Remote monitoring gateway for social housing boilers
Vaillant has created a gateway that enables social landlords to monitor boilers remotely, to help manage energy costs, reduce downtime and speed up repairs.
The system detects underperforming boilers that are using too much energy, while remote monitoring enables landlords to monitor energy consumption and set optimum performance and comfort settings for tenants.
The gateway is compatible with Vaillant’s Ecofit and Ecotec Sustain and Ecotec Pro boilers, and uses GSM (Global System for Mobile communication). GSM is used by major mobile phone networks in the UK and is regarded as the most secure communication standard, providing reassurance that data will be safe, says the company. Using GSM also eliminates the need to use the tenant’s Wi-Fi connection.
The software can predict when the system water pressure will drop below the failure point, or notify the landlord when a connected boiler falls below the required pressure, helping to cut down on costly and unnecessary service visits. Landlords can contact the tenant and provide Vaillant’s instructional video on how to repressurise the boiler or arrange for an engineer to visit if necessary.
The social housing gateway provides insights on each boiler, suggesting example fixes for fault codes. It can also determine the quickest route for an engineer to visit multiple properties in one day. The software is compatible with existing programs, such as housing or asset management systems.
Vaillant has set up a trial portal so that social landlords can see the benefits for themselves. Commercial director Steve Cipriano says: “Our new social housing gateway provides social landlords with robust and reliable data, enabling them to be more proactive and make informed decisions regarding their tenants’ wellbeing and housing stock. It is a truly scalable solution that seamlessly integrates into existing software, workflows and processes.
“This development is part of a wider initiative to support the fight against fuel poverty and improve the standard of living for all connected tenants.”
