Fujitsu’s expertise in sustainability initiatives and data analysis was a perfect match for this project to support B&Q, which wanted to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and energy waste to reach its 2040 goal.
Richardson says, “Fujitsu could help us understand why things were operating the way they did and what the drivers were behind some of the worst energy waste, effectively creating a leaderboard of the best and worst stores in terms of kilowatt hours (kWh).”
The company had a lot of data from its building management sensors and smart meters that send in new information every 15-30 minutes. This creates a hugely complex web of data, further complicated by the shops’ different sizes and locations that affect their energy use.
“We had all this data, but nobody was actually doing anything with it,” he adds. A range of systems and standards were implemented, including advanced energy metering and machine learning models linked to B&Q’s building management system. Using proprietary AI, Fujitsu analysed the data, searching for trends, anomalies and patterns, and even included third-party weather data in the analysis to ensure the most comprehensive pool of information as the basis for its work.
Once the results started to pour in, the company saw where energy was being wasted. For example, some problems were found to be caused by sensors placed in drafty areas or close to doors, which made the system think that the building was colder than it was. Other culprits were found to be glitches in the settings, causing problems such as burners that never turned off, which simply required a reset.
“We have policies that at certain temperatures a burner shouldn’t be firing,” Richardson says. “And Fujitsu discovered how many of these policy violations there were. One of the early ones we found was a single burner that went through an eye-watering amount of gas, never turning off. It was operating out of policy for some reason. The data was there, but nobody picked it up.
The next steps involved implementing fixes and, sometimes, simple solutions. Lowering the set temperature in stores by one degree brought some incredible results. In the 12 months leading up to July 2024, B&Q saw a 20% improvement across all locations, saved £3 million and prevented a staggering 7,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is something that the company is particularly proud of. “The tonnes and tonnes of carbon that have been prevented from escaping into the atmosphere is exactly why I’m doing the job I’m doing,” Richardson comments.
Richardson also became reliant on the Fujitsu dashboard that offers real-time alerts to watch for discrepancies. “I’m on the Fujitsu dashboard most days,” he says. “I’m slightly obsessed with it. I can see a specific time frame and how many hours have been outside policy. I can see that a specific burner somewhere was on for seven hours when it shouldn’t have been. Sometimes there is an explanation, but 50% of the time it’s a genuine opportunity for improvement.”
B&Q’s energy procurement and property sustainability strategies have become more data-driven and focused on implementing sustainability checkpoints across store operations. What’s more, the project set a new benchmark for energy management, showcasing how other organisations can make use of technology to enable sustainable business practices.
