Category: Commercial

Posted on by

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.”

View Gaia Smart Energy To Read More
Posted on by

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.”

View Gaia Smart Energy To Read More
Posted on by

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.”

View Gaia Smart Energy To Read More
Posted on by

Coventry City Council

VIEW PDF

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.”

Posted on by

Mansfield Baptist Church

VIEW PDF

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.
Click Here
Posted on by

Southend on Sea

VIEW PDF
© 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!’

Posted on by

Tomorrow’s FM November 2019 – Degrees of Difference​

VIEW PDF
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.

Book your free Genius Hub survey here!

Take a look at other case studies and how our customers are saving 30% off their heating bills.
Click Here
Posted on by

Bossington Hall

VIEW PDF

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.

Book your free Genius Hub survey here!

Take a look at other case studies and how our customers are saving 30% off their heating bills.
Click Here

Book Bossington Hall Now!

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

Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club

CM Golf Club Photo Caravan
VIEW PDF
CM Golf Club Lodge

CLEOBURY MORTIMER GOLF CLUB

CASE STUDY

WEST MIDLANDS

Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club is found on the Shropshire and Worcestershire border. It has 27 holes split into three 9’s named the Deer Park, Badgers Sett and Foxes Run and is surrounded by scenic rural views. Founded in 1993 by Robert and Graham Pain and designed with Ray Baldwin, Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club is the perfect venue to host many events including the Worcestershire Open Pro AM and some of the biggest charity golf days in the West Midlands. The course continues to improve year on year, their website states it “provides just about everything to satisfy the modern day golfer, their families and their friends.”

The Clubhouse bears all the facilities that a traditional club has to offer including a bar, dining area and conservatory. Set in 200 acres of countryside with views of the Wyre Forest, the Wyre Suite Function Room can cater for Weddings, Exhibitions, Conferences and more. Additionally there are four 4 star self catering lodges available to rent that offer living and dining space with a comfortable, contemporary finish throughout.

The lodges sit next to the course and have views of the loch and course creating the perfect relaxing spot after a day of golf or visiting one of the many local attractions.

How did you hear about Genius Hub?
Genius Hub presented their zoned heating system at the Business Energy Efficiency Programme Conference in March this year.

Why smart heating controls?
The harsh winter that just past has cost considerably more than could have been expected for the golf club. A quarter of the usual annual spend was spent in one month. This cost left the company vulnerable. It led to them having the tank and boiler pressure tested as concerns arose that there may actually be a gas leak which was not the case.

One of the owners, Graham told us: “We thought that we’d get the rest of the year from the last fill of LPG and then it ended up only lasting a month!” They needed to keep guests happy but had no control in doing this.

Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club already have Biomass and other energy efficiency measures like solar thermal for the showers and increased insulation. They wanted to further improve their Green Credentials and decided that tackling the increased cost of the LPG was an opportunity to combine both.

Furthermore, the lodges are situated away from the main building and were either too hot or too cold. Staff would walk to the lodges to adjust the heating manually which itself is not efficient so adding state of the art zoned heating control ticked all of the boxes.

Was there anything to be concerned about?
Genius Hub offered the flexible control that Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club wanted and it was simple to use. Each of the 4 lodges is identical but they needed to control them individually and collectively. They thought that getting one system to cover all would be impossible.

“Businesses need to have control over their overheads” we were told by Graham, “this was difficult and the company feels that it is defenceless against the rising price of LPG.” Bing in a rural area they were limited to certain suppliers and were particularly vulnerable to getting deliveries of LPG in adverse weather conditions. 

Graham explains that “Freezing temperatures meant the delivery may not even arrive when we need it.” They needed to reduce the number of deliveries required to reduce this issue and become less susceptible to price hikes.

Why Genius Hub?
Graham told us, “he felt that Genius Hub was a technological system that offered all the flexibility we needed.” Genius Hub offered a room-by-room heating control with fixed wireless repeaters to ensure the connection is rock-solid and it is controlled by a simple app. Graham adds “Genius Hub were a local company with local installers and salesmen, which was important to us.”

