A strong first half of 2026
The first six months of 2026 have been some of the busiest in Prefect Controls’ history. We’ve expanded our team, delivered new projects across the UK, launched new products, strengthened strategic partnerships and, most importantly, continued helping building owners reduce energy consumption while improving operational performance.
Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening.
40.5 Million kWh Saved Across the Irus Platform
The latest analysis of live Irus data has revealed a major milestone.
During the last 12 months the platform prevented:
- 40.5 million kWh of unnecessary energy use
- Almost 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions
- Operators from spending more than £9.2 million on unnecessary energy use
Irus is the largest real-world building services dataset available within UK student accommodation and demonstrates how intelligent occupancy-based control delivers measurable results without compromising resident comfort.
Major Project Successes Continue
The first half of the year has seen successful installation and commissioning projects delivered across leading PBSA operators and universities with 16 install projects and 7 commissioning sites completed at buildings for:
Projects – Results
Analysis of site performance has yielded impressive results with headline savings:
- Leeds – £68,920 (Irus-SpaceHeat – Energy)
- Southampton – £121,559 (Irus-SpaceHeat – Energy)
- Bristol £152,174 (Irus-SpaceHeat – Energy)
- Nottingham £45,478 (Irus-SmartTank – Water+Energy)
- Brighton £51,021 (ecoStat – Energy)
Two sites of particular interest: The Rex is our first co-living site where Irus has helped to unlock BREEAM credits. The Metal Works has seen a remarkable 36% saving on a network heating ‘wet’ site.
“This project highlights how Irus can unlock substantial efficiencies in a traditional wet heating system. By retrofitting state-of-the-art control technology, we have achieved a significant 36% reduction in energy use, supporting both cost savings and carbon reduction goals. We look forward to tweaking the system over time to improve this building’s performance even more!”.
Helen Kings, Managing Director, Asset Management – Metal Works
Growing the Business
As demand continues to grow, so has the Prefect team.
We’ve welcomed new colleagues across Projects, Operations and Commercial – Marlon, Project Engineer and Colin, Key Account Manager. Strengthened our leadership structure, revised some job titles, and celebrated several important milestones, including Tom McAndrew’s five-year anniversary.
These changes position us for continued growth throughout 2026 and beyond.
Tom McAndrew
Senior Project Manager
Marlon Sutherland
Project Engineer
Colin Joscelyn
Key Account Manager
Sam Osborne
Operations Manager
Adrian Barber
Head of Communications
Smarter Buildings Need Smarter Behaviour: The Prefect Behavioural Sustainability Initiative.
Technology alone won’t achieve Net Zero.
That’s why we’ve established the Building Sustainability Initiative and introduced Direct-to-Room Communications (DtRC), a new Irus feature allowing operators to engage residents directly through their room controllers with personalised sustainability and wellbeing messages.
The aim is simple: combine intelligent controls with intelligent behaviour.
Other product developments include:
- Introduction of the new Nivara electric panel heater
- Continued success of SmartTank, delivering measurable energy and water savings
- Ongoing expansion of the Irus ecoSystem with new monitoring and sustainability capabilities
Every development is focused on improving operational performance while reducing energy and carbon.
We also had the Irus Platform recognised and included on the Energy Technology List . This is the second listing for Prefect, this time for the Irus ‘wet’ radiator control system. Read more.
An ETL product listing is more than a mark of energy efficiency. Being listed on the ETL confirms that a product has been independently verified and assessed against robust energy efficiency criteria. The ETL is specified in the Government Buying Standards (GBS) for electrical goods, which are mandatory for central government departments and recommended across the wider public sector.
The New NIVARA no-controls electric panel heater
Sharing Knowledge Across the Industry
We’ve been busy meeting customers and partners across Europe and the UK, attending and sponsoring leading industry events including AUDE, UKREiiF, Bisnow, Property Week Student Accommodation Conference, The Class Foundation, and Inner Circle.
These events continue to strengthen relationships while helping shape conversations around smarter, lower-carbon buildings.
Giving Something Back
This spring, Prefect Controls embarked on what is hoped to be a long standing relationship with the Commonwealth Housing Trust by funding off-grid solar and battery systems for families relocating from Nairobi’s Korogocho settlement.
Reliable electricity will provide safer homes, improve education opportunities and support long-term community development, an initiative we’re extremely proud to be part of.
Brand refresh
Since the early 2000s, Prefect Controls has been defined by the phrase “Cleverly simple control of energy.”
It’s a strapline that has served us well. But recently, we took a step back and asked an important question:
Does it still reflect who we are today?
The answer was… only partially. While energy efficiency remains at our core, it no longer tells the full story. Over the years, our technology has evolved significantly.
Our systems are present in every room of many multi-occupancy buildings, capturing rich, real-time data. This depth of insight allows us to go far beyond SIMPLE CONTROL – We identify unusual conditions, respond automatically, and optimise environments. Ensuring they are not just efficient, but also safe and comfortable.
At the same time, our market has shifted. Today’s landscape, particularly with the growth of PBSA, includes owners, investors, operators, and asset managers.
Priorities have broadened:
· ESG performance
· NOI
· ROI
· Operational efficiency
· Asset value optimisation
They don’t JUST need control – they also need smart oversight and compelling evidence. Our systems now deliver: Continuous performance monitoring, Automated analysis and actionable insights, Early identification of issues and automatic intervention, and Bespoke reporting for better decision-making
As we approach our 30th year, we’ve refreshed our brand presentation to better reflect who we are today, and where we’re going:
CONTROL. VISIBILITY. INTELLIGENCE.
Recognition Across the Industry
So far this year we have been shortlisted for both the Property Week RESI Awards and The Class Foundation Smart Student Living Awards.
Congratulations also go to UWE and Stride Treglown on their RIBA South West & Wessex Award for Purdown View, the first Passivhaus project featuring Irus technology.
With awards season just beginning, we’re looking forward to announcing more news later this year.
Read more about Purdown View here.
