Seamless Smart Home Integration with Polar Bear & Crestron Home!

Integrating Polar Bear thermostats with Crestron Home and a North Commander BMS, using a custom driver for fast installation, advanced features, and seamless, energy-efficient control.

The Brief

Shropshire-based installer Exclusive Solutions approached Janus to assist with the delivery of a state-of-the-art building control system for a high-end residential smart home. The client had selected Crestron Home as the central interface, and Polar Bear Ursium thermostats for their elegant design and intuitive heating control.

In addition to delivering a polished user experience, the project required a complex plant room control solution, managing multiple heat sources and ensuring seamless integration between systems.

The Application

Janus collaborated closely with Exclusive Solutions to deliver a robust and responsive integration built around the Janus Polar Bear Extension driver for Crestron Home.

  • System Commissioning & Simplified Setup:
    Janus supported the installer by commissioning the Polar Bear thermostats and integrating them with Crestron Home. The Janus-developed Extension driver automatically discovered and configured thermostats, reducing setup from hours (via Bacnet) to minutes.
  • Enhanced Features for the End User:
    The driver added powerful user-centric features, including:
    • Thermostat Grouping: A single UI tile can control multiple zones (e.g., all bedrooms).
    • Web-based Scheduling with Profiles: Switch between complete seasonal schedules (e.g., summer/winter) in one action.
    • Hot Water Control: Simple tap controls for Off, Scheduled, or Boost modes.
    • Status Tiles: Real-time display of key plant and alarm status directly within the Crestron UI.
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  • Custom Problem-Solving:
    A thermostat installed on an uninsulated exterior wall was reading inaccurate temperatures. Janus quickly adapted the system to take readings from a nearby manifold controller sensor and route the correct value via the driver—avoiding major rewiring or disruption.
  • Advanced BMS Integration:
    A sophisticated North Commander-based BMS was installed to manage:
    • 3 heat pumps extracting energy from a borehole
    • 2 domestic hot water tanks
    • Solar pre-heating
    • A freeze-prone heat exchanger
  • Energy-Efficient Motion-Triggered DHW Circulation:
    Motion sensors from the client’s Lutron system were integrated to intelligently activate DHW circulation only when needed—reducing energy waste without compromising convenience.
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Janus enhanced the Polar Bear driver to enable seamless data exchange with the BMS—no additional wiring required. Demand signals and status updates flowed freely between systems and were displayed on the Crestron interface for full transparency.

The Result

The result was a streamlined, intuitive smart home experience that combined the elegance of Polar Bear thermostats, the power of Crestron Home, and the intelligence of a fully integrated BMS—all tied together by Janus’ custom development and expert support.

With dramatically reduced setup time, smart scheduling, deep integration, and custom problem-solving capabilities, Janus not only simplified the installer’s job but also delivered a solution that truly works around the homeowner’s lifestyle.

This project highlights Janus’ role as more than just a driver supplier—we are a technology partner, delivering complete, bespoke solutions across hardware, software, and integration.

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