ENERGY IN EDUCATION Big savings for student accommodation
A centrally controlled energy management system supplied by Prefect Controls has succeeded in reducing energy costs for students in Southampton – cutting annual electricity use by an impressive 51%.
O
pened in 2020, the Southampton Crossings student accommodation property is set amongst
city centre parks in the historic port, housing residents attending the two local universities – the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University. The site comprises four and six bedroom flats, plus studio apartments, and social spaces including a karaoke room, a dining suite and communal lounges. Manager of the building, Julian
Medd, explains some of the challenges his management team have faced with heating costs. “With my team, we are responsible for the day-to- day operations and the running of 527 bedrooms. Our guests are predominantly international students, so they are used to warmer climates. “Originally the heaters here had on-
board controls, but it didn’t take long for residents to download instructions and change the temperature on them. They like it hot! We were finding heaters set at 35°C – where they would remain all year. We couldn’t go round checking all the time! Also, secondary heat sources, such as fan heaters, were being used. “With electricity costing £40,000 a month on average, our investors looked for ways to reduce this. The Prefect Irus system was suggested and the retrofit happened in the summer of 2023. Although the building was occupied, the install went brilliantly, we were told a schedule, occupants were informed, so everybody was prepared.”
Taking control The centrally controlled management system prevents unnecessary use of energy. It doesn’t restrict heating, so occupants are able to increase their room temperature whenever they need to by simply pressing the ‘up’ button. However, it does reduce input to the heater if windows are open, the room is empty, or the occupant leaves the room shortly after pressing the boost button. Every heater is connected to a
control unit that communicates with the central hub. Managers can then monitor the temperature in each and adjust it to suit the occupant’s requirements via the internet portal. The user-friendly, intuitive, web- based portal provides access to the system and control from anywhere with internet connectivity, allowing
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where they were being used and we’ve removed them. By explaining how to dress appropriately for the British climate and suggesting duvets rather than a cotton sheet, residents have acclimatised.
“Initially the same profile was applied
across the board, but to help people wanting it warmer, or if they have an ailment, we’ve boosted individual rooms. The team here find the system easy to operate. The interface is clear to use; fine-tuning the profiles to individuals’ needs is easy. We can see the real value of the energy and
Above, Southampton Crossings offers 527 bedrooms in the city centre. Right, every heater is connected to a control unit that communicates with the central hub
managers complete control of individual environments without ever having to set foot in a room. Interpreting the data from
each room helps to highlight any issues, providing evidence of room occupancy, the use of supplementary heaters, unusually high humidity, lights on in unoccupied rooms and, in the event of complaints about anti-social noise, the reported time. This pinpoints the culprit, and appropriate action can be taken. Julian continues: “At the start it was a challenge, bringing students
on-board with setback/boost temperatures of 18-23°C, but we kept reviewing it. We were strict about the secondary heaters, because, as well as energy drain, they can be dangerous. We could now see exactly
Monthly heating load (2022/23 - 2023/24) 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000
1000 kWh
Energy use PRE-Irus Energy use POST-Irus
time saved. The alerts bring things to our attention that otherwise would go unnoticed.”
Sep
Oct Nov 2023
Dec Jan Feb Mar
Apr May 2024
Jun Jul Aug
Seasonal savings A year’s worth of data has now confirmed the energy savings achieved since the installation of Prefect Irus. “October through to February, after install, we saw average energy bills for the whole building more than halved, one month £50,285 down to £24,497 – that’s 51%!” says Julian “Obviously energy saving in winter months is the headline, but previously, in the summer, there would be heaters set to 35°C and switching on. We would never have known about them. Now they’re off, so even in summer we’re seeing a 25% reduction in costs. But it’s not just energy saving; seeing occupancy levels, lights that are left on, noise, and humidity data remotely gives us complete visibility across the whole building.” It is estimated that Southampton Crossings will see a return on its
The graph helps to illustrate the savings delivered by Prefect Irus over the first year of use
investment in just over two years. ■
prefectcontrols.com
EIBI | FEBRUARY 2025
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