Category: Commercial

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The Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

©Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

The Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

CASE STUDY

The Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club is one of the largest Sailing Clubs in Northern Ireland with around 1,000 members. Gaia Smart Energy recently worked with the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club to review and optimise their energy set-up, resulting in savings of 45% on heating costs using Genius Hub.

The installation process was Straight forward and left a lasting impression on the Royal Yacht Club team

"It is easy to use, and you can plan for a week in advance for heating rooms that are only used occasionally." "We only have heating where and when we need it so there is less wastage and it is friendlier to the environment."

How did you control your heating before?​

“Our heating system before didn’t allow for much control– it was separated into 3 zones to heat different areas of the Clubhouse, but this was ineffective and led to areas being heated that weren’t being used on a daily basis. The control system was in the bar and could be accessed by everyone, and this didn’t allow it to be managed effectively. Redesigning and installing a new heating system, which had been installed in 1985, would have involved enormous expense in re-piping and zoning. Since the radiators were all approaching 40 years old, replacing them would have been an enormous job, never mind the building work involved.”

What do you like about the system

“It is easy to use and you can plan a week in advance for heating various rooms that are only used occasionally. It is more efficient and means we only have heating where and when we need it, so there is less wastage and it is friendlier to the environment.”

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Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic

©Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic

Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic

CASE STUDY

After being impressed with the Genius Hub system we fitted in his home, Peter Herold decided to also have it installed in his busy veterinary surgery, Cornerstone Vets, soon afterwards. The veterinary surgery demonstrates the full breadth of what the Genius Hub system is capable of.

How did you control your heating before?

“Before the Genius Hub was installed, I controlled the temperature just by manually opening and closing each of the valves on the radiators in each room. Sometimes I would forget and leave a room on, wasting energy. I also have lots of staff who are too busy to remember to turn off the heating when it is not needed. Redesigning and installing a new heating system, which had been installed in 1985, would have involved enormous expense in re-piping and zoning.”

How user-friendly do you and your staff find the system?

“I find the system very user friendly. If I’m not at the practice, my staff can control each individual room but the system can never run beyond closing time due to the way it’s set up, so I don’t need to worry about it being left on all weekend.”

What do you like about the system

“When Genius Hub was fitted to my home, I knew very quickly that it would be ideal for my Veterinary practice. When the Gaia engineer came out to survey the building I was surprised to find that I could control all of the electric heating, air conditioning and ventilation fans etc. as well as the radiators.”

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The Mount Business & Conference Centre

©The Mount Business and Conference Centre - Facebook

The Mount Business & Conference Centre

CASE STUDY

The building comprises of a combination of serviced offices, conference rooms, training rooms, and an in-house restaurant. Andrew Campbell, owner and manager of The Mount, was familiar with the Genius Hub system because he had had it installed in his home two years earlier. Having seen what the system can do, he decided to have it installed on a much larger scale in his business and conference centre.

How did you control your heating before having the new system installed?

“The Mount Business & Conference Centre in Belfast is a large commercial building with a mixture of underfloor heating and radiators. The heating system was controlled by the Building Management System (BMS) with sensors in different areas to try and zone the system. In addition to the BMS, the radiators had thermostatic valves and the rooms with underfloor heating had individual thermostats.”

What do you like about the system?

“There are actually a number of different features that I like about the system:

- Ease of use: Of the software on both the computer and phone app.

- Control: It allows me to remotely control the heating system at an individual room level.

- Information: Until the Genius system was installed we had no way of knowing what temperature a room was at without going to the room. Now, the information provided by the system allows us to provide a better customer experience by ensuring that when the rooms and offices are in use they are at a comfortable temperature. The Genius system also helped us identify a number of faults in our heating system such as faulty actuators and seized pins on the underfloor heating loops.

- Reduced energy consumption: Using the Genius system to control the air-conditioning systems has significantly reduced energy wastage by ensuring the air-con is not left running when a room is unoccupied.

And as it is not possible to turn on the air-conditioning when the heating is on, this stops the two systems working against each other.”

How user-friendly do you find the system?

“The Genius system is extremely user friendly on both PC and Genius Hub App. Setting up and changing heating timings is done in seconds.”

