The MyPlaceIQ android app in action. Photo: MyPlace.
An Aussie invention with a fiendishly simple solution to common household temperature control problems could bring significant savings for Canberrans.
MyPlaceIQ is an Australian-designed and made innovation that zeroes in on two ways households can tackle heating and cooling inefficiencies that are costing them big.
The first is limitations around “zoning” in traditional systems, which generally only allow homeowners to confine air-conditioning to either upstairs or downstairs.
These systems cater to a limited demographic according to MyPlace NSW/ACT general manager Darren Bee.
“They often call them ‘day and night’ because the idea is that every room you’d use during daytime is on one zone and every room you’d use at night is on the other. But that doesn’t take into account different lifestyles,” he says.
“Take nighttime in a four-bedroom home for example. What if it belongs to empty nesters? Why switch on the aircon to all four bedrooms when you’re only using one the majority of the time?”
MyPlaceIQ smart system uses up to 10 zones in one home and each room is its own zone.
The system also tackles the second big issue – temperature sensors.
Having a temperature sensor in each zone (as opposed to a very limited number throughout the home) prevents over or under-conditioning.
“The sensors are responsible for measuring the temperature of the room and telling the system when to shut off accordingly. If it’s measuring that based on one part of the house, on a hot day you’ll have the air-conditioner blasting regardless of whether the room has reached the desired temperature,” he says.
“On the other hand, on a hot day, think of a west-facing room. In the afternoon, it can get sweltering, but if you only have the one thermostat in the hallway, it’ll shut off once it’s satisfied with the temperature there.”
Though remarkably simple, this innovation in smart air-conditioning results in an average of 46 per cent energy savings on air-conditioning usage.
In a cost of living crisis, Darren says it’s a saving most households can’t afford to ignore.
“For a house with ducted air-conditioning, half the power bill is for air-conditioning. With this system, you’re saving almost half of what you spend on the service responsible for half your power bill,” he says.
“The average home would save $980 a year in Australia.”
While the MyPlaceIQ technology might cost more than systems designed and/or manufactured overseas, the efficiency savings effectively result in a two-year payback period.
With a five-year parts and labour warranty, the investment’s a no-brainer.
“There’s no reason to buy anything other than this,” Darren says.
“It’s like buying cheaper energy upfront because, after your initial capital expenditure, it’s just there saving your money, whereas a two-zone system will cost you an extra $3000 to run over the first five years.”
Darren says MyPlace’s superiority extends beyond the technology itself to its support, which he likens to Apple’s renowned Genius Bar model in terms of responsiveness.
“We want our customers to know they’re buying quality and they have the manufacturer’s support behind them,” he says.
“We’re confident we can stand behind our products because we know exactly how, where and by whom they’re made.”
MyPlaceIQ tech is manufactured in Western Australia.
“The majority of our competitors outsource their product engineering to third parties overseas. They have no control over design, and worse, the manufacturing, which results in an inferior product,” he says.
“We believe designing in-house gives us a better product because the engineer is on our payroll. It’s resulted in a reputation for the most reliable system on the market and support for Australian jobs.”
For more information, visit MyPlace.
