The role of controls to achieve energy savings and comfort

EU and United Kingdom (UK) aim to raise the bar for energy efficiency and sustainability in residential buildings. A key aspect of this standard is the implementation of advanced controls, encompassing heating, ventilation, lighting, and other building systems. This report explores the role of controls, highlighting their significance, benefits, challenges, and implications for achieving energy-efficient and comfortable living environments.

Controls play a crucial role in regulating various building systems, optimizing energy usage, and enhancing occupant comfort and wellbeing. EU and UK regulations set forth requirements and recommendations for advanced controls in new residential developments, aiming to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and create healthier indoor environments. This report examines the importance of controls and their impact on building design, operation, and performance.

Significance of controls to achieve energy savings and comfort:

1. Energy efficiency: Advanced controls enable precise monitoring and adjustment of heating, cooling, ventilation, and other building systems, optimizing energy usage and minimizing waste. By incorporating energy-efficient controls, the regulations aims to reduce energy consumption and operational costs for homeowners and building operators.
2. Occupant comfort: Intelligent controls provide occupants with greater flexibility and control over their indoor environments, allowing them to customize settings according to their preferences and lifestyle. This enhances comfort, satisfaction, and productivity, contributing to a higher quality of life in future homes.
3. Indoor environmental quality: Controls play a critical role in maintaining indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, and ventilation levels within residential buildings. By integrating advanced ventilation, heating, and lighting controls, the regulations seek to create healthier and more sustainable living environments for occupants.

Benefits of advanced controls:

1. Energy savings: Advanced controls optimize energy usage by adjusting system settings based on occupancy, time of day, and external conditions. This leads to lower energy consumption, reduced utility bills, and improved energy efficiency in new homes. In fact, by turning the heat down with only 1oC, may result in up to 7% energy savings*.
2. Flexibility and customization: Smart controls offer occupants greater flexibility and customization options, allowing them to tailor settings to their preferences and schedule. This level of control enhances comfort and convenience while promoting energy-efficient behaviours.
3. Remote monitoring and management: Some advanced controls incorporate remote monitoring and management capabilities, enabling homeowners and building operators to monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and adjust settings remotely via smartphones or tablets. With Wavin SmartConnect, the installer has exclusive remote access to the clients' Sentio controls. Easily spot and fix system errors without being on-site, saving time, hassle and costs for everyone involved.
4. Integration with renewable energy: Advanced controls can integrate with renewable energy sources such as solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage systems, optimizing their operation and maximizing energy savings. This facilitates the transition towards a low-carbon and sustainable energy future.

Challenges and considerations:

1. Cost implications: The upfront cost of installing advanced controls may be higher compared to simple conventional controls, potentially impacting on house builder budgets for climate control systems. However, the long-term energy savings and benefits may justify the initial investment when balanced with the homeowner who will appreciate and value the energy saving features associated with advanced controls when considering the house purchase.
2. Complexity and user interface: Advanced controls may be complex to operate, requiring user-friendly interfaces and intuitive design to ensure usability and effectiveness. Proper user training and support are essential for maximizing the benefits of advanced control systems. An intuitive homeowner interface is key to an engaged user experience. The Wavin Sentio App is an easy-to-use intuitive App that gives the home owner full control of the indoor climate – even when away from home.
3. Interoperability and compatibility: Integrating different control systems and home climate technologies may pose challenges related to interoperability and compatibility. Standardization and open protocols can help address interoperability issues and facilitate seamless ‘plug and play’ integration.
4. Security and privacy: Advanced control systems connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) may be vulnerable to cybersecurity threats and privacy breaches. Implementing robust security measures and data protection protocols is essential to safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring user privacy.

Controls play a vital role in shaping the energy efficiency, comfort, and sustainability of modern homes. By incorporating advanced controls into residential buildings, policymakers, developers, and building professionals can create healthier, more efficient, and technologically advanced living environments. Addressing challenges related to cost, complexity, interoperability, and security is essential for realizing the full potential of advanced control systems and achieving the goals of EU and the UK.

References:

• ”Playing my part. Key energy savings actions” Eurostat