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Coventry City Council

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COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL

CASE STUDY

Large, historic buildings are notoriously difficult to heat efficiently. We take a look at how Coventry City Council are using smart heating controls to cut their carbon footprint, keep occupants comfortable and preserve the beauty of their historic buildings.

Coventry City Council started monitoring the carbon footprint of its operations in 2008, and by 2016 they’d already reduced emissions by an impressive 35%. But they’re not stopping there. They continue to make improvements, including reducing the energy consumption of their buildings.

After seeing the success of the Genius Hub installation in the council-owned Coombe Abbey Hotel, the council have been keen to explore how Genius Hub can help them continue to reduce energy consumption. So they installed Genius Hub smart heating controls in another 14 buildings of various types, including schools, care homes, pavilions and offices.

The council also trialled two heating control systems from other manufacturers, however both installations encountered serious setbacks. One system was incompatible with the council’s computer systems, so installation could only be completed after the supplier rewrote their app, which took three years. Another installation, of a wired system, encountered reliability issues as the cables kept snagging where the installers had to route cables through tight turns. Ultimately, this installation was abandoned entirely.

In this case study we’ll focus on just one of their Genius Hub installations: the council’s iconic Council House, a historic building in the centre of the city.

The Council House: a Grade 1 listed building

Constructed in 1917 and designed to accommodate 1,500 employees, the Council House is an impressive Elizabethan-style building. It consists mainly of office space, but also houses large formal rooms such as the Council Chamber, Mayor’s Parlour and various committee rooms.

When it comes to heating period buildings such as this, energy efficiency is a challenge. Many of the options available to more modern buildings aren’t compatible with preserving the beautiful façade and interior details.

However, heating controls were an area that could certainly be improved. Previously the heating was controlled by a Building Management System (BMS) that only divided the building into three large zones, making it impossible to manage the heating efficiently. Even worse, the BMS didn’t control the air conditioning system in the meeting rooms, so they were often being cooled while the heating was still on.

The council received funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which enabled a package of energy efficiency improvements to be implemented in the building, including the installation of Genius Hub motion-sensing heating controls.

We interviewed Paul Bowell, the Assistant Facilities Manager, to capture his experience of the installation and use of Genius Hub.

Did you have any concerns before installation?

“Yes. This is a challenging building, both because we need to preserve the building itself, but also because of the occupants. I understand why we’re making changes to save energy, but I knew we wouldn’t be able to please everyone. I wasn’t sure whether staff would understand why rooms wouldn’t be kept warm all the time, and how we can get them on board.”

How do you find using the app?

“Brilliant, I love it. The user interface is great and really easy to use. It’s simple, it’s well laid out, and it gives me instant control over all the different buildings from one place. I use it on the phone or the computer. At my desk, I prefer to use the computer, but when I’m not on site I use my phone, which works well.”

How was the process of design and installation?

“Genius Hub did a site visit with the installation company and they designed it together, then presented this design to us with a fully costed proposal. We had quite a few questions but we had several meetings, and all our questions were answered.”

The system was designed to control each room individually, based on occupancy. Genius Hub functions automatically, enabling significant energy savings without needing occupants or staff to adjust heating controls.

In total, the system controls over 250 radiators, the ventilation system and air conditioning units. The smart radiator valves were colour-matched to the cast iron radiators, so that they blend in. As Genius Hub is a wireless system, there’s no need to run wires to every device, or all the messy drilling that would be required to do so.

“The installation crew were excellent; very professional, clean and tidy. They really took care of the building fabric, and also worked around the occupants to minimise disruption. For example, if a meeting room was being used at particular times, they’d work around this.”

How did the system perform?

“Initially a few occupants were trying to adjust the valves manually and complaining when it didn’t work as they expected, but Genius Hub helped us resolve that and the occupants are happy with it now.

In some rooms, Genius Hub has improved the comfort, because previously the radiators at the end of each pipe run wouldn’t get warm. After installing Genius Hub, the heat is only being used where it’s needed, so it is better distributed around the building. So now those radiators are working really well, and we’ve been able to remove the additional electric heaters we’d previously been forced to install.”

The client estimates the savings in the first winter to be over 60%, compared to the building’s energy usage before the Genius Hub was installed.

