On Friday, three of the Ensign Project’s Work Packages — WP1: Whole System Integration, WP4: Hydrogen sub Digital Twin, and WP5: Industrial Cluster sub Digital Twin — came together at the University of St Andrews to explore the potential of developing a Digital Twin (DT) for the Eden Campus.

The goal? To create a dynamic digital representation of the Eden Campus that reflects its integration of multiple green energy systems and supports future research, planning, and innovation.

The envisioned Digital Twin will draw on data from a range of sustainable energy technologies already in place on the campus, including:

  • A 1-megawatt ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which will power the Eden Campus and will be utilised by electric vehicle charging points and the installation of battery storage
  • A biomass boiler, fueled by sustainable wood sourced across Scotland, which supplies hot water to student accommodations on the main campus via heat exchangers

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the site’s energy ecosystem, the team conducted a tour of the facilities. This included examining the infrastructure, identifying connected buildings, and mapping energy flows across the campus.

As a first step, the teams will develop a preliminary model of the PV system based on existing data and insights. This model will be refined and validated against actual performance data—both current and historical—from the PV system. Once developed, the Digital Twin will help visualize, simulate, and optimize energy use across the Eden Campus.

Stay tuned as the project progresses!

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