Our strong investment in research and development, started with the creation of Laboratorium, brings to the market an innovative system to control home climate while saving energy. The Chairman Alfredo Amadei: “We already have a new investment plan for advanced technological products and solutions, starting in 2020 through to 2028.”
Brescello, 27 November 2020 - Immergas looks to the future, enters the digital age and after one year of research and experimenting performed in our Laboratorium (Research and Development Centre opened in 2018), launches “Smartech Plus”, an innovative smart chronothermostat designed to control home climate directly from a smartphone. “We completed work on the new Smartech Plus during the lockdown months”, says Immergas Chairman Alfredo Amadei, “so we are starting to give substance to our decision to invest in new home climate technology geared to sustainability and energy saving. Our entry into the digital world is only a first step. Innovation means breaking with the past, it is a challenge, it is also our way of responding to the new European Union regulations aimed at reducing the impact of climate control systems. The acceleration is strong, but our roadmap and our vision are clear. We already have a new investment plan for advanced technological products and solutions, starting in 2020 through to 2028.”
Smartech Plus was conceived and will evolve thanks also to our collaboration with the University of Pisa (Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering, Director Umberto Desideri and Scientific Director Daniele Testi), who are developing the algorithm that will enable Smartech Plus to acquire data on desired home climate from the temperature adjustments made by the user, but also thanks to Amazon’s AWS cloud computing for security policies. The product is fully “made in Italy”, designed and produced by the Immergas team: “Special attention was devoted to style”, explains Ettore Bergamaschi, Operational Marketing and Communication Director, “it is powered by two small batteries (like the ones used in TV remote controls) therefore it can be moved around the house easily, simply set on a piece of furniture, a bookshelf or fixed to a wall. Currently available in white, with other colour variants coming in the future. Smartech Plus was designed by Dirk Schumann (of Schumanndesign), who has been responsible for the style of Immergas boilers for many years”.
The new chronothermostat is wireless and combines many Bluetooth-operated functions (directly from the display, easy-to-read thanks to the application of e-ink technology). When connected to Wi-Fi, many other features are added through the application for IOS and Android smartphones, including: adjustment control while away from home, acquisition of local weather data, geolocalization of one or more users via enabled cell phones to determine absence of people in the home and voice command through virtual assistants Alexa and Google Home. The new Smartech Plus will also show any boiler operation errors on the application and on the display and allows control of more than one home, such as a holiday home, with just a click from the access menu.
One of the development lines concerns the activation of an Internet portal which will make it possible for both users and Authorized Service Centres to interact with the chronothermostat.
The new chronothermostat will follow the development of Immergas from boilers to hybrid and no-gas systems, to control not only domestic hot water and heating as at present, but also heat pumps and other devices. It can be used in new installations as well as to enhance the functionalities of existing systems, with substantial advantages in terms of energy saving: “With correct use of home temperature control (according to external temperature) and of programming functions”, specifies Cristian Zambrelli, Immergas Technological Innovation Director “you can save over 10% on consumption of the controlled system. This is a significant advantage in terms also of its contribution to the reduction of pollutants”. Compatibility stands out among its main competitive pluses: “Optimal use of existing functionalities and of those that will be implemented, ensures compatibility with Immergas boilers produced from 2005 onwards (and for some functions with previous ones too), as well as for many non-Immergas boilers with similar technology”.
Smartech Plus positions itself in the top range of innovative products. Purchase, delivery and installation is through the Immergas Service Centre that follows the end user (almost 600 service centres spread across Italy). “We chose to present it on the new www.casa.immergas.com portal and on social media (soon with a video too)”, concludes Ettore Bergamaschi, “because it is expressly geared to end users and it contains a lot of information on Immergas systems. With just one click, you can find out all the details needed for purchase and installation, with information also on the new incentives introduced by the Government”.