Would you recommend Genius Hub?

“Yes, definitely! Despite the challenges of this building, Genius Hub has worked very well, so I’d definitely recommend it.”

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Mansfield Baptist Church

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ARTICLE BY MATTHEW BILLINGTON – JIGSAW INFRARED HEATING

MANSFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH

| CASE STUDY

NOTTINGHAM

Did you know there is no need to turn the heating on at lunchtime on a Saturday to ensure everyone is warm enough on a Sunday morning? Sometimes even longer! This appears to be a common problem for most religious buildings. Jigsaw and Genius Hub are approached frequently to help on ways to heat older buildings. The most requests we get are for support for churches. These are some of the more challenging buildings to work on due to the age, construction, wiring and delicacy needed to when planning and installing.

We are usually asked one simple question. Will Infrared work for our church? The answer is, YES! But, the challenge for Jigsaw staff is to find the best way of warming the building quickly, efficiently and with controls which make is easier for members of the church to use.

INITIAL ENQUIRY
The Jigsaw team recently completed a three week installation at Mansfield Baptist Church, Nottingham. We were originally approached along with five other companies to offer our solution for heating multiple rooms of various sizes. Ones of their main issues was that there are so many rooms that each would require different infrared solutions to work. The previous convection/gas system was taking too long to warm the rooms up. Some rooms never reached temperature in some large areas. This caused the congregation to feel uncomfortable in the colder months.

THE AREA FOR INSTALLATION ON THE FIRST PHASE:

  • Reception
  • Managers Office
  • Central Corridor
  • Nave (10m+ High Vaulted ceiling)
  • Balcony
  • Vestry Office
  • Parent and Baby Room
  • 3 x Large Meetings Rooms
  • 3 x Bathrooms
Jigsaw-2

HEATER SELECTION
The team on their first visit knew that the Mid Range of Infrared heaters would be required for the larger spaces. Jigsaw’s Made in Britain Infrared Panels would be used in the others. Their expertise were put in to use for calculating the requirements of the rooms, the heaters needed, control systems and the installation processes.

Jigsaw-1

COMFORTABLE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Once an initial estimation had been made, the custodians of the church visited one of our previous church installations in the Midlands. This gave them the sense of what the IR heat feels like and how it can quickly warm the space up. This gave the group the confidence in their investment. Two demonstration heaters were loaned to the church to aid their decision. With Infrared you need to feel it,  know what it does and how far it reaches.

For the full case study, the installation process and the results – please check here!

Modernize your home with Jigsaw Infrared Panels

The efficient, greener and comfortable heating system. Made in the UK. Install in homes, businesses and commercial properties. Making your home feel warm.
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Southend on Sea

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© Love Southend / Avenue Baptist Church

Avenue Baptist Church

CASE STUDY

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

Avenue Baptist Church in Southend-on-Sea is a busy church providing vital services to the local community, from playgroups for young families, to football clubs for the youth, to meals for the vulnerable and elderly, Avenue Baptist Church caters for all in the local community.

The church has the environment in their sights as well, and the leadership team feel passionately about reducing their carbon footprint, improving their environmental credentials and reducing energy costs, allowing them to channel the money saved into front line services.

With an antiquated and expensive to run gas heating system connected to wet radiators heating tall rooms, this meant that the cost of keeping the church warm for the various activities was mounting up. Using traditional radiators was not right for the tall rooms where all of the heat (hot air) would rise up to the top of the building leaving those using the rooms cold and the cost of heating astronomically high.

The church brought in some heating professionals and it was recommended to them that the solution was to swap to Far Infrared panels. These heating panels being Infrared mean that they heat the people and the objects in the room and not the air. Because they don’t heat the air this saves a lot of energy as in tall rooms the hot air simply rises up into the high ceilings and is no use to anyone up there!

The environmental credentials of these Far Infrared heating panels comes from the upwards of 50% reduction in energy required to heat the building to the same comfort levels, and purchasing the electricity from a green and renewable electricity tariff. Also, they now have little in the way of maintenance costs for the church for at least the next 15 years. Some similar sites also offset some of the electricity used for the heating by installing solar PV, and feeding it back into the grid in the summer months making the site as a whole carbon neutral.