What were your first impressions of the Genius Hub?
Installation of the Genius Hub system was completed within one or two days. It can be done as part of a normal room turn around causing no disruption to guests. Time and care is taken to carry out a free survey and to understand the needs and requirements of the business. The system is designed to provide a specifically tailored solution

Graham tells us, ”Installation was very smooth and well explained by the salesman.” he continues “We were only interested in someone who was willing to come by and see the buildings and survey them. Some other companies tried to quote over the phone and that simply wouldn’t work for are individual requirements.”

CM Golf Club Interior Bed

Can Genius Hub cut their bills?
Genius Hub can offer at least 30% energy savings, but it all depends how it’s used. Genius Hub can provide independent verification of these savings if required.

Have the lodges benefited in any other way?
The lodges have underfloor heating. As a result of guests not understanding it, they increase the temperature to max resulting in the lodge becoming overheated after a few hours, creating spikes in the temperature.

Windows would then be opened to cool the lodge back down. Graham said, “Now they can boost the system from the Genius Hub thermostat in the lodge and after 3 hours it will automatically go back to the settings that we set at reception.” 

Graham concludes, “this is so much better than what we had before, where all of that money that we’d spent on heating was far too often going straight out of the window!”

CM Golf Club Photo Caravan
CM Golf Club Interior

Book your free Genius Hub survey here!

Take a look at other case studies and how our customers are saving 30% off their heating bills.
Click Here

Book in to Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club

A friendly approach to golf, Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club provides just about everything to satisfy the modern day golfer.
Click Here
Posted on by

Belvedere Care Home

VIEW PDF

BELVEDERE CARE HOME

CASE STUDY

BANSTEAD, SURREY

The Belvedere Care Home run by the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society is a beautiful and very well looked after 80 bed care home providing housing, residential and nursing care to former seafarers, their widows and dependants, and has been for more than 150 years. Their residential and nursing care home, Belvedere House, together with their sheltered flats, are situated within the idyllic grounds of the Weston Acres Estate, near Banstead, Surrey.

Care homes need accurate control of the heating in each room because of the vulnerable residents who live there. With the higher temperatures required in the rooms to keep residents happy, heating costs are a serious consideration for the management of any care home.

The Royal Alfred Seafarers Society had already gone to significant lengths to reduce their carbon output by installing a biomass boiler and solar panels, but this was not enough for them, they also wanted to reduce the amount of heating required on site, so they could reduce how many wood pellets was purchased, as well as improve the comfort of residents.

In Autumn 2018 they decided to install the Genius Hub into all of the rooms in the property and this has had a big impact on the costs of heating, and it stops the care home wasting valuable energy heating rooms that are not occupied during the day. Using the occupancy detection in the residents’ rooms, the Genius Hub lowers the temperature in the more mobile residents’ rooms who choose to spend the days in the communal areas or those who leave the site for the day, thereby not leaving all of the rooms at 24ºC twenty four hours per day as was the case before.

The site also knew they had a problem with the biomass system which one of the Genius Hub engineers managed to solve during the installation of the Genius Hub. As part of the room control which was offered to them, giving them individual and personalised control of each of the residents’ rooms using the smart Genius Radiator Valves, Genius Hub also included a mini side project to monitor their three gas boilers and biomass boiler, to try and establish why the biomass was never working at more than 25% capacity. The lack of biomass heat was a big problem as they were planning on using the RHI (a government scheme used to financially support renewable technologies) to repay for the installation of the biomass.

Genius Hub engineers installed additional temperature probes onto all of the flow and return pipes from the gas boilers as well as the biomass boiler, and they found very quickly that the gas boilers were firing far too often, and the reason for this was the shunt pumps for the gas boilers were running 24/7 regardless of if the gas boilers were required. This was causing the gas boilers to fire unnecessarily and therefore reducing the load seen by the biomass boiler.

The Genius Hub engineer then helped the management install a new BEMS system to control the Biomass Boiler and three Gas Boilers and link this all up to the Genius Hub controls in the rooms. Now the biomass takes priority and the three gas boilers will only run if the biomass cannot provide enough heat for the heat load. Genius Hub will do its part in keeping the heat load as low as it possibly can, by only bringing on the rooms that actually need heating.

image1
WRV-Rad

Genius Hub interviewed Richard Condie (Estates Manager) and Karen Goddard (Business Manager) 12 months after the installation of the Genius Hub to hear how they thought things had gone.

