Smart Upgrades for a Luxury Bournemouth Apartment

As the price of energy continues to rise, ensuring that heating remains efficient has become a priority for many homeowners. For the residents of one apartment in Panorama, a luxury apartment development in Bournemouth, this was certainly the case, with a smart upgrade proposed to their existing underfloor heating system. However, as the apartment is relatively large and would not be permanently occupied, this would soon draw up its own challenges. As such, contractor Wes Brook soon looked to solutions from REHAU to complete the build.

Location	Bournemouth
Contractor	W. Brook Underfloor Heating
Year	2021
Product	NEA SMART 2.0

Located on the picturesque Bournemouth coast, the apartments at Panorama could be considered by many to be the perfect UK holiday home. In walking distance of some of the coastal resort’s finest beaches, this third-floor flat has proven the ideal getaway for the client and their extended family over the past few years.

However, despite its ideal location, the apartment did harbour challenges when it came to heating. With as many as 11 individual zones within the flat, even turning the heating on was more complex than it needed to be, with each thermostat requiring adjusting. This was an area of particular concern, especially given that the property would be unoccupied and unheated for extended periods during the year, meaning that the homeowners would have to endure the cold upon arrival.

Facilitating Flexible Installation

With these challenges in mind, contractor Wes Brook, Owner at W. Brook Underfloor Heating, was called upon to identify an effective solution: “After examining the site, it was clear to me that the installation of a smart control system would be the best way forward, allowing the flat’s underfloor heating to be controlled remotely from a smartphone or tablet. This enables the homeowner to pre-heat the property prior to their arrival, and control each of the zones from a single device.”

The building required two base stations some 10 metres apart due to the manifold locations at either end of the property. Here, Wes opted to install a REHAU NEA SMART 2.0 system, which would allow him to create a hybrid set up that makes use of both wireless and wired room units.

“I have completed a number of NEA SMART 2.0 installations on residential and commercial buildings in the past, so it seemed to be an ideal fit for this project. The flexibility offered by the system meant that we were able to establish a wired connection between 10 of the 11 thermostats and one of the base stations, with the last zone connected wirelessly instead to the same base station. Use of the pairing wizard rendered this process even quicker, allowing the entire build to take place in just under three days.”

Reaping the Benefits

With heating season beginning to set in, the client would soon see the benefit of having a smart control installed. The NEA SMART 2.0 has allowed the client to ensure that the flat is heated prior to their arrival, without the need to keep the heating on in their absence. Moreover, the ability to control the entire system through a singular app has also allowed each room to be heated to the desired temperature without the need to interact with multiple thermostats.

Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, concluded: “The installation of NEA SMART 2.0 at this project in Bournemouth has not only allowed us to increase the quality of life for its occupants, but hopefully help them achieve some significant energy savings through reduced heat wastage. Integrating smart controls with an existing underfloor heating system is a simple but effective method of reducing the carbon emissions of residential properties, so we look forward to completing more installations like this in the future.”