The church came to Genius Hub to provide the control of these new electric heating panels. Genius Hub not only offer zoned control of each room from an app, but also occupancy detection, so any zone can easily be set up so it only comes on when people are using the room. This is done with a little occupancy sensor in the room and this automatically turns the heating off when the room is left, giving peace of mind to the Deacons (management) of the church that energy will not be wasted heating empty rooms and saving the church a lot of money.

After the installation of the panels and the Genius Hub we interviewed Dr. Terence Lewis (project manager), about why he went down the Far Infrared route and why he chose smart controls. This is what he had to say:

Why smart heating controls?
Having used smart heating controls previously it was clearly the only way forward. I believe it is the future, offering maximum savings for minimum cost.

Why did you choose Genius Hub?
We chose Genius Hub because they came highly recommended by the specifiers of the Far Infrared panels. I was not concerned about this “new” technology because I did a lot of research before I started. There is a lot of information and proof now that this sort of technology is both reliable and future proof.

How did you design the system?
Designing the new heating system was easy, I designed it with the help of the Infrared heating provider, who did a thorough design of the lighting and also the heating. First impressions of Genius Hub impressed me, especially with its ease of use and flexibility. It can control the church’s new electric heating and we will be able to expand it to control the underfloor and radiators in the rest of the church if budgets allow.

How much can Genius Hub save on your bill?
We’re aiming for an excess of 45% savings on the energy bills because we are combining the Far Infrared technology with the better control and LED lighting. We know that Genius Hub alone can save upwards of 30% so that, with swapping the old wet radiators to Far Infrared heaters the savings will all stack up quickly.

What do you like about Infrared heating?
An important consideration is we are very motivated to look after God’s planet, reducing the toxic emissions from the old gas boilers and moving to green electricity is all part of looking after the planet, as well as the cost savings being a benefit.

Was there anything you were concerned about?
No. Because I did a lot of research before I started.

How was the installation?
We were pleased that the installation was done by local contractors (which is the recommendation of Genius Hub) and though they had not installed the Genius Hub before, the engineer from Genius Hub visited the site during the installation and checked that it was all being installed in line with their strict guidelines.

Would you recommend Genius Hub?
Yes – definitely.

Have you benefited in any other way?
Yes we now have a more comfortable environment for the church congregation and the wider communities who use our facility.

Conclusion
Really, I’m already looking forward to next winter when we can give the system a really good trial and demonstrate the predicted savings and reduced carbon footprint!’

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The Belfry Hotel

belfry
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M&V REPORT PDF

THE BELFRY HOTEL & RESORT

CASE STUDY

SUTTON COLDFIELD

Surrounded by over 500 acres of rolling countryside, the world renowned Belfry Hotel & Resort offers luxurious meeting and events rooms, guest bedrooms and suites, restaurant bars, a nightclub, a luxury Spa and Health Club and of course amazing golf. Jacklin House was chosen for a pilot of the Genius Hub because it has consistently high occupancy levels and as such would be a rigorous test for the Genius Hub system and as a result would potentially show the lowest savings.

The world renowned Belfry Hotel & Resort were looking for a low cost and effective energy saving measure that could be easily retrofitted to the buildings across the resort, with little or no disruption to the occupants of the building, and would not only reduce the cost of heating but also improve the heating levels for guests.

As part of this installation of the Genius Hub a full Monitoring and Verification report was carried out to analyse the heat data provided by The Belfry Hotel for ‘before’ and ‘after’ the installation. This was to determine the energy saved as a result of installing the Genius Hub system used to control the temperature of the bedrooms in Jacklin House. This building is of modern construction with wet radiators in each room and frequently runs at high occupancy often above 95%.

The Monitoring and Verification report found an average saving of 64% when comparing the original heating schedule with an occupancy based schedule over the trial period of 10 weeks. The trial consisted of alternating the heating schedule between ‘Timer Mode’ – where rooms are heated regardless of occupancy – and ‘Sense Mode’ – where only occupied rooms are heated. The mode of the heating was alternated for the first 4 weeks, spending 2 weeks in Timer Mode and 2 weeks in Sense Mode, and was then left in Sense Mode for the next 6 weeks.

