in having real and accurate building data to base decisions upon, and project partner and founder Joe Miles from Atamate explains how they are leading in this regard.  

Key components of Atamate’s technology 

Atamate has installed sensors in the projects’ buildings that measure occupancy, air quality, temperature, humidity, and energy usage at an advanced level. The devices “give us a granular breakdown of where your energy is going,” Joe says. Sensors and meters are designed for quick installation without specialist skills, making the system accessible and scalable. 

These multiple sensors are integrated using an innovative mesh technology, which shares secure, reliable data transmissions throughout the building. Joe explains “each device installed sends out the signal, and then any device that hears it repeats that signal. It's a very reliable way of moving data across buildings, so it doesn't matter how big the building is, you don't have any dead spots.” 

Data for building management  

Atamate’s sensors collect detailed energy and environmental data to understand the buildings’ behaviour, identify any inefficiencies, and optimise future retrofits and energy efficiency measures. 

The technology can also function as a full building management system, where the sensors highlight patterns in energy usage, occupancy, and air quality to optimise the building’s energy use automatically.  

The system can control mechanical systems like heating and ventilation, offering additional savings and healthier building environments. “Our hub local computer can turn off the heating or turn on the air conditioning,” Joe says. “It automatically runs the algorithms to keep these rooms where you optimally want them to be.”  

30-40% energy savings gained  

Speaking on the value of accurate data, Joe tells us that “collecting and understanding granular building data is the cheapest way to improve performance, offering insights that save money and energy.” For example, one common quick win that Joe highlights is identifying unnecessary heating during unoccupied periods. He says this alone can lead to 30-40% energy savings.   

This system offers a low-cost intervention compared to other retrofit solutions, with a typical payback period of 3 years for non-domestic buildings.  

Impact on ALCHEMAI 

In the context of ALCHEMAI, the energy data collected is feeding into the digital twins developed by Elemental Power and Holosphere. This will provide accurate and valuable data across the 12 pilot sites in order to create accurate digital twins. ALCHEMAI also seeks to raise awareness of the tools that exist to make non-domestic retrofit and building management easier and more impactful.  

Wider vision 

Joe believes systems like this are necessary in the industry to improve the health, energy and retrofit outcomes of non-domestic spaces: “This technology isn’t just about energy savings. It’s about creating healthier spaces, and more secure, and better-managed buildings.”