Case Study – Hudson Valley Property Group

Hudson Valley Property Group LLC is committed to preserving and elevating the aging supply of low-income and workforce housing in the United States. One of their goals is enhancing the vitality of the properties and communities they serve.

They recently acquired a group of senior and affordable housing sites in northern New Jersey. They intend to keep the properties long-term and pursue renovations and sustainable upgrades based on the physical needs at each location.

The Problem-Hydronic Baseboard Heating

They identified three of these sites, St. James, Orange Park, and Grove Street, as needing energy management systems with updated heating controllers that could reduce their energy costs. These aging buildings feature hydronic baseboard heating, which was a challenge because not all thermostats are equipped to control them.

The Solution-Flexible Control Voltages

The Hudson Valley Property Group compared three energy management companies, and Telkonet came out on top. The EcoInsight+ thermostat offers flexible control voltages, so we were able to work with hydronic baseboard heating. And we were able to offer it at a reasonable price.

Rebates

The EcoInsight+ thermostats qualify for utility rebates and incentives. Hudson Valley reduced their project costs significantly by taking advantage of these available rebates. Telkonet assisted Hudson Valley with their application process which resulted in $75 per thermostat up to $150 per thermostat rebates. One of the properties is located in an Urban Enterprise Zone which allows for higher rebates. Many times it is a prescriptive rebate, resulting in an easy and straightforward application process.

User-Friendly Thermostat Design

Hudson Valley appreciates the user-friendly design of the EcoInsight+. The Hudson Valley demographic is primarily seniors. The EcoInsight+ buttons are large,  and the thermostat is simple for them to use.

Occupancy Sensors

Occupancy detection is key to saving energy. Energy is wasted if residents maintain their current temperature when they leave for extended periods. Properties save the most energy when spaces are empty. The units all feature EcoInsight+ thermostats with built-in occupancy sensors. Because many of these units feature at least one bedroom, they also installed EcoSense+ occupancy sensors to aid in occupancy detection.

EcoCentral

Hudson Valley facilities managers appreciate that in EcoCentral, they can view all three of their properties under one umbrella. No separate login accounts are required. It is convenient to monitor HVAC controllers and room status for all three of their properties.

They take advantage of the EcoCentral Alerts feature. When a device is down, they can get alerts via text message or email, at the time of the event or one daily, and plan room visits accordingly. They can also run an Alerts report.

They are also proponents of EcoCentral’s Excessive Runtime report. Given that most units are of the same design, all things being equal, if some systems are running longer than others, this could be an indication of a problem they may need to investigate.