This test was carried out between 27th November 2019 – 5th February 2020. During the period of the trial it was reported that the number of complaints regarding the heating in Jacklin House reduced compared to before the Genius Hub was installed.

The guest rooms are of modern cavity wall construction with double glazing and the rooms had manual Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) before they were changed for wireless Genius Radiator Valves. No plumbing was required as part of the installation so each room took only 30 minutes (approx.) to change to ‘smart’ control. The monitoring of the heat being supplied to the building during the trial was by a fiscal quality heat meter.

We interviewed the head of maintenance at the hotel and this is what he had to say about Genius Hub.

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What were the main considerations before purchasing?
As an award winning 4* hotel, guest satisfaction was of key importance and the energy savings really only come as a bonus. We have demanding guests who expect everything to be perfect with their stay with us, and we cannot have a situation where there are any problems with the temperatures in the guest rooms.

Was there anything you were concerned about?
Yes, we have full BEMS (Building Energy Management Systems) controlling all of our 13 plant rooms, but we lacked experience with this sort of system. It’s important that we can diagnose an issue with the hotel’s systems as quickly as possible so reception can let the guest know something is being done about it. With the BEMS system we can do that for the boiler plant, and we were hoping that Genius Hub will allow us to do that for the rooms. We realise now that it gives us a lot more information about the rooms than we were expecting.

What were your first impressions of Genius Hub?
The whole company was very professional and they came across well. The engineer explained well what we were getting and how it would be used by the guests and the maintenance team here at the hotel. We chose to block off the individual floors for the engineers from Genius Hub which was appreciated by them, but we realised now that this was not really necessary, the installation went really smoothly and was less disruptive than expected, in fact it was completely trouble free with no disruption to the day to day running of the hotel at all. We also expected more snagging and more of the valve bodies to cause problems as we chose to keep all of the old radiators and valves, but again this was something that caused less issues than we were expecting and didn’t end up adding extra cost to the system.

How much can Genius Hub cut your heating bill?
In the proposal we received from the salesman they predicted the standard 30% savings, however as we plan to potentially roll this out across the site we wanted to know for sure what it would be. We paid for a heat meter to be installed which gave us 30 minute heat energy usage for this block and we installed this onto the pipework in the plant room. We then ran tests over 10 weeks to compare what the energy use was like in a ‘before’ and ‘after’ individual room control situation. We were extremely pleased to calculate that the Genius Hub has saved us 64% off our heating costs meaning that the system has about a 2 year payback on the cost of installation.

IMG_4887

What do you like about the Genius Hub system?
The remote control and monitoring is key to us, we now have the ability to look at the heating history on the charts for each individual room. Now when a customer says that there was a problem with the temperature in their room, we have evidence of any given day what was actually happening in a room.

This significantly reduces confrontation for reception and the number of refunds we have to give out for rooms. We can control and schedule each room which means we don’t have to rely on the housekeepers resetting the TRVs (Radiator Valves) back to 3 all of the time, when they’d often forget, and now they can work in the rooms at a cooler temperature so they are pleased with that too.

What are your staff’s impressions of the Genius Hub?
Reception is the first point of contact for any guest, and the feedback from reception about the Genius Hub has been excellent. They have said to us that once they have explained to the guest that they have adjusted the heating in their room whilst they were on the phone, the instant resolution for the guests is priceless for guest satisfaction.

The only thing that caught them out initially was reception needed to learn to also tell the guest that they are doing it remotely and no one was actually going to visit the room to adjust the heating!

What’s been your experience with Genius Hub overall?
Simple. You get what you are sold and it exceeded our expectations!

How do you use the system?
I do use the app on the phone as I’m not always in the office, we also have it on the designated BEMS computer in the office. I can log on easily when I’m home if there is a problem saving me to have to come to site.

We have a WhatsApp group where I can help remotely if there is a problem that’s not being resolved quickly and it just gives me another bit of visibility of what’s going on in the hotel when I’m not there. When comparing it to using the BEMS it is easy. We like the built in troubleshooter in the app and we’ve managed to fix most issues without having to phone Genius Hub for help. We’ve certainly not had to call anyone out to site in the first 5 months since the installation.

