Energy saving in retail premises with Intesis gateways

The UK’s largest pets supplies retailer Pets at Home has installed energy efficiency control systems for the air conditioning (AC) in all its 450 stores. Each system was designed by energy management consultants Ignite Energy of Wantage, Oxon, using a standard template based on HMS Industrial Networks’ Intesis gateway technology and installed by integration solutions provider Consyst.

Pets at Home branches use air conditioning equipment from different manufacturers, such as Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba and others. Consyst has used Intesis gateways to retrieve real time information from the AC units and control operation, regardless of their make.

The Intesis gateway is powered by the AC unit, allowing straightforward installation. By reading predefined information from the gateways, the integrator can easily duplicate the configuration across different units and sites, which saves a lot of time in commissioning.

Lior Golani, Managing Director, Consyst Ltd

This simplicity enabled Consyst to install each system quickly and efficiently. Indeed the whole branch network was upgraded in less than 18 months, minimising disruption to Pets at Home’s normal operations.

Once operating the gateway constantly transmits crucial information like operating status and error codes to a central controller. Very importantly, each store’s system includes multiple temperature sensors and controls which ensures that strict pet welfare conditions can be maintained at all times.

“Monitoring and controlling each store’s temperature has significantly reduced energy consumption and, very importantly, ensures optimal welfare conditions for the pets,” say Lior.

Pets at Home now has an estate of energy-efficient stores and Ignite and Consyst continue to work with them to develop further initiatives and to ensure that energy is managed effectively at every level.

With Intesis HMS has created the industry’s most advanced gateway solution for all building control integration systems. A key element of Intesis is that it enables existing devices and equipment of virtually all makes to be connected no matter what protocol or network technology is used. This means all elements of even the most complex building automation project can be integrated into a single unified systems.

It can communicate using open standards or proprietary protocols, and includes a range of both protocol translators and AC interfaces. The result is simple design, installation and commissioning coupled with robust and reliable operation.

Intesis is scaleable from the simplest domestic requirements to large projects in the commercial, retail, healthcare and education sectors. It shares a pedigree with other HMS technologies used in the control of manufacturing plants, refineries, generating stations, high securities facilities.

As well as DALI HMS makes gateways for all the major building automation protocols, including ASCII, BACnet, KNX, M-bus and Modbus.