Oakes Energy has formed a unique collaborative partnership with Direct Global and technology provider, Bitpool to share focus on improving how buildings and energy systems are planned, managed and optimised.
The UK launch of the Bitpool Cloud platform, an AI-powered energy intelligence platform, reflects a broader shift towards a more integrated, data-led approach to energy and building performance.
Oakes and Direct Global, bring complementary, overlapping capabilities to the partnership. Both are involved in the planning, design, integration and installation of energy and building systems, allowing projects to be developed with long-term operational performance in mind.
Following Viessmann’s 2021 acquisition of Oakes Energy and 0800 Repair’s parent company, PHS Home Solutions, Oakes Energy Services now forms part of a wider renewables-focused strategy. With a strong base in low-carbon heating, solar PV, and renewable installations, Oakes Energy brings on-the-ground delivery capability and technical depth to the collaboration.
Direct Engineering Solutions, part of Direct Global, complements this through its energy procurement and advisory expertise, ensuring that infrastructure and system design decisions are closely aligned with commercial strategy and energy market conditions.
Bitpool provides the digital foundation that connects these activities. Its cloud-based platform aggregates data from a wide range of building and energy systems including HVAC, metering, control systems, and on-site generation into a single operational environment. Using advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, the platform examines performance patterns in depth, transforming large volumes of operational data into meaningful insights that support more informed decision-making.
Rather than relying on manual reporting or fragmented building management systems, Bitpool enables continuous, real-time visibility of energy and asset performance across individual buildings or entire estates. Its analytical capabilities support performance benchmarking, fault identification, and ongoing optimisation, helping organisations move away from reactive maintenance towards more proactive management of energy use and building assets.
A key feature of the platform is its ability to integrate with existing infrastructure, allowing organisations to enhance the performance of current assets rather than replace them. This approach is particularly relevant in the UK market, where estates often comprise a mix of legacy systems and newer low-carbon technologies.
Within the partnership, Bitpool acts as the connective layer between the planning, design, and installation work delivered by Oakes Energy and Direct Engineering Solutions, and the procurement and advisory strategies led by Direct Engineering Solutions, helping to align operational performance more closely with cost control and efficiency objectives.
The UK rollout of Bitpool Cloud will focus on sectors facing sustained pressure from rising energy costs, compliance requirements, and decarbonisation targets, including education, healthcare, local authorities, commercial property portfolios, and industrial facilities. Rather than positioning the platform as a standalone technology product, the partnership aims to embed it within existing building and energy operations, providing organisations with a clearer, more consistent view of how energy is consumed, managed, and improved over time.
Nik Smith, Director of Oakes Energy Services said: “Bitpool was introduced to us by our ultimate parent company, Viessmann, in late 2023. We installed the system at our headquarters, becoming the first UK site to deploy this innovative technology. This early adoption allowed us to fully understand the platform’s capabilities, as well as monitor and learn from the insights it provides.
“Bitpool has delivered significant energy savings, alongside robust benchmarking and carbon reporting. As part of a project, I also granted postgraduate students on Newcastle University’s Renewable Energy, Enterprise and Management (REEM) MSc programme access to the system to evaluate its performance and conduct a European market comparison. Their conclusion was that, at the time, no other solution on the market matched Bitpool in terms of its comprehensiveness, responsiveness, and intelligence.”