The project led by Enerfis at an elementary school in the Czech Republic using Enless sensors is a prime example of success when it comes to monitoring a building’s energy consumption. Indeed, the two companies joined forces to provide a comprehensive solution enabling precise monitoring and tracking of energy consumption. Various data points were measured using the Enless sensors installed by Enerfis. First, indoor ambient air was analyzed to optimize the HVAC heating systems. Additionally, electricity consumption was monitored via remote meter reading (air handling units for a swimming pool and a gym). This data, collected by Enless wireless sensors, was sent directly to the Enectiva application developed by Enerfis. Significant energy and financial savings were immediately evident.
Background
At this elementary school in the Czech city of Carlsbad, there was a need to regulate the indoor temperature in large areas in addition to the existing mechanical ventilation system. The goal of this project was therefore to monitor the temperature in the school’s swimming pool area and two gyms in order to prevent excessive energy consumption.
The installed devices
Three temperature sensors have been installed inside the rooms (one per room). They measure and record temperatures at 15-minute intervals to prevent overheating and ensure effective ventilation.
Two ambient temperature transmitters and one temperature transmitter with an integrated sensor and an IP 65-rated housing were installed. These devices use the 169 MHz Wireless M-Bus radio protocol. Data from these sensors is then automatically sent to a 169 MHz Wireless M-Bus gateway, processed, and displayed on Enerfis’s Enectiva application.
The project's objectives
Regarding the school’s pool area, the ambient temperature must be 2 to 4 °C higher than the water temperature. The air handling unit is designed to treat the ambient air so that it reaches the correct temperature. If the pool is out of service and not heated (due to school holidays or during the COVID-19 pandemic), the water is cooler and so is the air. Installing a temperature sensor thus allows us to verify that the air handling unit’s settings have been reset.
Two gymnasiums were equipped with ambient temperature sensors to prevent excessive energy consumption. During a previous renovation, air handling units were installed in these gymnasiums to automate the supply of fresh air. It was only after the air handling unit was installed that it was discovered that even when the heating was not turned on, the unit automatically heated the room up to 22°C. However, according to Act No. 410/2005 Sb, the optimal temperature in Czech school gyms must be 20°C ± 2°C. The Enless sensors thus enabled the regulation of heating during the night or on days when the gyms were closed. The air handling units were subsequently adjusted to appropriate settings.
Example of a notification from the Enectiva app
Results
Before the remote monitoring solutions were implemented, the average indoor temperature in the gyms was approximately 21.5°C. After adjusting the settings to 20.4°C, Enectiva reduced the annual heating degree-day ratio.
For the heating season in the Czech city of Carlsbad, Enerfis based its calculations on a long-term average of 254 days and an average outdoor temperature of 3.8°C.
Indoor temperature prior to the installation of the remote monitoring system
As shown in the following graph from the Enectiva app, the blue line represents the large gym and the green line represents the small one. The temperature in the gym reached 22°C between December 2019 and January 2020, which led to excessive energy consumption.
Indoor temperature after the remote monitoring system was installed
The situation changed significantly after the Enless sensors were installed. The rooms are no longer overheated, and the temperature has been adjusted downward as needed. We can also see a dip in the curve toward the end of the graph, which is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Swimming pools and gyms had to be closed in the spring, leading to a decrease in heating usage.
Josef Šrámek, principal of the elementary school in the Czech town, expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of this solution and said:“We are delighted with the installation of this new system and with the company managing the school’s energy consumption. We are now able to maintain stable energy consumption within optimal limits for a given building, and we can invest the money we save elsewhere.” He adds: “As non-experts, we don’t have to worry about this. We are nevertheless notified if the situation isn’t ideal somewhere, and corrective solutions are immediately suggested.”
“We completed an installation for Enerfis at an elementary school in Carlsbad, and everything was properly prepared by the manufacturer, Enless Wireless. The wireless sensors provided performed very well. When we encountered difficulties regarding the radio range between the devices, we resolved the issue by adding another data receiver. For this project, we also installed pulse sensors operating on Wireless M-Bus169 MHz,” explains Petr Pavlas of Erega.
About the Enectiva app:
Enectiva is a fully automated online IoT application designed for energy management. This solution helps businesses and cities save energy and reduce their financial costs. Data is collected in the application through sensors installed in buildings; it is then visualized and processed to provide sustainable solutions and maximize energy savings. The application is hardware-independent and works with IoT devices using various technologies (Wireless M-Bus, Sigfox, LoRa). Enectiva is managed by the Czech company Enerfis.
Enerfis, a Prague-based company, has been focusing on new technologies and energy efficiency for the past 10 years. “We value our clients’ needs and offer innovative solutions tailored to each business or city. Our clients come from all over the world, from Europe to South America. Our software, building certification, energy management, BMS smart meters are the features most in demand by our clients.”
The Enless Wireless / Enectiva Partnership
The partnership between Enless Wireless and Enerctiva combines hardware (Enless) and software (Enerctiva) to provide a comprehensive and effective energy management solution. Enerctiva has been successfully using Enless sensors for over three years. The new LoRa(WAN) products offered by Enless have also been tested.
“As this project has shown us, Enless’s solution perfectly complements Enectiva’s software. We are pleased to have a business partner like Enless,” says Eva Svobodová, a member of the Enectiva team.
“Since 2016, we have been collaborating with Enerfis and the Enectiva platform on 169 MHz Wireless M-Bus solutions, and we are delighted to have them as partners in the Czech Republic as well as on other projects in Eastern Europe. Enerfis has extensive expertise with Enless products, and we hope to continue this international partnership, which aligns with our export development strategy. Future deployments of our transmitters designed for indoor air quality are currently being evaluated for projects in collaboration with Enerfis.” Laurent Lasserre, Sales Engineer at Enless Wireless.
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