Re-imagining high-performance homes running entirely on renewable energy and being completely self-efficient protecting their occupiers for decades.

Background

Kionnali Living Systems is a startup based in Aberdeenshire created by co-founders Avriel Skolnick and Corrin Fox whose backgrounds in science and engineering and experience in construction and manufacturing has enabled them to design and build LightForm, a prototype home utilising regenerative and resilient building technologies and integrated systems.
LightForm is a modular off-site manufactured home, featuring a unique home climate control system which generates all the heat a house needs, using renewable inputs, distributed recovery and local storage. Inputs include solar thermal collectors, air source heat pump powered by local renewables, and a clean burning biomass back up.

The Journey

Kionnali Living Systems is working to reimagine and build systems that take care of basic needs, from shelter, to energy, to food and water, locally and regeneratively and combine those systems into a modular home that deploys anywhere in minutes and provides everything needed to live, sustainably, on or off grid.

Kionnali was keen to collaborate on several areas including system architecture, materials study and thermal analysis. Initially referred by Business Gateway, the first collaboration instigated by Interface involved a PhD student with the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) and the University of Edinburgh who looked at how a structure with low compaction, no permanent foundation, combined with the introduction of carbon rich compost and clean water, would affect the microbiome of soil.  The research found that Kionnali’s adaptable foundation and lightweight construction could significantly reduce impact from housing on compaction and soil biodiversity.

Taking cognisance of Scotland’s long-term climate change targets and the Scottish Government’s vision that by 2045 homes and buildings will be warmer, greener, and more efficient with renewable energy playing a significant part, Kionnali wanted to test their net-zero energy system concept for the development of self-sustained, net-zero energy buildings suitable for rural and farming communities.
Gillian Hambley, Business Engagement Executive at Interface connected Kionnali with Professor Alireza Maheri of the Centre of Energy Transition at Aberdeen University to perform a feasibility study to verify the Kionnali Net-zero Energy System concept and also evaluate the performance of Kionnali’s innovative technologies (low cost thermal storage system and biomass backup generator) in the context of a net-zero energy system integrated with renewable components (wind, PV, solar thermal) and storage systems.
Funded by an SFC Innovation Voucher the feasibility study conducted by Professor Alireza Maheri found that the Kionnali system can be 100% self-sustaining in any climate, with an 80% reduction in lifetime system cost and negative carbon emissions.

Through the project the company were able to confirm assumptions and develop new design spaces with multifactor optimisation. With the help of a SMART Scotland Grant which funded two full-time positions, the project led on to the development of a full-scale demonstration model.

Interface have continued to support Kionnali connecting them into the Advanced Materials Research Lab at the University of Strathclyde to develop a unique high efficiency, light weight, insulated, modular building panel.

The Benefits

Company

• Development of a modular home that deploys anywhere in minutes and can provide everything to sustain life, on or off grid.
• It is designed to adapt to weather patterns, lifestyle changes, and protect its inhabitants during and after a disaster.
• University expertise has helped prove and accelerate Kionnali’s concept and make their ambition to develop and build systems that take care of basic needs, from shelter, to energy, to food and water, and build sustainable, regenerative communities one step closer.
• Third party feasibility input provided crucial validation data points to propel further growth, from hiring to fundraising and sales.

Academic

• Provided the opportunity to continue research into distributed hybrid renewable energy systems and their impact on a just energy transition.
• Working on this project also provided a valuable opportunity for the further development of MOHRES, a specialised software tool designed to create stakeholders-in-the-loop net-zero energy solutions. MOHRES remains the only tool of its kind, and this collaboration has contributed to its continued refinement through the application to another real-life energy transition challenge.

The Next Steps

• Kionnali are ambitious and are aiming to reimagine the systems that sustain humanity and improve people’s lives with tangible, concrete solutions.
• They plan to grow their team to 15-20 creative doers. In 2025 they are launching three product lines of building technologies based on the Interface funded R&D: FireFly for small spaces, LightForm for residential systems, and LifeBlocks for organisations and disaster relief.
• Over the next 5-8 years the plan is to scale up to full production of the world’s most accessible, sustainable, smart living systems and expand to North America and Europe.
• Active discussions are ongoing with SRUC looking at an “organic waste management system” as an alternative to standard waste toilets that are easy to use, clean and produce sterilised soil. Kionnali will manufacture the composter but would like to collaborate with an academic partner to fully understand the quality of soil and water output from the system, considering soil composition, microbial makeup, and presence of chemicals. They plan to access the Advanced Innovation Voucher to power this work.
• Kionnali’s R&D journey continues at full speed and Interface have continued supporting with further funding applications and opportunities.

