Which panel heater is best for student accommodation and why?

Which panel heater is best for student accommodation and why?

The best panel heater for student accommodation is one with centralised intelligent controls that allow each individual living space to reach the specific level of thermal comfort required in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.

The occupancy pattern of student accommodation that informs daily heating needs, can be unpredictable. With heating often included in the rental fee, there can be a lack of a financial incentive to reduce energy usage, or rather to save energy and cost. The resulting energy usage patterns can lead to high energy bills for the asset managers of student accommodation which can be avoided. Let’s look at some examples.

A panel heater may be left operational in student accommodation, whilst windows or doors have been left open. The heat that should be warming the room escapes, resulting in wasted energy. Another example is students overcompensating when they feel cold in a room by turning the thermostat up higher than necessary. This naturally means higher energy bills for the unnecessary extra heat that was provided. Another common trait is avoiding the accommodation feeling cold in the morning or on arrival back from outings, by leaving panel heaters running round the clock, generating heat that is not required when the space is left unoccupied or overnight.

Modern panel heaters are well equipped with reactive onboard sensors and algorithms to limit the impact of practices often associated with student accommodation that result in higher energy bills. They also put asset managers firmly in charge of some key aspects of panel heater controls through pre-sets that can be programmed to prevent excessive heating demands from being placed on the equipment. This is especially the case with programmable tamper-proof controls, designed specifically for student accommodation and smaller hotels. 

What features offered by modern panel heaters meet the needs of student accommodation? 

Most modern panel heaters have intelligent features to help save energy such as Open Window Detection and Adaptive Start. Panel heaters with Open Window Detection monitor the room temperature while they are delivering heat. If the room temperature does not increase while heat is being emitted then the panel heater will stop heating and enter standby mode, saving energy that would otherwise be wasted. An Adaptive Start function learns the thermal characteristics of the space. It then anticipates when it needs to start heating to reach a set temperature at a specific time, for example, 21°C by 7 am. As a result, it reduces instances of heaters being left on overnight and reduces pre-heating periods as it can pre-heat for shorter periods when the weather is mild and longer periods in winter.

One of the most effective features for student accommodation is panel heaters that are tamper-proof with controls that are separate from the heater itself. The programmable controls allow for user functionality, but within predefined limits set by building managers. This allows them to monitor and optimise the efficiency of each heater to meet the individual requirements of its location.

What intelligent networked energy management systems are available?

There are smart energy management systems available, that feature networked panel heaters. These can ensure that spaces such as hotel rooms and student accommodation in single buildings as well as in multi-site portfolios are kept at satisfactory temperatures only while occupied. When these spaces are vacant, the heating is reduced and the subsequent energy savings translate into significant cost reductions for asset managers.  

Where can I find out more about panel heaters for student accommodation?

At Dimplex we have a range of modern and stylish panel heaters that are easy to install and can be specified with a range of electronic controls and aesthetics. Our PLXENC is a modern and efficient panel heater designed to meet the needs of student accommodation, hotels and single occupancy lettings. The PLXENC features no onboard controls. The user can adjust temperatures within predefined parameters via the Dimplex Wall Controller (sold separately). If you would like to find out how choosing the PLXENC can benefit your next project, please contact our application design specialists who will be happy to help.