E.ON intends to use HoloBuilder’s solution to further digitise the energy industry and optimise construction processes
Image: E.ON headquarters in Essen, Germany. Photo: courtesy of Wiki05/Wikipedia.
Energy giant E.ON has invested in a German-American construction technology start-up company, HoloBuilder that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to visualise construction sites.
The firm has signed a strategic co-operation with HoloBuilder to further digitise the energy industry, optimise construction processes and simplify customer communication during the construction phase.
Headquartered in San Francisco, HoloBuilder is an AI solution provider for 360° reality capture of construction projects. The patent-pending solution enables virtual construction site inspections and 360° live streaming from the construction site.
HoloBuilder provides AI solutions for 360° reality capture of construction projects
E.ON said in a statement: “Another feature is the virtual measurement of distances on the construction site, which makes remote planning much easier.”
E.ON strategy and innovation head Thomas Birr said: “As a future-oriented, innovative company, we have to reinvent ourselves continuously, constantly optimize our processes and digitize our business.
“The digitization of construction projects offers a high, yet unexploited potential. By investing in HoloBuilder, we are ideally positioned to implement projects for the energy transition in a more digital way – and thus more efficiently, faster, and more customer-oriented.”
The energy giant is planning to implement the HoloBuilder solution to build network projects in the future such as substations and switchgears as well as large city energy projects.
As part of this effort, E.ON network operator E.DIS has successfully tested the innovative software in a pilot test.
HoloBuilder founder and CEO Mostafa Akbari-Hochberg said: “The increasing cross-sector demand for our solutions shows us that we have hit a nerve as a start-up – the digitization of construction processes offers enormous opportunities.
“E.ON was the first company in the European energy industry to recognize the potential and is taking on a pioneering role in the digitization of construction sites and infrastructure. We are convinced that this completely new way of planning, executing and monitoring construction processes will set new standards.”
In addition to E.ON, HoloBuilder investors include Brick and Mortar Ventures, Tandem Capital, Foundamental, and NRW.BANK.
Recently, E.ON has inaugurated the 201MW Stella wind farm located in Kenedy County, Texas in the US. The £165m Stella wind farm is powered by 67 of Nordex’s 3MW turbines.