Apartment building · Heating
Heating in apartment building: what the SRI measures
The heating domain looks at how smartly a building controls its heat: per room or centrally, based on occupancy and outdoor temperature, and whether the boiler or heat pump follows demand. Heat storage and fault reporting are part of it too.
In short
- 1This page shows how heating in an apartment complex can be controlled intelligently, from individual thermostatic radiator valves to a central building management system.
- 2The heating domain counts fully for residential buildings in the Smart Readiness Indicator, with a weighting of 3 out of 3 points.
- 3With collective heating, the score is often lower than with individual boilers, because control then runs through the homeowners association and shared installations.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat emission control H-1a · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Individual room control with communication and occupancy detection | highest level |
| Emission control for TABS (heating mode) H-1b · 4 levels | No automatic control | Advanced central automatic control with intermittent operation and/or room temperature feedback control | – |
| Storage and shifting of thermal energy H-1c · A · 3 levels | None | HW storage vessels controlled based on external signals (from BACS or grid) | highest level |
| Control of distribution pumps in networks H-1d · 5 levels | No automatic control | Variable speed pump control (external demand signal) | – |
| Thermal Energy Storage (TES) for building heating (excluding TABS) H-1f · 4 levels | Continuous storage operation | Heat storage capable of flexible control through grid signals (e.g. DSM) | – |
| Heat generator control (all except heat pumps) H-2a · A · 3 levels | Constant temperature control | Variable temperature control depending on the load (e.g. depending on supply water temperature set point) | highest level |
| Heat generator control (for heat pumps) H-2b · A · 4 levels | On/Off-control of heat generator | Variable control of heat generator capacity depending on the load AND external signals from grid | highest level |
| Sequencing in case of different heat generators H-2d · 5 levels | Priorities only based on running time | Control according to dynamic priority list (based on current AND predicted load, energy efficiency, carbon emissions, capacity of generators AND external signals from grid) | – |
| Report information regarding heating system performance H-3 · A · 5 levels | None | Central or remote reporting of performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | highest level |
| Flexibility and grid interaction H-4 · 5 levels | No automatic control | Optimized control of heating system based on local predictions and grid signals (e.g. through model predictive control) | – |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 31 percentage points (from 23 to 54 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does heating count so heavily in this building type?
In an apartment complex, the heating method often determines the largest part of energy consumption. That is why the heating domain within the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) receives maximum weighting: 3 out of 3 points for residential buildings.
This means improvements in this domain are directly visible in the building's total score. A building with only individual thermostatic radiator valves scores differently from one with a centrally controlled system.
What makes collective heating different from individual boilers?
In many apartment complexes, the score depends heavily on the type of heating system. With individual boilers per dwelling, control usually rests with the resident, with limited communication to a central system.
With collective heating, for example district heating or block heating, control sits with the homeowners association or management. Services such as H-1a (heat emission control) and H-2d (load-sharing between different heat generators) are then more relevant, as multiple generators or control levels may work together.
Control of distribution pumps (H-1d) and heat storage (H-1c) also play a more frequent role in collective systems, since a shared pipe network is present there.
What can a homeowners association improve concretely?
The simplest step is individual room control, for example thermostatic radiator valves or electronic controllers per room (functionality level 2 at H-1a). Communication between those controllers and a building management system (BMS) delivers a higher level.
Reporting on heating system performance (H-3) is also a realistic step for many complexes. Even simple central reporting of temperatures or energy consumption counts as functionality level 1.
Flexibility and interaction with the electricity grid (H-4) is still future thinking for most apartment complexes. This requires time-controlled or self-learning heating operation, and at the highest levels control via grid signals.
Is this mandatory for apartment complexes?
The SRI is a voluntary tool. For residential buildings, HVAC capacity (heating, ventilation and cooling combined) almost never exceeds the 290 kW threshold where mandatory building automation applies.
Yet a homeowners association can use the SRI to determine which investments in heating control have the most impact, regardless of any requirement.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As owner or homeowners association board member, it is wise first to assess whether heating is controlled individually or collectively, since this determines which smart-ready services are feasible. A higher score in the heating domain can contribute to a better energy label and lower shared heating costs.
- Tenant
- A tenant or resident mainly notices a difference in comfort: with individual room control, temperature can be set per room instead of one central setting for the whole building. With collective heating, the resident usually has less direct influence and adjustments run through the homeowners association.
- Advisor
- An advisor must first establish for this building type whether there is individual or collective heating, as this determines which services from the heating domain apply. With collective systems, pay special attention to the presence of communication between controllers and the building management system (BMS), since this often makes the difference between a low and a medium functionality level.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?