Providing an effective heating and controls solution for Schools, Churches, Shops, Community centres and other small public buildings.
For 30 years Smith’s has been manufacturing a range of fan convectors for use in both domestic and light commercial applications gaining a wealth of experience in their use and application. It’s fair to say that we have promoted the use of fan convectors with a range of heat sources: from heat pumps through to gas boilers and biomass for over a decade. There is no doubting the versatility that products such as our Caspian fan convectors bring to a project. I have personally specified products to work in honey production, hydroponic growing facilities, production areas, schools, offices, community centres and many more besides. The benefit of a product that can operate with mean water temperatures from 40oC to 90oC is clear.
As the importance of energy use and CO2 emissions have increased the significance of control has become a key cornerstone of every project in the drive to improve the efficiency and efficacy of HVAC plant. Whilst our fan convectors are amongst the most effective and efficient ways of heating a space, we have been researching the ways in which control systems can significantly improve efficiency. To improve compliance, we have also looked at ways to improve the functionality and user interface of new control systems.
Improvements in controls’ usability
Controls have long been a key feature that goes hand in hand with our product range. However, things have moved a very long way from using mechanical thermostats to maintain room temperature and to provide fan speed control with AC fans and associated transformers. Smith’s has since moved to provide RF thermostats that link multiple products to a single thermostat and proportional heat output controls to modulate fan speed on EC fans. Our latest progression is into SMART controls, where we offer control not only for our units, but also incorporates the ability to activate zone valves, pumps and boilers or heat pumps. In fact, the Caspian SMART Controls provide an almost infinite number of options on how you and your customer control (and interact) with a heating system. It is now possible to control individual room temperature, times of operation and fan speed to allow for fast heating or near silent operation. Furthermore, summer/winter functionality comes as standard, so you can create air movement during the warm summer months.
The ability to manage space heating throughout buildings with different heat requirements contributes to the health and wellbeing of the occupants. This is especially true when considering the heating requirements of schools with their wide range of activities in school/sports halls and learning spaces to corridors and storerooms. Too hot and the pupils get drowsy, too cold and they get restless. Schools aren’t the only buildings that rely on the correct room temperatures to optimise productivity.
Whilst health and wellbeing benefits are clear the energy cost savings are equally appealing. Being able to heat individual spaces independently, and quickly, when they are required means that there is the potential for significant cost savings as well as reducing a buildings carbon footprint.
Remote monitoring and control via an app
From my perspective, the most significant impact of SMART Controls is the customer interface, with both local and remote-control options. There are significant advantages for a site manager in a school to be able to control various areas of a building to provide optimal comfort conditions from a central location, or even their phone. Churches and community centres tend to have an intermittent usage pattern and these buildings would be far too expensive to heat every day without regard to occupancy periods. So, it is beneficial again to allow control of the system via either a PC, tablet or phone to amend the program as required. Of course, some organisations with multiple buildings may wish to manage their portfolio from a central location, all of which is now possible.
Manufacturers of heat producing equipment have provided controls for heating systems for many years, but this is the first instance of a light commercial heat emitter manufacturer doing so. The advantage is that the controls match up to the emitters characteristics and provide optimal comfort conditions. It is also possible to make the system include lighting and security applications too. All of the above comes at a much lower cost than a BMS system and fits well with smaller publicly accessed buildings.
The use of controls, like the Smith’s SMART Control system, gives the consultant the tools to create a heating system that can ensure that the health and wellbeing of the occupants is maintained, as well as contributing to the environmental and green credentials of the buildings.
For further details of the Smith’s SMART Control system, or any other products in our range, please contact us on 01245 324900.