FAQs
Questions about the technology
Q: What is the advantage of the K3D’s HCS over the individual meters? What if I install a separate meter for each apartment so tenants will pay their own hydro bills?
A: If you have existing tenants, you have to monitor their power consumption for one year. After that you need to deduct the cost of the consumed electricity from their rent. It is likely that the landlord will end up with no financial benefit. You will also need the tenant’s agreement to implement this payment scheme. On the other hand our K3D’s System is proven to save up to 40% of electrical heating costs, and these savings remain with the owner. By the way, Ontario legislation prohibits sub metering heating portion of consumed electricity for apartments.
Q: What technology/equipment is used by the K3D’s Heat Control System?
A:The system uses standard industrial computers made by Panasonic and Allen Bradley.
Q: What approvals or certification does K3D’s Heat Control System have?
A: Every installation of the K3D’s Heat Control System has to pass ESA certification (or CSA certification if installed outside of Ontario). All the electrical components are CSA certified.
Operational concerns
Q: What is the warranty period for K3D’s HCS?
A:The warranty period is from 1 to 12 years depending on the type of service agreement.
Q: What happens when the warranty period is over?
A: We supply our customers with all electrical schematics. All the electrical components are standard and available from manufacturers’ shelves. This gives our customers freedom to use support from most local automation companies.
Q: How do I make sure that the system is functioning properly?
A: Our system has a self-testing feature. In case of malfunctioning or failure it automatically switches to the Manual Mode providing 100% of power for heating.
The K3D’s Heat Control System has a simple and intuitive touch screen interface, where our customers can check status of every sensor (inside and outside temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, etc) and inspect any system parameter (heat allocation, target interior temperature, etc). The access to the system is password protected with multiple levels of access: superintendant, manager, service technician.
Q: Does the system require any attention from the building management?
A: The system is fully automated and needs no attention from the building management.
Q:What if tenants buy portable heaters? What if tenants turn on a stove to heat?
A: In this case the K3D’s HCS will automatically reduce the amount of heat allocated to the apartment to maintain the desired temperature. This means that the tenant will not get additional heat inside of a unit using a space heater or stove. The only way to raise temperature in an apartment is to request favorable settings in the K3D’s HCS from the management.
Q: I have some elderly tenants who like to have higher temperature in their unit. Can I do that?
A: You have full control on the temperature in each individual apartment unit.
Q: Does the K3D’s HCS take into account different pricing for On-Peak and Off-Peak periods?
A: Yes. You have an option to purchase a module responsible for peak pricing optimization.
Q: Can I switch the K3D’s HCS back to manual mode?
A: Yes. There is a control mode switch on the control panel. You can switch the system to the manual mode at any time.
Q: Does K3D provide any support?
A: K3D provides 24×7 customer support.
Financial questions
Q: What are the guaranteed savings for my building?
A: You can contact independent engineers, recommended by K3D, who can audit your building and provide a report on potential energy savings. The exact saving numbers vary depending on many parameters including building location, structure, condition, insulation and more importantly the custom interior temperature settings. Our existing customers are saving on average between 28% and 45% of heating costs.
Q: How long is the pay-off period?
A: Our existing projects show pay-off period between 1.5 and 4 years.
Installation questions
Q: How complicated is the installation process?
A: It is mainly dependant on the building structure and the existing heating system. A 50 unit building takes 3-8 weeks, 200 units building requires 10-16 weeks. The installation process may be noisy and may require physical access to each apartment.
Q: Will installing the K3D’s HCS cause any damage to the building structure?
A: No.
Q: Will installation of the K3D’s HCS cause any hazard or risk for my tenants?
A: No hazardous materials or equipment are used during the installation.
General inquiries
Q: Will insurance cover cost of any damage occurring in case of system failure?
A: All our equipment is ESA/CSA approved, the system is inspected by ESA upon installation and becomes part of a building. Therefore any damage is covered by the building insurance.
Q: Do you have references from your existing customers?
A: Yes. References are available to potential customers upon request.
Q: Should we expect a lot of complaints from tenants due to the changes in heating?
A: We provide a typical letter of explanation for tenants’ information. Also, building managers have full control of the system and can set a desired temperature in any unit according to tenant’s profile. Management has an option for favorable/special treatment for any individual tenant. The system has a specific mode for vacant apartments.
Q: Should we be concerned about any interruptions to heating, induced by your system?
A: Our system has 2 modes of operations. 1-Controlled mode, where the K3D’s Heat Control System makes decisions on allocating the heat to individual apartments; 2-Manual mode with 100% heat available to tenants (the pre-HCS mode, where heat is controlled only by in-unit thermostats). If Manual Mode is on, the K3D’s Heat
Control System is bypassed. In case of CPU fault or any other interruption of normal operations, the system automatically switches to the Manual Mode. At any point of time the management can switch the system to the Manual Mode to bypass the K3D’s Heat Control System.