Conclusion
We are now looking to role it out across other parts of the site, the gas consumption has been dramatically reduced and guest complaints have gone down for this part of the site too, so it has given us all that we wanted and a lot more besides, we’d definitely  recommend Genius Hub to others.

Book a room with the Belfry here!

With a variety of rooms and suites to choose from, the Belfry is the perfect destination for any occasion. They’re ideal for weekend breaks, business stays, and spa and golf weekends in the heart of Britain.
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John Street Hostel

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M&V REPORT PDF

JOHN STREET HOSTEL

CASE STUDY

CARLISLE, CUMBRIA

John Street Hostel is run by Carlisle City Council and provides emergency accommodation for up to 20 homeless men in individual bedrooms. In 2015, the hostel was severely flood-damaged by Storm Desmond, requiring the complete renovation of the ground floor, and the hostel finally re-opened in the spring of 2018.

The Manager, Peter Rhodes, explained that prior to the renovation the hostel did have a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) but this didn’t provide room-by-room control of the heating. As a result, especially in the colder months, some rooms would be overheated whilst others were left too cold. The necessary refurbishment following the storm provided an opportunity to install a completely new system that would offer much better control – and the Genius Hub was chosen.

What were your first impressions of the Genius Hub?
Peter Rhodes: “The user-interface seemed quite daunting at first, just because of the level of control we now had. Before we only had a time clock for the boiler and now we had one for every room, and I felt quite apprehensive about this, but as I got used to it I realised that, once set, we could just leave it alone to look after itself. This was excellent, as we didn’t want a system that we had to keep adjusting all the time,”

How was the installation?
Peter Rhodes: “The installation was completely non-intrusive and caused no disruption at all. Much of the equipment was installed in the loft space so there was little reason to go into any of the guest’s rooms.”

What have you liked about the Genius Hub system?
Peter Rhodes: “The flexibility and ease of use of the system is important, but a major plus has got to be the cost savings as it all comes out of our budget to run the hostel.”

Have you benefited in any other way?
Peter Rhodes: “Having each of the rooms individually controllable has been very much appreciated by our residents. We can check on the temperatures in the individual rooms and it is excellent that the system manages itself and we only need to tweak it from time to time.”

Monitoring and Verification Report

ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this report is to analyse the gas data provided by the Carlisle City Council for before and after the installation of the Genius Hub system to determine the energy saved as a result (to within the greatest degree of accuracy as possible). This report found an average saving of 50% since the installation of the Genius Hub system in October 2018, at the time of writing. Note that the predicted energy savings on this site given the level of existing control (BEMS & modern TRVs on all radiators) was 25%. The 50% saving on the energy bills achieved has given the whole project a 2.1 year payback.

PROJECT INCENTIVES:
John St. Homeless Hostel is frequently in high demand and has a high turnover of residents. The building has 20 ensuite bedrooms, as well as a dining hall, communal area and staff offices. Carlisle City Council (CCC) recognised the Genius Hub system as a low cost & effective energy saving measure that could be easily retrofitted with little or no disruption to the occupants of the building. The aim of this pilot project was to help the council cut energy costs while maintaining comfort levels.

PERIOD OF DATA:
The relevant dates for this installation are:

  • 12/09/18 – Initial Installation
  • 24/10/18 – Tweaking Visit (Genius system optimized by an on-site engineer based on feedback from staff)
  • 9/04/18 – Analysis of energy data from site (the winter’s heating usage)

Gas data for Oct 2017 – Aug 2018 has been compared with the data for Sept 2018 – March 2018. The kWh/Degree Day​ ºC has been used as a way of comparing concurrent weeks in a calendar year while taking into account fluctuations in external temperature. Like ‘miles per gallon’, but where the type of road and driving conditions have been standardised.

BEFORE INSTALLATION:
When the external temperature drops the building is under heated and when it is warmer
outside the building overheats. 

The R2 value is a measure of how tightly the data points fit the trendline. This can also be thought of as a measure of the proportionality between two variables. An R2 value of >0.95 is deemed an exceptionally accurate data set. Graph showing the energy consumption prior to installation of the Genius Hub system; 01/10/2017 – 12/09/17.