Join Geovation Scotland and The Edinburgh University’s AI Accelerator for an insightful event focused on the future of infrastructure and data-led solutions. In this event we will hear from Professor Sean Smith, who is heads up the Centre for Future Infrastructure and the Centre for Net-Zero High Density Buildings at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Gala Camacho, Data Scientist and Founder of Diagonal works, Gala is particularly interested in the intersection of data & analytics, community building and technical products that enhance equity in society.

This event will feature key discussions on opportunities for SMEs, community engagement, and the role of geospatial data and AI in building inclusive environments. Following short presentations from Professor Sean Smith and Gala Camacho, there will be a networking drinks reception and a chance to meet with others in the sector.

Louise Arnold of Interface attending.

Data and artificial intelligence has played an increasingly prominent role in elections in recent years. 2024 is packed with democratic elections, in countries including the UK, United States and India, but what impact will data and AI have – both positive and negative?

How are rogue actors spreading disinformation and deploying plausible deepfakes to influence elections – and undermine our trust in democracy more generally?

How can democratic societies counter those threats – and more importantly, how can we build better future democracies by regulating and controlling AI and data effectively?

Hear from experts on these and a range of other issues around the complex interplay between artificial intelligence, data and democracy.

The Bayes Centre Forum series is intended to create the opportunity for Members & Partners of the Bayes Centre, the wider University community and external business guests to interact, share experiences and explore multi-disciplinary AI and data science research collaboration opportunities.

November’s Forum will provide a quarterly overview of the University of Edinburgh activities in data science and AI and how the Bayes Centre supports the adoption and translation of data science and AI technologies for businesses and organisations.

Speakers include:

• Ruth King, Director of the Bayes Centre
• Emily Lekkas, Business Development Manager, Bayes Centre
• Anne Robertson, Head of Business Development & Sales, EDINA Services
• Sohan Seth, Lead Data Scientist, School of Informatics
• Chris Dent, Director of the Statistics Consultancy Unit
• Julien Sindt, Commercial Manager, EPCC
• Simon Chapple, Head of Data Technology, DDI IoT Programme

Please note, this event will be online only, a Zoom link will be sent to your email prior to the event.

Calling all Scottish tech innovators and entrepreneurs! Attend an event, where the worlds of venture capital and tech startups collide. This event is designed to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and connections needed to take your startup to new heights.

A distinguished panel of experts, comprising seasoned venture capitalists and experts, including Chris Neumann, Marvin Liao, Monique Woodard, Casey Lau, and Mike Sigal, will take the stage to share their invaluable insights on what it takes to become investor ready. From securing seed funding to scaling your business, these experts have witnessed and supported countless success stories.

Prepare to be inspired as we dive into dynamic panel discussions featuring local tech founders who have successfully attracted investments and scaled their ventures. Learn from their experiences, challenges, and strategies for achieving investor readiness in the fiercely competitive landscape of Scottish tech startups.

Amidst the thought-provoking discussions, you’ll have the opportunity to network with fellow entrepreneurs, industry experts, and, of course, our esteemed panellists. Forge meaningful connections, foster collaborations, and uncover exciting opportunities during the networking refreshments that conclude the event.

Don’t miss out on this pivotal event that promises to unlock new pathways to success for your tech startup. Secure your spot today and embark on a transformative journey toward investment readiness and accelerated growth in the vibrant Scottish startup ecosystem.

Who is this event for?

This event is specifically designed for Scottish tech innovators and entrepreneurs who are eager to attract investments, scale their startups, and take their businesses to new heights. Whether you’re an early-stage founder seeking seed funding or an established startup looking to secure additional investments for growth, this event offers valuable resources and guidance for tech entrepreneurs at all stages.

The CENSIS Technology Summit, taking place on 2 November 2023 at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, is Scotland’s leading sensing, imaging and IoT event – a free day of top class speakers, exhibitors, debates and networking. This is a fully in-person event and will not be streamed live.

