- ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® energy management software to be fully implemented in Season 9
- Innovative solution will enable Formula E to monitor, analyze and optimize energy usage at racetracks around the world
- Video further explaining the technology available to view here
ABB will this year integrate its innovative ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® energy management software solution into the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, helping to maximize the energy efficiency of the racing series’ at-track operations.
Season 9 of the all-electric racing series, of which ABB is official charging partner, begins this weekend in Mexico City, where ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® will be used in a live racing environment. Following successful trials during Season 8, ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® will allow the championship’s engineers to monitor and analyze total race-specific energy output, helping drive more efficient usage.
Up to 14 metering boxes will be located at host venues, collecting data on how much electrical power (kilowatts) is being used by teams and other race partners at that moment and how much electricity (kilowatt hours) is consumed over any given time period. This information will be relayed back to race control via the Microsoft Azure cloud. Total consumption across entire E-Prix sites will also be monitored, encompassing operations including the TV broadcast suite, E-Village fan zone, media center, catering facilities, the paddock and the teams’ pit garages.
Daniela Lužanin, Head of the ABB Formula E partnership, said: “For ABB, the partnership with Formula E has always been more than a race, it is a test bed for innovative technologies, and we aim to continue to bring more of our solutions to the series. Energy efficiency is key to reducing emissions and meeting sustainability targets and ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® will be fully implemented this season to help improve this within the Championship.”
The varied street circuits used by Formula E present the added challenge of having to use a range of power sources across different locations. ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® helps address this with a central dashboard which gives live visibility of all power at the racetrack, enabling Formula E’s technical teams to make all on-site activity more efficient, regardless of the power source.
Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E, said: “As the first sport to be certified as net-zero carbon since inception, we are always looking for more ways to make the series as sustainable as possible. With ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® we are able to better monitor our energy consumption and see where potential savings could be made.“
Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E calendar begins this week in Mexico City on January 14. The season calendar comprises 16 races in 11 global locations, including new host cities: Hyderabad, Cape Town, São Paulo and Portland.
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com
