Co Antrim Firm Wins Prestigious Contract In Cardiff

Okotech Limited in Co Antrim is capitalising on consumer drive for energy efficient heating solutions with its heating control system, heatboss, winning new business in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain (GB).

The company recently won a contract to supply the City of Cardiff Council with its smart wireless radiator control valves and room thermostat control system, for installation in its heritage buildings, the first of which was a local primary school in Cardiff.

As well as in schools, heatboss is also now installed and saving energy in care homes, offices, heritage buildings, offices and the company has also gained its first hotel client in March this year, opening up a new business market. The Bayview Hotel, Portballintrae, installed the heatboss system in March this year and is already achieving savings of between 30-40% on heating costs.

Janette O'Hagan from Okotech said: "The system enables users to control temperatures and on/off times for each room individually, ensuring that the correct heat is used only when and where it's needed. Our intuitive web application also means that the system can be controlled easily and remotely from any web-enabled device.

"The heatboss system overcomes installation issues encountered by other wireless heating controls in scaling to commercial and public sized buildings and it also integrates seamlessly with any underlying building management system to ensure optimal savings.

"With our first hotel now on board this is already opening up new opportunities for us with other national and international hotels."

Kevin McCann, Director of Research and Development, Invest NI said: "It is great to see this investment in R&D delivering a return for the business. The company continues to review its product range to ensure it is meeting the demands of customers, and potential customers. This innovative approach has meant the company has been able to look to new markets and expand its customer base."

Invest NI has offered R&D assistance of £22,345 towards the development of the heatboss product. Invest NI's R&D support is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020. Okotech Ltd has also availed of Invest NI support for marketing and design development.