Interview: Docotechnics on Luqas Energy Manager as the Conductor of Home Energy Use
Steven Cozyns is the managing director of Docotechnics and one of the certified Luqas installers in Belgium. He now installs the system as standard in renovation and new-build projects. We spoke with him about what the Luqas energy manager does in practice, why it is more than just a smart meter, and what residents notice on their energy bill.
Every home needs a conductor
The energy world has not become any simpler in recent years. Dynamic tariffs that change every fifteen minutes, an EV charger kicking in just when the heat pump is running at full power, solar panels producing electricity during the day while no one is home, all of this requires knowledge and attention that the average homeowner does not always have.
Steven Cozyns sees this reality every day with his customers. And he has a clear answer. For him, Luqas is not an optional extra, but a logical part of every modern electrical installation. The system connects all major energy consumers in a home, heat pump, EV charger, heat pump boiler, solar panels, home battery, and controls them intelligently based on current energy prices, available power, and the resident’s personal preferences.
“I actually see Luqas as the smart conductor of an orchestra, one that knows exactly when each part should come in.”
That is precisely what sets Luqas apart from a regular energy monitor. The Luqas energy manager does not just observe, it actively intervenes where necessary. Automatically, 24/7.
On the ease of installing Luqas
In an existing home with a digital meter, Luqas can generally be installed within half a day. No structural work is required. The module is integrated into the electrical cabinet and communicates through the existing network with the installations already present.
Anyone who does not yet have a digital meter can request one free of charge from the grid operator Fluvius. After that, the barrier is low: connect the system, configure it to the specific installations in the home, and the resident gets access to the app. Done.
For Steven, as an installer, the startup process runs smoothly. The accompanying app shows at a glance what is being consumed, when peak loads are likely, and when the ideal moment is to charge the car, for example.
Smart management of major energy consumers
Dynamic electricity tariffs are the new reality. Electricity prices constantly fluctuate based on supply and demand in the energy market. That creates opportunities, charging cheaply when prices are low, avoiding heavy consumption during peak moments, but only if you know when those moments occur.
Steven is clear about when an energy management system becomes indispensable:
“As soon as you have a major energy consumer in your home, an EV charger, a heat pump, then, in my opinion, you need an EMS system.”
Luqas follows energy prices in real time and automatically schedules consumption at the most advantageous times. Charging an electric car when electricity prices are close to zero? Luqas handles it. Heating the heat pump boiler when the solar panels are producing at full capacity? That too is part of the system’s logic. Residents quickly notice the difference on their energy bill, without even having to think about it.
Keeping the quarter-hour peak under control
In addition to dynamic tariffs, there is also the capacity tariff, better known as the quarter-hour peak. If you consume too much power during a fifteen-minute period, you are penalized for it on your bill. If the heat pump, washing machine, and EV charger are all turned on at the same time, that peak rises quickly.
Luqas solves this through smart load distribution. The system continuously monitors actual consumption and switches major energy consumers on intelligently one after another, or temporarily lowers their power, so that the peak remains below the threshold. Steven explains how constant that monitoring is:
“The quarter-hour peak power is something Luqas continuously takes into account. It really ensures that you do not go any higher than necessary.”
The impact on the energy bill is tangible. By avoiding peaks and spreading consumption intelligently, monthly costs go down without sacrificing comfort.
The interplay of solar panels, heat pumps, and EV chargers
The strength of Luqas lies in the breadth of its integration. The system works together with heat pumps from brands such as Daikin, Mitsubishi, Vaillant, and Nibe heat pump boilers, EV chargers from Alfen, Easee, and Zaptec, and home batteries from brands including Huawei, SMA, and Solax.
All of these devices are assigned a priority by Luqas based on the resident’s settings. On a sunny afternoon, the system detects that the panels produce a lot of energy, and decides to heat the heat pump boiler and charge the car simultaneously, entirely using self-generated electricity, without grid costs. In the evening, when production stops, Luqas automatically switches to the most advantageous grid tariff.
The resident does not have to do anything.
The home sets the pace, not the other way around
Luqas is not just a savings tool. It is a way to live more consciously and sustainably, without requiring extra effort. Through the energy slider in the app, the resident decides how actively Luqas intervenes. In Eco mode, the system always chooses the most energy-efficient approach. In Comfort mode, ease of use takes priority. Every nuance in between is possible, the resident chooses.
Luqas adapts to the home, and to the people living in it. For Steven, the system is also an added value as an installer: it works reliably, support is well organized, and residents quickly understand what it does.
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If you are an installer and would also like to deepen your knowledge of Luqas or follow a training course, contact Richard Ballaux for a no-obligation conversation. Want to make a home smarter and more energy-efficient? Luqas makes it possible.