Q. Why purchase an Intuitous System? Won't a programmable thermostat do the same thing?
A. Programmable Thermostats (PT's) can be very effective for saving energy, particularly for single family residences where the owner has direct responsibility
for the utility bills. However, using a PT requires education, frequent re-programming and experience shows that 70% of PT’s are not used effectively.
And even when used properly, a Programmable Thermostat only saves energy during predictable pre-programmed vacancies.
Intuitous is a completely automated solution that monitors temperature, occupancy and a number of other factors to
intelligently find energy saving opportunities. When you go out, it automatically goes into managed setback and when you come home, normal thermostatic
function is resumed.
An intuitous system provides many other benefits in addition to saving energy when the space is vacant. The High and Low limit features can save energy and
reduce maintenance costs, and balcony door sensors can eliminate wasted energy from careless use.
Q. Why aren't products like Intuitous more common?
A. Occupancy-based systems like Intuitous are in widespread use in hotels in Europe and many other regions of the world. Due to high energy costs
in those areas, most systems turn the heating/cooling system completely off when the suite is vacant. While effective at saving energy, these
systems are not suitable to the North American climate and comfort requirements.
Intuitous has come to market with a advanced solutions that cater to the North American market that monitor ambient temperature and can provide
a high degree of energy conservation without compromising occupant comfort. Intuitous solutions are designed for rapid and inexpensive deployment
to ensure a high ROI.
Q. Will my tenants be able to choose the temperature they want?
A. Yes, your tenants will continue to use the same thermostat the way they always have.
The Intuitous controller works in the background and is completely transparent to your tenants.
There are several advanced features that can be enabled to prevent excessive use such as high and low limiters.
These optional features prevent the system from reaching unreasonably high heat or low cool settings, thus saving more energy and helping to
prevent breakdown service. Tenants who routinely heat their suite to 80F will find that the system no longer reaches that level.
This feature is selectable on-site, and can be disabled on a one-off basis if required.
Q. How much can I save?
A. The short answer is 20 to 40% of your HVAC energy costs.
Studies have shown that hotel guests are out of their room on average 58% of the time and occupants of condos and apartments 30 to 50% of the time.
The energy savings from these unoccupied periods alone, can reach 35%. Additional intelligence within the Intuitous system can achieve even greater savings
by limiting excessive and careless use and reducing maintenance costs by lowering the runtime of your HVAC equipment. The Intuitous HVAC controller can also
be used to cycle lights and other loads off during vacant periods.
Q. What is the payback period?
A. Most deployments will return the installation costs within 2 to 3 years. If financed over 3 years there is usually a breakeven or positive cash flow
from the first month onward. On an annualized basis, a 40 - 60% ROI is possible with most deployments.
Q. Will an occupant be aware of the system?
A. With most deployments the controller is installed out of site on or inside the HVAC equipment or in an electrical room. Intuitous occupancy sensors
(wired or wireless) are ceiling mounted devices that resemble a small smoke detector.
Once installed, the Intuitous system should be unnoticeable to the occupant.
Q. How long does it take to install an Intuitous system?
A. Intuitous products are designed for rapid deployment into existing buildings. Intuitous wireless sensors are self contained and mount quickly and efficiently
without any wiring and the controller mounts inside the HVAC equipment cabinet. A typical hotel suite or
bachelor apartment can be installed in about half an hour. A 2-3 bedroom suite will take about an hour. A 100 suite building will require about
2 weeks from solution design, through installation and commissioning.
Intuitous solutions for commercial and institutional buildings must be designed and deployed by experienced HVAC contractors.
Installation times vary based on the complexity of the deployment.
Intuitous solutions for single family homes can usually be deployed in 30 minutes or less.
Q. Will Intuitous work with my equipment?
A. Intuitous will work with any HVAC manufacturer's equipment provided there is thermostatic control, including
gas and electric packaged equipment, heat pumps, hot water radiation and baseboard electric heaters. Some limitations apply, please check the
product spec sheets and installation guides for detailed compatibility information.
Q. Do I need to have a wireless network and computers to have Intuitous in my building?
A. No, each Intuitous suite contains a fully functioning system with an on-board microprocessor in the controller.
The discrete sensors communicate directly with the controller without any need for a 3rd party wireless network, PC-based software or operator involvement.
Q. How often do the sensor batteries need to be changed?
A. The Intuitous wireless sensors have integrated logic and ultra low power circuitry.
The ceiling mounted occupancy sensor uses 4 standard "AA" alkaline batteries and the door sensor uses 2 "AAA" Alkaline batteries.
Typical battery life for these sensors is 3 to 4 years.
Q. Is there a battery for memory storage in the main controller?
A. All Intuitous controllers have integrated non-volatile flash memory (similar to a camera memory card)
to retain system programming. Thus no batteries are required.
In the event of a power failure, the system automatically restarts and normal operation is resumed.
Q. What happens when occupants are coming and going?
A. The Intuitous controller utilizes timers, sensors and intelligent logic to avoid frequent toggling in and out of conservation mode.
This logic allows for maximum transparency and comfort for the occupant and deeper setback and energy savings during prolonged periods of vacancy.
Q. Does Intuitous have night setback?
A. The Intuitous system includes an optional night setback mode. This feature utilizes conservative setbacks to ensure
minimal impact on occupant comfort. This feature can be enabled/disabled on a suite by suite basis if necessary.
Q. What can be done if changes are needed after the installation is complete.
A. Every Intuitous deployment involves a brief building survey and design session whereby the
various conservation options are discussed and a deployment plan is created. Each controller is then configured
to meet your building's specific requirements.
These configuration settings can changed at any time in the future through simple (DIP) switches on the controller.
Q. Is Intuitous a cycling device or is it operated by actual temperature sensing?
A. There are other systems in the market that shut the HVAC equipment off entirely during vacant periods and/or attempt to mimic setback
by disabling the equipment for some portion of each hour, such as 60% on and 40% off.
These methods are based on fairly broad estimates and their accuracy can vary significantly as outdoor
temperatures change, often causing discomfort and/or missed conservation opportunities.
The Intuitous system utilizes a temperature sensor that continuously monitors the temperature in the suite. All setbacks (and limit functions) are based
on ambient temperature so that true managed setback and maximum energy savings are achieved.
