This install was a retrofit into a two floor penthouse apartment situated in Newcastle upon Tyne.  Our clients were particularly interested in improving energy efficiency and the remote monitoring and control capabilities. But after they had experienced it, one of the features they enjoyed most was the automated lighting.

Being split over 2 floors IDRATEK  multifunction panels (DFP-H02)  provided an ideal intercom solution as well as a cost effective way to provide all the necessary sensors for heating and lighting automation and localised user interfaces and displays.

The property utilised an electric boiler unit but the heat was delivered using a convential wet plumbed radiator system regulated ineffectively by a single hallway thermostat and equally crude radiator valve TRVs. As part of the install all TRVs were replaced by electrically actuated valves. All rooms were fitted with high resolution temperature sensors as part of DFP-H02 or other IDRATEK modules. The large open plan lounge/kitchen area had multiple sensors in order to provide averaging. External sensors were fitted to both East and West facing balconies in order to negate the temperature skewing effects of sunshine at different times of the day.  Heating and hot water control control are now completely handled by the IDRATEK system with full automation in each of the  independent room zones.

Electricity metering modules provide continuous data to all panel displays but also the system has been set up to e-mail the clients a report containing this and other information at the end of each day.

IDRATEK also integrated existing motorised blinds into the system, which now  may automatically operate depending on occupancy (e.g for security purposes) or in assisting to regulate temperature. For example the occupants wanted the blinds to automatically close if sunlight was streaming in AND the room was judged to require cooling but not if the room was occupied (when the occupants prefered to be in manual control) and likewise to do the opposite if it was considered that the sunlight would assist with heating. Dealing easily with such intricate requirements whilst at the same time avoiding chaos due to numerous other directives acting upon the same device is one of the IDRATEK system’s great strengths.

Other features include fully automated dimmer based lighting to 14 circuits, switched lighting to 4 circuits, extractor fan automation, door sensing throughout, smoke sensors integration, over temperature sensing, IR control of A/V equipment, towel rail and hot water automation, e-mail, Skype, smartphone interfaces, and of course many other intrinsic Cortex features.

Cortex reported stats for this install: