New sensors for more efficient heat demand control

06.03.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Start-up and measurement data specialist Sensaru is expanding its range of sensors for AI-controlled heating regulation. They are designed to analyze and control real heat demand.

The young Karlsruhe-based company Sensaru has launched two new sensors for heating control. Almost two years ago, the company launched a self-installable measuring system for heating systems on the market in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (we reported). The target group includes real estate companies that want to optimize their heating systems.

According to Sensaru, the optimization system consists of the two new sensors "ThermaSense" and "Optimizer", which, together with AI-supported cloud technology, enable dynamic heating control. "With our system, we combine AI-based analysis with intelligent sensor technology to precisely adjust heating systems in real time. This not only enables our customers to achieve more sustainable operating modes, but also tangible economic benefits," explains Matthias Zeh, CEO of Sensaru.

Therma Sense and Optimizer are attached directly to the heating pipes or the outdoor temperature sensor and thus connected to the existing control system. Once connected to the cloud, the sensors are immediately ready for use. According to the company, optimizing the heating control system reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent.

According to the young company, the Therma-Sense sensor measures the flow of hot water and thus provides data on the building's heat consumption. In the first step, the Optimizer records the outside temperature. Both sensors send the recorded measurement data to the Sensaru cloud in real time via the gateway. The cloud processes the measured values and supplements them with external data such as weather models to create a picture of energy requirements.

AI calculates the optimum settings

The AI then uses the collected data to calculate the optimum settings for the heating system. The control algorithms continuously and flexibly adapt the heating control to the building's actual energy requirements. The cloud also transmits the calculated control values to the Optimizer. The optimizer then simulates an optimized outdoor temperature in order to operate the heating system as energy-efficiently as possible.

Sensaru develops retrofittable sensor-based measuring systems for heating systems in residential buildings. Matthias Zeh and Gregor Aumann founded Sensaru in 2022. Zeh is a master electrical engineer and has been working for large companies in the housing industry in the field of networked building technology for more than ten years. Aumann is a hardware specialist and has been developing sensor and actuator solutions for major manufacturers in the industry for 20 years. The company itself is a spin-off of the building technology company "ib company".

Sensaru's sensors record flow and return temperatures, flow rates and pressures. "Our sensors measure every two minutes. The data can be viewed by the customer via the cloud," explained Zeh during an interview with the editorial team last year. The measurement data is processed, analyzed and prepared by the Sensaru Cloud data warehouse.

In addition to measurement data analyses, the real estate companies also receive instructions on how to optimize energy consumption, according to Sensaru. For example, if the flow temperature is too high, the algorithm determines by how many degrees it can be reduced without any loss of performance. According to Sensaru, undetected malfunctions such as the failure of an external temperature sensor or an undetected leak are also quickly identified thanks to the sensory measurement system.

Author: Heidi Roider