How did you hear about Genius Hub?
Richard: I was looking at smart systems to try and reduce the spend the home had on biomass and gas, and I was mainly looking online. We were looking for more control over the heating as we felt that we were wasting a lot of heat in rooms that were not occupied and rooms were often getting too hot. 

Another company contacted us about their smart valves, but when looking at the alternatives I prefered the Genius Hub valves as they were smaller and more robust looking.

Why smart heating controls?
Karen: We were Interested in green initiatives as the environment is important to us. We got the biomass boiler and also some solar panels, so we are already investing in renewable resources. We see that we are at forefront of new technology and reducing the amount of energy that the home used was important to us.

Why did you choose Genius Hub?
Richard: Because of the flexibility that it was going to offer. Before we could only control the temperature in the resident’s room with the manual thermostatic radiator valve, which is often next to the window, so I’d often go into a room and the radiator would be on and the window wide open, even in winter! Being able to provide the right levels of comfort all of the time for the residents and also the staff was of key importance to us.

What was your main consideration before the purchase?
Richard: Value for money was really important as we have to pass the value onto our residents. To try and do this with a BEMS (Building Energy Management System) would have been prohibitively expensive and the disruption to the day to day running of the care home would have been too much. 

The quality of the product was clear to see with the Genius Hub Valves, and the flexibility it gave us – because the system is totally wireless – meant that there were no drilling of holes or running of cables. We couldn’t move residents out of their rooms during the installation so it had to be done with as little mess and disruption as possible.

Was there anything to be concerned about?
Karen: Not really – before we said yes we had met with the salesman many times. We’d done our research thoroughly and we got feedback from another care home customer who had the system which was really positive. My only reservations were only from our side when the residents had nothing else to talk about other than the new heating system, this is fine now. When you are spending a lot of money we had to be certain about the choice and we’re pleased we chose the Genius Hub system.

What were your first impressions of the Genius Hub?
Karen: A really positive experience with a couple of little hiccups. There were only a few minor things that needed sorting, and these were picked up quickly, and the ongoing support has been good, remotely from the engineers over the phone and also when they come to service the system.

How was the installation?
Richard: This was organised well and carried out well. The installation engineers sat down with us before the installation started and discussed each part in detail so there were no surprises. Unforeseen issues with our existing low temperature radiators were overcome without any additional cost, and it was nice to work with a company who came to us with the solutions to the problems they encountered with our heating rather than making us have to come up with a solution.

What do you like about the system?
Karen: Setting temperatures that are correct for the individuals is key for me as the business manager, I need to make sure that everything is just as it should be. I also like the fact that the system knows where we don’t need to heat rooms, so we know that it is saving us money and reducing the impact on the environment where we can. We also like how easy it is for Richard to manage. It’s a big site and now Richard can check the temperature in the rooms at a click of a button, increasing or decreasing the temperature in the resident’s rooms if they request it.

What were your staffs’ impressions of the Genius Hub?
Karen: The nurses were not that happy about the change to start with, but once it was in they we’re fine with it, now there is always some resistance to change in any large organisation, they knew why we were doing it and this helped them accept the change. They now see the advantages from having cooler corridors which they like as well as being able to work in a cooler environment in the rooms where the residents are more active.

How do you use the system?
Richard: I use it 50:50 on a tablet or my computer. It is excellent that I can now make a change and then at home check in and see if it had an effect, saving me time from coming to site to adjust the heating and giving me peace of mind that everything is OK at the care home when I am not on site.

Have you benefited in any other way?
Richard: I am very pleased with all of the information we now get from the system. Like being able to look back over the real temperatures on a chart from the past weeks means I can be sure that residents are always at the right temperature should anyone ask. I also like being able to see when the rooms are being used – this is really useful for the nursing side of things.

What were your final thoughts?
Richard: Overall we are really pleased with the system and it was an excellent investment for the home. We would recommend it to others and we were pleased to have it recommended to us. I can’t imagine a situation without it now it is an excellent tool to help us run the home and save energy.