Importance of Heating Control in Passivhaus Projects
It’s more economically viable to conserve energy than to produce it!
With 35% of worldwide energy consumption stemming from the construction industry, the energy utilised in constructing, cooling, and heating buildings is the leading cause of carbon emissions. The construction sector must undergo a significant transformation to meet Net Zero objectives and combat the climate emergency.
The necessary tools to achieve net zero already exist! The University of the West of England (UWE) has practical experience at Purdown View, its newest student housing project, which integrates Passivhaus construction with intelligent heating control.
Passivhaus Certified
Purdown View is among the largest Passivhaus certified developments globally, and it is also the first of its kind in the UK university sector. Situated at the heart of the UWE Frenchay Campus, this project is crucial for UWE to reach its sustainability target by 2030.
Comprising of three blocks up to six storeys high, the development includes studio flats and clusters of various sizes with a total of 900 beds. These buildings are projected to reduce running costs and carbon emissions by 54% when compared to a typical ‘good practice’ building.
So, why does a Passivhaus building need heating control? In simple terms – to prevent overheating, a crucial issue that is often overlooked. Central control of individual heat sources, along with monitoring of every room’s temperature, ensures that heat is only applied when necessary based on the control criteria.
Individual Room Control
Irus, from Prefect Controls, is a centrally managed Building Energy Management System (BeMS) that currently oversees space and water heating in over 70,000 rooms at more than 130 sites across the UK. The system ensures that heat input is only activated to maintain the pre-set temperature, which in Passivhaus projects, is minimal.
Using Mains Borne Signalling (MBS), individual room controllers communicate data to and from the portal through existing electrical wiring, eliminating the need for costly data cabling installations. Occupants can adjust the temperature using Boost mode, but the system cuts off input after a set time limit to prevent continuous high heating levels throughout the year.
Energy is conserved through PIR movement sensors and window open technology, which shuts off energy when rooms are unoccupied or windows are open. The system constantly works to avoid heaters turning on, ensuring that the Passivhaus criteria of not exceeding 25°C for more than 10% of the year is met. Room profiles can be remotely adjusted on an individual basis to cater to occupants’ comfort. At the end of each term, the ‘Reset-all’ feature resets every room to the same profile without any physical intervention from staff.
Kitchen Safety
As an additional safety measure, UWE included HobSensus in all the kitchens at Purdown View, Prefect’s hob safety product that integrates with Irus. This device prevents hobs from being left on unattended or if the person cooking is distracted. It also keeps managers informed about kitchen activity and alerts.
Award-Winning
In October 2023, HobSensus received the ‘Safety Innovation Award’ from Electrical Safety First, an organisation recognised by the government as a leading authority on electrical safety. The previous Irus/UWE project also won the ‘Education Sector Project of the Year’ at the Energy Saving Awards a month later. This year, Purdown View’s sustainability achievements were acknowledged with the ‘Innovation in Student Housing’ award at the CUBO Awards.
This article was featured in the September 2024 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.