  • The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ for 01/10/17 – 18/03/18 = 14.19 kWh/ºC.
  • The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ for 01/10/17 – 09/09/18 = 18.54 kWh/ºC.

AFTER INSTALLATION:

  • Period 1 after installation (01/09/2018 – 31/10/2018)
    The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ = 0.78 kWh/ºC
    Building used 6% of the energy than the average for the first 2 months post- installation, i.e. a 94% saving.
  • Period 2 after installation (31/10/2018 – 06/12/2018)
    The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ = 6.27 kWh/ºC
    Building used 34% of the energy than the average for the following 2 months, i.e. a 66% saving.
  • Period 3 after installation (06/12/2018 – 28/12/2018)
    The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ = 21.50 kWh/ºC
    Building used 152% of the energy than the average for the following 3 weeks, i.e. an increase of 52%.
  • Period 4 after installation (28/12/2018 – 13/02/2019)
    The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ = 3.89 kWh/ºC
    Building used 27% of the energy than the average for the following 2 months. i.e. a 73% saving.
  • Period 5 after installation (13/02/2019 – 18/03/2019)
    The ‘Average Weekly Consumption / External Degree Days’ = 13.15 kWh/ºC
    Building used 93% of the energy than the average for the following month, i.e. a 7% saving.

From the data provided, this report finds an average saving of 50% for the time period being monitored. It is likely that this figure will not be entirely accurate as the data provided is not of especially high resolution – however lengths have been taken in the calculations above to mitigate any discrepancies and take a worst case approach.

This report was put together by an industry specialist, using the widely accepted monitoring and verification processes and the guidelines set out by the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP). It was then independently verified by a 3rd party to confirm it’s accuracy and impartiality.

Book your free Genius Hub survey here!

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Tomorrow’s FM November 2019 – Degrees of Difference​

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Bedford

Tomorrow's FM November 2019 - Degrees of Difference

Bedford College had issues with the cost and control of its heating and cooling systems – even after a major refurbishment of one of its buildings.
Their mechanical and electrical design consultant Panda CES approached Genius Hub to consider these concerns and offer some intelligent solutions.

THE SITUATION
Bedford College is the largest Further Education College in the South East Midlands, with multiple campuses catering for students and apprentices from age 16 onwards. In 2012, it retrofitted its Brundtland Building (named after a leading Norwegian environmentalist) as a showcase for applying alternative energy technologies and energy efficiency techniques in existing buildings. Despite new gas boilers and a building energy management system (BEMS), they still had some issues around heating
and cooling, along with high energy costs.

The building contains workshops, teaching rooms and administration offices and suffered from many of the problems found in similar buildings of this nature: Large workshops are used for bricklaying, carpentry and electrical installation training were particularly difficult to heat, and draughty windows caused further heat loss. Fan blowers were used, with the heat coming from the new gas boilers. These were noisy and inefficient and didn’t direct the heat to where it was needed as the warm air would quickly rise to the ceiling.

The classrooms had problems with over-heating on warm days and under-heating on cold days. Some of the classrooms and offices had split-system air-conditioning units. These were often running at the same time as the radiators and wasting a lot of energy. 

Furthermore, as there was no timing control, the air conditioning units were also being left on overnight. If staff stayed late or classes were run in the evenings or weekends, the only option was to have the whole building on. 

THE RIGHT KNOWHOW
Intelligent, occupancy-based room sensors plus modern double panel radiators with smart TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) have been added to each room. This allows pre-heating of the rooms before they are occupied and then keeps them at a pre-set temperature while being used. 

As soon as a room becomes unoccupied, they automatically revert to a set-back temperature, saving energy and reducing costs. And if staff stay late or an event is running in the evenings or at weekends, only those rooms needed will be heated – not the entire building.

ll of the fan blowers for the workshops have been replaced with wet overhead radiant panels which radiate their heat downwards to the occupants in the room. These are also controlled on occupancy of the room. Existing air-conditioning units are now centrally controlled, so they cannot run at the same time as the heating or if there is no-one in the room.