• Hear about challenges, solutions and innovation across the sectors  from presenters and panellists
• Meet exhibitors from industry and academia showcasing new technologies and products
• Understand how businesses are delivering sensing, imaging and IoT solutions across a range of markets 
• Network and connect with key business people, policy makers and researchers 

Who should attend

You’ll get the most from the day if you are a business developing sensing, imaging and/or IoT products or services or a company or organisation of any size and in any sector interested in using, sensing, imaging and/or IoT to  improve or grow your business. Academics and researchers will also find the day interesting, as will anyone working in knowledge exchange or business development in this space.

Find out more about this year’s CENSIS Technology Summit 2023.

Registration is now open.

The rECOver group focuses on identifying and developing robotics as a sustainable technology and their potential contribution to a more sustainable world while identifying and working to overcome the social and economic implications associated with their integration by closing the gap between domestic and international policymakers and industrial partners.

The rECOver group comprises of a unique combination of cross discipline researchers including scientists, lawyers, sociologists and engineers.

This ‘Collider Event’ at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh, will bring together these sectors into a multidisciplinary group of experts to engage in discussions that will identify and draw out key principles and issues that should be addressed when using robotics for sustainability and focus on questions such as:

•Robotics in a sustainable world: are they accelerating or hindering the objectives?

•Can the increased use of robotics for sustainable mining affect the critical material supply?

•How does the contribution of robotic technology affect the transition to a circular economy?

•How can potential negative socio-economic or political impacts of robotics use be mitigated?

Robotic technology is increasingly being used to drive us to a more sustainable world, for example, in the offshore wind sector. However, whether and how robotics themselves can be made more sustainable – socially and environmentally – is emerging as an issue of debate. The development and use of these robots require coherent interdisciplinary analysis suitable to understanding their potential socioeconomic and environmental downsides and to create better regulatory approaches to incentivize innovation while avoiding negative externalities.

Initially, rECOver is seeking to initiate conversation and collaboration among scientists, engineers, policymakers and social scientists to analyse the use of robotics in mineral acquisition for and recycling of sustainable or ‘green’ technologies by combining both techno-economic and socio-political analysis.

About Opportunity:

Glasgow Caledonian University has developed a novel optical concentrator capable of providing gain on two planes.  Such a concentrator can be used in a non-tracking wall mounted BIPV system. 

The concentrator provides higher optical gains than alternative optical elements, thereby reducing the amount of PV cell (and silicon) required.  Additionally, carefully selected FOVs (Field-of-Views) contribute to capture solar radiation throughout the day and all year round, removing the requirement for electromechanical tracking.

Further, the optical structure has been designed to take into account the fact that the sun’s path deviation from summer to winter is far less than the deviation from sunrise to sunset and the entrance aperture and concentrator profile have been optimsed to redirect sunlight to the exit aperture and to the PV material.

A concentrator PV-array based on this structure is also capable of providing ambient light to building interiors. 

The reduction of PV material can be particularly important in applications using Gallium Arsenide PV cells.

The optical element can be used not only for solar energy systems (solar PV and solar thermal), it also could be used to collect visible and infrared radiation in applications such as sensing and optical wireless communications.

Key Benefits:

• Reduction in cost of BIPV systems
• High optical gain
• High electrical power output
• Optimum collection of light at a variety of angles of incidence
• No electrical tracking required
• Provides illumination as well as energy generation
• Reduction in CO2 emissions

Applications:

• BIPV Systems
• Optical sensing
• Optical wireless communications
• Lighting

IP Status:

The technology is protected by a granted GB patent and international patent application (Priority date December 2011), now in Regional/National phase.

Small prototypes have been built and tested with extremely positive results. Larger prototype array units have now been completed and initial results have confirmed these impressive results with high levels of optical gain generated.

About Opportunity:

Energy used by domestic and non-domestic buildings accounts for approximately 30% of UK carbon emissions, so there is significant opportunity for better management of building energy systems. Technological advances mean that innovative wireless sensors and metering systems can gather fine granularity data on building function and performance.

GCU have developed a building management system which continuously monitors sensors responsible for controlling environmental parameters; room temperature and humidity, air quality, lighting, room occupancy, power usage etc. The system is able to optimise these parameters through remote energy monitoring.

Key Benefits:

• More efficient building energy control
• Greater building energy efficiency
• Higher levels of occupant comfort
• Reduced building carbon footprint
• Lower building energy costs

Applications:

• Domestic building energy management system
• Non-domestic building energy management system
• Industrial control system
• Smart meters

IP Status:

A patent application has been filed to protect the technology and the University is seeking commercial partners interested in developing, licensing or exploiting this technology.