Energy consumption cut by more than 30 %

Pilot Project proofs energy-saving potential of smart heating

Heating, ventilating, saving energy: An extensive pilot project demon-strates the energy-saving potential of smart individual room control. With intelligent radiator thermostats and window contacts from Homematic IP, more than 30 % heating energy was saved during the test period compared to conventionally heated rooms.

The basis of the results is not an artificial test setup in a laboratory, but a series of measurements from real everyday school life at the Vocational School II in Leer (BBS II). During the test period, from October 2021 to January 2022, the heating energy consumption of two structurally comparable parts of the BBS II building was measured. The southeastern part of the buidling was heated conventionally, while the northwestern part was equipped with a smart individual room control system from Homematic IP. The company Natelberg Gebäudetechnik GmbH took over the professional planning and implementation of the project:

Homematic IP radiator thermostats (type: C2) provide automatic, highly efficient temperature control. The long battery life of up to five years means that the de-vices require little maintenance and are ideal for offices or rooms used by the public. Window contacts reliably detect and report open windows to the thermo-stats, which then automatically lower the set temperature as soon as the room is ventilated. This prevents unnecessary heating. The room temperature is precise-ly recorded by wall thermostats and automatically transmitted to the radiator thermostats so that heating is only provided when necessary. Heating profiles are controlled centrally and automatically via the Homematic IP smart home control unit.

Lower costs, more climate protection

The Covid 19 pandemic confronted the BBS II with special challenges during the measurement period. Mandatory ventilation of the classrooms caused a general increase in heating energy requirements. Under these conditions, the advantages of the smart technology came to the fore, so the trial could hardly have come at a better time for the school.

In the end, the numbers speak for themselves: intelligent individual room control using Homematic IP reduced the energy consumption of the smartly heated part of the building by 31 % compared to conventional heating. By simply retrofitting smart radiator thermostats and window contacts, energy consumption - and thus also CO2 emissions - could be reduced by almost a third, without the need for complex and expensive renovation measures or the construction of new build-ings.

The actual savings are even bigger. Why? The smart part of the building could hardly benefit from the natural heating by solar radiation due to its northwest lo-cation - in contrast to the conventionally heated southeast wing, which was natu-rally heated by the sun, especially during teaching time, from morning to early afternoon. If the solar yield is included, the advantage of the intelligent individual room control becomes even clearer and results in an energy savings potential of around 40 %.