Grant UK announced the launch of the Aerona Smart Controller on 2 January 2024. The controller is a weather compensated unit for the company's Aerona³ air source heat pump range, combining a 4.5 inch touch screen with remote monitoring and heating curve configuration1.
The company said the controller can operate up to three heating zones as well as domestic hot water, and that heating curves can be adjusted independently for each zone. It calculates the flow temperature for the heat pump according to conditions outside the property1. A wi-fi hub pairs with a web-browser platform and an app, giving access to performance data for the heat pump and system, remote adjustment of temperature settings and parameters, and error codes and diagnostics information1. The controller also carries in-built installer assistant features intended to support set-up and commissioning of an Aerona³ heat pump1.
"The Aerona Smart Controller is an intuitive new addition to the Grant heat pump range"
Paul Wakefield, Managing Director at Grant UK, said the product had been previewed at InstallerSHOW in June 2023 and that the response from customers was "incredibly positive"1. He described the controller as marking a new chapter for Grant's controls range1.
Grant UK has not reported a price for the Aerona Smart Controller, a release date beyond the announcement, or which Aerona³ models it will work with beyond the range as a whole1. The announcement follows the December 2023 news that Homely optimisation controls are compatible with Aerona³ heat pumps, which Grant UK also reported on its news pages1.
Why it matters for households
For a home with an air source heat pump, the controller is the part that decides how hard the pump works and how warm the rooms get. A weather compensated controller sets flow temperature from the outdoor temperature rather than from a fixed setting, which is the standard approach for running a heat pump efficiently. Grant UK's claim for this unit is that it does this per zone, so a house with up to three separately controlled areas can have a different heating curve for each1.
The remote monitoring element matters for a different reason. Access to performance data, error codes and diagnostics from outside the home means faults and poor settings can be identified without a visit, and households can see how the system is actually running rather than only what the thermostat reads1. That is relevant to running costs and to how independently a home can be heated, since a heat pump that is badly configured will use more electricity than it needs to. The controller is one of several control options now listed for the Aerona³ range, alongside Homely optimisation controls1.
What happens next
No date has been reported for when the Aerona Smart Controller will be available, and no price has been published1.