“At Downing, we’ve had a long-standing relationship with Utopi, and there are two key reasons for this. One, the access to real-time data they give us on our portfolio is unmatched and their Impact team always help our site teams operationalise those insights. But secondly, they never forget the need for efficient management, and their centralised controls have been a game changer for us – even in gas assets like these where the price point isn’t as tough as electricity.”Bay Downing - Joint CEO, Downing & Downing Students
The Client.
Downing are a business with sustainability at its core. With PBSA assets across the UK utilising Utopi data to optimise asset performance, they never let environmental responsibility compromise on resident experience. In the winter of 2024, they installed Utopi’s Smart TRV’s in two of their PBSA assets, and the savings say it all.
This case study, along with others, prove that TRVs can materially reduce energy consumption in an overheated gas asset by circa 1.5-3kWh per bed.
The Strategy.
Data was the name of the game in this instance, and by enhancing insights and empowering Downing Students with remote controls, it would help transform their asset performance. Our data strategy was to use Utopi Multisensor data to assess temperature distributions, we would then analyse this alongside other factors like occupation and external temperature to gauge impact. This way we would get a holistic view of the asset’s consumption.
Multisensors: Acquired daily average bedroom temperatures.
PIRs: Acquired occupancy for each bedroom.
External temperature data was used to select comparison periods with a similar external climate.
And the control regimes we would implement via The Utopi Platform to reduce outliers and monitor progress would be:
TRV temperature limited at maximum 23°C.
TRV set point stepped down to 20°c after 4-5 hours, down to 18°C after 24 hours, and frost-proofing after 36 hours.
The Process.
With centralised controls via The Utopi Platform, it was key for Downing Students to reduce their overall site temperature during the heating season and reduce overall gas consumption. With the ability to set maximum temperatures (23°C) and with step down functions to reduce the room temperature when unoccupied, these functions would allow their site team to manage the asset’s heating in real-time and remotely at scale. With an asset of 701 beds at West Village alone, and in the cold city of Glasgow, this was a game changer for efficiency and environmental performance enhancement.
But it was also key that resident comfort wasn’t compromised, so the ability to set exceptions via The Utopi Platform for residents who requested warmer temperatures or had special health needs was essential.
This alongside the Utopi Impact Team’s support in turning the data into actionable insights, the Downing team were armed with real-time data, the ability to react in real-time, spot outliers and reduce energy waste on site.
Key KPIs were set to assess impact:
Reduction in mean room temperature.
Reduction in the percentage of overheated rooms i.e. > 24°C.
Change in the distribution of room temperatures.
Estimate of kWh reduction based on energy meter readings.
The Results.
Energy Reduction: 5,463kWh
Cost avoidance: £87,058
34% reduction in rooms heated to above 24°C in one asset alone
Utopi Smart TRV’s can reduce your gas bill by 20-30%
Asset 1: West Village
Asset 2: Atlas
