Energy Manager

HVAC & Plumbing Product Residential
Radiator submetering harvests thermoelectric energy

EnOcean technology eliminates the need for cable connections or batteries.

July 30, 2019  By  Peter Saunders


HCH0104 hydronic radiator control systemImage by H2O Degree

H2O Degree has integrated thermoelectric energy-harvesting radiator actuator controls into its two-way wireless submetering system.

The HCH0104 hydronic radiator control system combines H2O’s M5445x programmable smart thermostat, a Zigbee-to-EnOcean wireless bridge interface and one or more HCV0104 wireless radiator actuators (each of which contains an energy-harvesting module, internal energy storage, electromechanical valve actuator, radio module and microcontroller). The EnOcean thermoelectric harvesting technology eliminates the need for cable connections or batteries.

“Energy harvesting makes the unit ideal for retrofit installations where the cabling cost would be prohibitive,” says Don Millstein, president of H2O.

The product is intended for managers of multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) where a central plant hydronic heating system generates hot water to radiators throughout the property, to deliver heat to each apartment. The HCH0104 mounts directly onto thermostatic radiator valve bodies, where it then controls room temperature based on signals from the thermostat and bridge, which communicate via H2O’s cloud server.

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Property managers can then view all values on a dashboard and adjust units to save energy, either individually or site-wide. Residents can also be given access to their in-unit thermostats through a web-based portal or mobile app, enabling remote control of their apartments’ temperature.


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