Building owners and managers today have access to a vast amount of data—from invoices and meter readings to information from individual devices. However, this data is often scattered across various systems and rarely provides a clear answer as to where energy losses occur or which measures offer the greatest savings potential. The main task of the SUNIO platform is precisely to link this information and translate it into practical recommendations. “We don’t want to recommend new technologies at any cost. We first want to show what’s actually happening in the building and help select changes that make sense. Sometimes this will involve an investment; other times, it will mean making better use of what’s already working in the building,” said one of the project’s authors, Jakub Procházka from the Faculty of Business and Economics at MENDELU.
The platform is based on integrating available data on building operations. SUNIO can work, for example, with data on building and individual equipment consumption, electricity generation from photovoltaics, battery status, room temperatures, or the operational status of systems. Thanks to this, it can identify situations where energy is not being used efficiently. Examples include energy consumption outside of operating hours, heating of underutilized spaces, or low utilization of energy generated by the building’s own photovoltaic system. Building managers thus gain insight not only into how much energy they consume, but above all, why they consume it and where there is room for improvement.
Simulations based on a digital building model are also a key part of the development process. This model makes it possible to compare the impacts of various measures even before they are implemented. Building managers can thus better assess whether adjusting the heating system, replacing the heat source, or, for example, insulating the building will yield greater benefits. “The point is not to promise a universal savings percentage. We want to compare options based on the specific building and verify predictions with actual measurements,” adds Procházka. The analytical phase can also be followed by automated control. For example, SUNIO can adjust heating based on actual room usage, control water heating, or coordinate the operation of photovoltaic and battery systems according to current energy availability.
One of the platform’s principles is phased deployment. Customers do not have to purchase the entire system at once. They can start, for example, with just an overview of existing data or the administration of electricity sharing, and add other features as needed. The emphasis is on utilizing technologies that are already installed in the building.
SUNIO is no longer just a concept—it is now being put into practice. The team has completed its first municipal pilot project and has also implemented the system for a corporate client. “Implementations to date have focused primarily on automation, more efficient use of solar power in our own buildings, and sharing electricity with other facilities,” explained Procházka. According to the developers, initial experience confirms that simply tracking consumption is not enough to achieve savings. The real benefit comes only when the data collected leads to specific operational changes or automated control. That is why the platform emphasizes clear, understandable outputs and the automation of repetitive decisions. The team is currently further developing the simulation component of the system and plans to verify its accuracy in real buildings, where it will be possible to compare predicted results with actual measured values.
The name SUNIO was created by combining the words SUN and IO (input/output). It first appeared in a semester-long project for a course focused on iOS app development at MENDELU. The platform’s current form began to take shape in July 2025 and has gradually evolved into a standalone product focused on building energy management. The project originated at Mendel University and is currently being developed by a team of students and graduates under the company MAVIAN. In addition to Jakub Procházka, Jan Dub, Daniel Holub, and Tereza Ondráčková are also contributing to the development. All are students or graduates of Mendel University in Brno.
The project won second place in the “Nakopni Prahu” competition and subsequently took first place in the “MENDELU Boost 2026” competition. This success was followed by support from Operátor ICT (OICT), which will assist with further testing and expert evaluation of the platform. The SUNIO team is developing the platform as a long-term product. Currently, it focuses primarily on municipalities and businesses, but in the future, it plans to gradually make the platform available to households as well.
The photos are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the actual appearance of the app.