THE ADVANTAGES
The installation of intelligent controls for the heating and cooling systems is expected to result in considerable cost-savings, as well as an enhanced learning and work environment within this showcase building. In this installation Bedford College chose Genius Hub as the controls supplier as all of the Genius Hub equipment is wireless, so with minimal disruption (as it is generally retrofitted to existing systems), installation normally takes just a few days and without impacting the normal operation of a building.

College staff and the maintenance team now take a hands-off approach to adjusting temperatures in the rooms, and any heating issues which arise can usually be dealt with through the Genius Hub app, which runs on a smartphone or computer web browser. The Genius Hub records all room occupancy and temperature data, giving admin staff valuable information on room usage levels. Exercising the pump and all the radiator valves regularly during the summer, to prevent seizing and sludge build-up, is now trivial and completed automatically. The Genius Hub system typically has a two to five-year payback period.

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Bossington Hall

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BOSSINGTON HALL

CASE STUDY

PORLOCK

Elevated high above the beautiful Vale of Porlock, Bossington Hall is an unusual property, where a beautiful and well-appointed stately home has been converted into very high-class self-catered accommodation with 15 guest rooms and 14 bathrooms. “The building pulls together modern comfort with 1920s elegance.”

Taking only exclusive-use bookings, the Hall has large public rooms as well as very generous bedrooms, making it a great venue for both family gatherings and corporate events alike. Owner Guy Dewdney purchased the Hall in 2016. He installed the Genius Hub in Spring 2017 to reduce the risk of guests leaving the heating on high all week, resulting in not only excessive costs but also the likelihood of unexpectedly running out of oil.

How did you hear about Genius Hub?
Bossington Hall actively researched their issue of lack of control and discussed it online with other owners of large homes. They found that their property was too large for the majority of domestic systems on the market, and yet they did not use enough fuel to warrant the expense of a large Building Energy Management System (BEMS).

They found that Genius Hub was recommended on forums including Money Savings Expert.

Why Genius Hub?
Genius Hub is unique – making it a market leader in what it can achieve. The system is designed to provide a solution even in the most complex buildings.

Working with the client at the design stage generates a comprehensive understanding of the building and the real requirements of the client. Genius Hub provides something that no other system offers: its USP is that all the historical data is recorded. Guy told us that, “With Genius Hub, you can see what it is actually doing”, adding, “The larger systems don’t seem to do the data recording at all!”

What were the main considerations before the purchase?
There were a number of factors considered.

Price was clearly one of them, but comparing the overall cost of other smaller systems, there was no great difference. Simplicity and speed of the installation process were important (it was installed in two days). Ease of use of the app was critical. Guy told us, “It is really good. All the stuff I need without the fluff.”

Bossington Hall wanted to make sure that communication and support would be clear and concise. They found from the outset that Genius Hub have highly trained support staff who understand the system. Guy also said, “A UK first response team was a real plus”.

What were your first impressions of the Genius Hub?

Genius Hub has been around for a long time and has established a good solid reputation. The knowledgeable staff, with a good understanding of the Genius Hub system, underpins this reputation. Guy told us that there are other companies which are either new to the market or do not offer the same level of expertise. He specified the system knowing that Genius Hub works well in buildings like his.

Guy said that he felt that, “The world of BEMS is very closed and you need to understand computer programming to be able to use it. The Genius Hub in comparison gives you more control and it is really easy to use.”

How much has Genius Hub cut their bills?
Having the historical data recorded means that Bossington Hall can evaluate the effectiveness of the Genius Hub at any given time.

At this stage, they report comfortable savings of 20% off their annual bill. However, Guy said, “More importantly, it’s not only the savings, but how guests comment about how warm the Hall is now, which was never the case before”. He believes he could be saving more, but this was as much about giving extra comfort to guests, as saving energy.

Have they benefited in any other way?
Bossington Hall enjoy receiving positive comments from guests about how nice it is to have individual controls in their rooms.

Guy told us he was concerned that guests would play with the controls and he initially watched the system “like a hawk” to see if the temperatures needed adjusting.

He can now see if the system is boosted by a guest but has discovered that, in the main, it is left alone. This suggests that he is getting the room temperatures near enough right from the start.

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The magnificent country house is totally surrounded by National Trust land, and is elevated above the beautiful Vale of Porlock.
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