“In ten years the city will be a lot smarter”
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fromSarah Bernhard
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Diana Rauhut is responsible for digitization at Mainova and wants to make life easier for people with technology
Innovation is her passion: Diana Rauhut has been responsible for digitization at Frankfurt energy supplier Mainova for three years. Her goal is not only to relieve her colleagues of time-consuming routine tasks, but also to support Frankfurt – and all other interested municipalities – on their way to becoming a “Smart City”.
Ms. Rauhut, what is a “Smart City”?
It is essentially about making a city more networked, more sustainable and more livable. As an energy supplier, we are traditionally active in infrastructure, which is why it made sense to start with digital infrastructure. For this purpose, we have installed LoRaWAN technology across Frankfurt, for example. This is an abbreviation for “Long Range Wide Area Network”.
Also a network with a long range.
I agree. This radio data network was developed around ten years ago and consists of a radio antenna, sensors and an IT system that processes the incoming data. We currently have 60 antennas installed in the urban area, which have an average reception range of five kilometers, and we use 3000 sensors. Because the sensors only send very small data packets, the power consumption is extremely low. The batteries last up to ten years. We now also come to places without electricity.
And what do you do with this LoRaWAN?
There are many areas of application. Together with VGF, for example, we are testing parking lot sensors on Schwarzwaldstraße, which are intended to prevent cars from parking too close to the rails and thus blocking the tram. Together with the Green Spaces Office, we are investigating whether a park bench with an automatic irrigation system makes sense for city trees.
Exciting! Are there any more such examples?
When working with the real estate industry, the aim is that sensors in the boiler room check whether the system is running properly so that faults can be rectified before they affect the tenants. We measure the ground temperature to make it easier to decide whether a gritter should be on the road. We check in a pond whether the technology is suitable for level measurements in order to be able to warn of floods. And there is a lot more.
That is a very broad spectrum. Who decides what to try?
We have two priorities. On the one hand, there are topics in which we need ourselves, such as the heating network. And what we want to offer externally. In addition, there is an intensive exchange once a month about how the pilot projects are going, what would still make sense and what resources we still have. The board members of the partner companies are always involved, as well as a lot of creative minds, so that this means an exciting further development of the product portfolio for everyone.
Can everyone benefit at some point?
So far, we have been concentrating on projects with municipal companies and municipalities in which people benefit indirectly, for example as tenants or drivers. This is mainly due to our capacities, but also to the questions of which applications are suitable for private use and which are paid for. In mental games, however, we have already thought about a chip for runners through which the street lighting could move along with it, so to speak. There was already a project in the ramparts in 2018. Although smart lighting works in principle, it is not yet ready for widespread use in this application.
How much money has Mainova invested in the “Smart City” topic so far?
The investments were in the low single-digit million range.
Is that a lot or a little?
For Frankfurt and as a basis for so many applications, it is initially manageable. But we made advance payments with the development of the infrastructure, because we see it as an investment in a completely new business area. And with this we are clearly committed to this topic and to the city of Frankfurt.
How were the reactions of your colleagues to the innovation boost?
There is always dying who are convinced, and dying who have to be convinced. We started with technical customer service because the employees are sometimes allowed to climb into Sch to read heat or water meters. When they saw that the sensors were working, things went quickly.
What is still the problem with the implementation?
On the one hand, the possible applications on the market are not that well known. On the other hand, this business area is still being developed and we are also looking for suitable employees.
What kind of people do you need for this job?
Most of the team members come from the start-up scene, which works a little differently than a classic company. It’s much more about recognition, appreciation and creative freedom. It was very exciting to see the start-up group dying to transport busy employees who have always done things this way. At the beginning everyone thought: They work completely differently! But they noticed relatively quickly that they needed each other. Some, because they had the basic idea, but can still learn a lot from the complete implementation. The others because the new developments will save them a lot of work in the future. I find the question of how two cultures break open each other very exciting. We have therefore made a conscious decision not to outsource this area, but to use it as an incentive for internal transformation.
As a woman, are you better suited to managing this process than a man would have been?
I am not a fan of stereotypes. There are different leadership cultures and can be used by both men and women. The classic authoritarian leadership style is of no use in this case. Firstly, because I don’t always know everything, and secondly, because young people in particular, who are not given a work environment in which they feel comfortable, leave very quickly.
And the other, more conservatives? Do you have to assert yourself with them first?
I think it always depends on how you approach people and expressing appreciation. On my first day three years ago, I started the presentation in the technical department at seven in the morning. That broke the ice.
Was a job in the energy industry your childhood dream?
I studied economics with a focus on energy management and then went straight into this area. In my more than 20 professional years I have seen many central functions and I was particularly fascinated by the fact that it never got boring. There is always the possibility to devote yourself to new topics or to change. The market is difficult, there is strong competition, so you have to keep cutting costs while developing innovative products at the same time.
What will Frankfurt look like in ten years?
The city will be a lot smarter, if only because of the climate goals. I expect that LoRaWAN will also be used across the board by then.
Can technology be used to solve the problems of our time?
Technology supports. The key are creative minds and people who can imagine things and put them into practice.
Is there a problem that you absolutely want to solve personally?
I would like to digitize an entire neighborhood with all the new smart applications. These then help to achieve the climate targets, for example in Frankfurt.