The start of a new year is the time to make plans, but also to take a moment and reflect on last year’s performance and achievements.
Huge energy saving statistics, new product launches, and two awards made 2023 a milestone year for Prefect Controls.
Smarter products
The first Irus SMART Tanks rolled off the production line. This new product is the only hot water cylinder, pre-plumbed, pre-wired with factory fitted on-board control. SMART Tank is proven to make significant savings in both energy and water consumption.
It monitors the volume and temperature of water entering the system. Providing accurate readings inside the tank, plus hot and cold water at point-of-use. It also alerts maintenance teams to leaks, and when water is flowing through the tundish.
Analysis since launch suggest more than 25% savings in energy consumption. While leak detection sensors attached to one toilet cistern measured more than 72K litres of water wasted during a 21-day period before maintenance teams attended the fault.
Control saves energy
During May, data from the Irus installation at the University of the West of England (UWE) was analysed. Heating is controlled in more than 3000 rooms at the Frenchay campus. When comparing energy consumption from 2021-23 with pre-pandemic years (2017-19) almost 900,000kWh is being saved per year.
Irus is a central control system where all programming and monitoring is maintained via the secure web based portal. The system monitors individual rooms and prevents energy from being used unnecessarily. Rooms are maintained at a comfortable temperature but, should the occupant require more warmth, they press a button engaging Boost range. Temperatures rise to a pre-determined level for a pre-set time, after which it reverts to Setback.
Adding in safety
To add to the scope of Irus, HobSensus has also been installed at the Bristol campus. HobSensus is a kitchen safety device that prevents hobs from being left switched on if kitchens are left unattended or temperatures on the cooking surface approach dangerous levels.
100+ Irus sites
2023 saw the largest Irus installation programme Prefect has ever encountered. The team of Project Managers travelled the length and breadth of the UK PBSA estate from Aberdeen to Exeter. 21 sites were added to the Portal bringing the total number to 101. In September a milestone was met when the 50,000th room was commissioned.
The award goes to…
In November, Prefect attended the Electrical Safety First (ESF) annual conference at Westminster. ESF is a campaigning organisation recognised by government and industry as the leading authority on electrical safety. It aims to reduce death and injury caused by electricity.
As part of the conference, the Safety Innovation Award is presented. The 2023 winner was HobSensus. Collecting the award on behalf of Prefect, Adrian Barber commented, “Recognition from an authority such as Electrical Safety First demonstrates the scale of the issue that exists with kitchen fires. It would be reassuring if this type of device became as commonplace as CO2 monitors and smoke detectors.”
The eventful year was capped off in December with the UWE installation being recognised at the Energy Saving Awards by winning the Education Sector Project of the Year title.
Kirsti Norris, Energy Manager at UWE commented, “I am delighted that Prefect Controls has received recognition of their fantastic product and customer service. The Irus system has made UWE significant savings in energy, money, and carbon. It has also improved the comfort of our students, and the service we give through improved controllability of the accommodation heating systems.”
So, on reflection, 2024 has a lot to live up to!