The award winning iCon environmental innovation centre in Daventry, UK, has become the first building in the world to have an innovative self-adjusting Wireless Building Monitoring System installed by energy management company, Seamless Sensing.
The state-of-the-art £8.5m building, offers office accommodation and a supportive environment for firms working in green technologies and sustainable construction. Currently under construction, the iCon includes 55 business units, alongside a conference centre for up to 300 people, exhibition space and a café. It will be open for business next month.
Dr Edward MellorThe iCon incorporates the highly reliable smart energy monitoring solution which gives a second-by-second breakdown of energy consumption, from temperature and humidity to light and electricity. The wireless technology automatically highlights where equipment and areas of the building are wasting both energy and money.
Dr Edward Mellor, founder and chief executive of Seamless Sensing, said: “Across the entire iCon site, our intelligent Wireless Building Monitoring System will record information on gas, water and electricity usage and automatically optimises heating, cooling and lighting systems.
“It will make a big difference by ensuring the building and its occupants maintain optimum energy efficiency and will help with the introduction of effective energy consumption reduction strategies to save costs short- and long-term.”
David Walker, Chairman of iCon East Midlands, said: “The iCon will set a benchmark for energy efficiency and includes a number of low carbon design features. Seamless Sensing’s smart energy monitoring solution is an important part of the building’s highly sustainable design and will help us to minimise energy consumption.
“We have set high standards for the environmental performance of this building, while ensuring that it is both iconic and functional. It will provide a fitting home to some of the country’s greenest and most progressive businesses.”
The easy-to-use Wireless Building Monitoring System will help the iCon building to be a leading example of energy-efficiency and sustainability. It has been designed to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating from BREEAM, the leading assessment method for the environmental performance of buildings.
Without the need for any technical expertise or personnel, the system uses individual sensor modules, the size of a mobile phone, to wirelessly monitor energy outputs of individual pieces of equipment second-by-second. This live information is then automatically transferred directly to an online web account where customised reports can be created and sent by email or text, or viewed online.
The user-friendly interface can be tailored to display the exact information required, whether it is daily energy use, a chart of monthly usage or suggestions based on live energy data as to how cost can be cut and to indentify energy intensive equipment. This information can then be projected through PC, Plasma or LCD screens in the iCon building to show occupants and visitors alike the benefits of closely managing energy consumption.
Seamless Sensing developed their product with grant funding support from the Sustainable Construction Innovation Network (iNet). The iNet supports innovative companies across the East Midlands, aiming to stimulate the research and development of new products, services and processes in the construction sector.
Funding for the iCon building has been obtained from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC). Daventry District Council and Northamptonshire County Council have donated the land for the project.
