Suntec City Office Towers, an iconic integrated commercial development located in the Marina Bay Precinct within Singapore’s Central Business District, embarks on a comprehensive refurbishment project with UnaBiz, Massive IoT service provider and integrator.

The large-scale project includes the replacement of existing key equipment to enhance the reliability of the Air-Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) system, and the installation of an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring solution to improve air quality standards and enhance the comfort of tenants in the office environment.

Suntec City is a landmark development which comprises five Grade A office towers, a world-class convention and exhibition centre, and one of Singapore’s largest shopping malls, all of which are interlinked by street-level plazas and underground walkways.

Over the next six months, UnaBiz will work together with ACMV expert, D-Team Engineering, to

1. Replace the Air Handling Unit (AHU) at the plant room located adjacent to the service corridor.
2. Replace the Variable Volume Air (VAV) Controller sets located within the office areas.
3. Deploy close to 800 wireless IAQ monitoring sensors and 50 LoRaWAN gateways to monitor the IAQ levels of all five Suntec City Office Towers to ensure consistent IAQ standards and monitor the performance of the new ACMV systems.

“Suntec City is dedicated to enhancing workspace comfort and upholding a commitment to environmental sustainability through the use of more energy-efficient equipment,” said Steven Kong, Senior Manager of Operations of APM Property Management.

“The main purpose of the rejuvenation plan is to help maintain comfort and a stable temperature in all five office towers. A data-driven ACMV system ensures good air quality for shoppers and tenants, while a high energy-efficiency system helps optimise energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.”

The Suntec office towers comprise five buildings named Towers One through Five with four containing 45 stories and one 18 stories. The latter has 28,000 square feet of net lettable floor area on each floor while the 45-storey towers consist of floor plates ranging from 10,000 to 14,000 square feet. UnaBiz will be installing Milesight IAQ sensors and gateways, with Actility ThingPark Enterprise on-premises IoT platform on a LoRaWAN network for this project. The deployment will be carried out in phases starting with Tower 4, followed by Tower 2, Tower 3, Tower, 1 and Tower 5. In total, there are about 2.3 million square feet of office space. Tower One to Four is 45-storey representing the 4 fingers and Tower 5 is 18-storey representing the thumb.

The IAQ sensor utilised by UnaBiz is a comprehensive 9-in-1 solution that integrates nine types of sensors to measure various ambience conditions including CO2 concentration, temperature, humidity, light, TVOC, barometric pressure, PM2.5, PM10, formaldehyde and motion. This energy-efficient sensor is designed for real-time monitoring and collecting reliable IAQ data 24/7.

Mr Jonathan Tan, Managing Director of UnaBiz Singapore said, “As an IoT service provider and integrator, we are pleased to work with D-Team Engineering, Actility and Milesight to help bring this project to life. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated to us the importance of IAQ monitoring as the majority of us spend our time indoors. By integrating indoor IAQ monitoring with the new ACMV system, Suntec City can prioritise tenant well-being, and optimise airflow and energy consumption through data-driven ventilation. This integrated solution can help Suntec City achieve both their Social and Environmental goals.”

“Actility is thrilled to provide its QoS-based LoRaWAN IoT mediation solution that will ensure reliable wireless communication towards the whole Suntec complex. Helping to solve real problems with improved air quality and reduced carbon emission is the goal of our communication solutions and part of Actility Core values. We are proud to partner with UnaBiz on such a large-scale project,” said Alban Médici, APAC Managing Director of Actility.

“Milesight is dedicated to promoting greener buildings and enhancing the comfort of its tenants. Utilising our advanced 9-in-1 IAQ sensors and LoRaWAN gateways, building managers can enable optimised, data-driven air quality and streamlined operations for Suntec City Office Towers, effectively elevating its air quality standards and enhancing its tenant’s comfort and well-being,” said Leon Jiang, Vice President of Milesight.

The phased refurbishment works are expected to be completed by 2024 and will continue to strengthen the value propositions of the office towers.

The post Suntec City Office Towers Selects UnaBiz to Enhance Indoor Air Quality for Tenant Comfort appeared first on IoT Business News.

Building management solutions using LoRaWAN are designed to reduce insurance premiums and repair costs, improve tenant satisfaction while saving time and mitigating risks.

Senet, Inc.¹ and ProSentry² today announced a partnership to deliver smart building solutions utilizing Senet’s Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for private LoRaWAN network deployments and smart building sensor management.

Senet’s Platform-as-a-Service allows solution providers, like ProSentry, to deploy LoRaWAN gateways exclusive to their customers’ environments while leveraging the benefits of Senet’s cloud-based managed network services and Radio Access Network (RAN) tools to provision, monitor, and manage gateways dedicated to their environments, ensuring the delivery of carrier-grade service required for building monitoring applications.

“Whether installing a new system or retrofitting a building, a small number of low-cost LoRaWAN gateways can easily deliver connectivity for an entire building and provide the foundation for a holistic building monitoring solution,” said John Rusk, President and Founder of ProSentry. “Reliable network connectivity is critical to the delivery of our services and Senet’s Platform-as-a-Service and RAN tools ensure we are able to deploy, manage, and monitor our network infrastructure and sensor deployments, bringing innovation and ease to better building monitoring.”

Building Monitoring, Simplified

Providing a flexible and cost-effective alternative to legacy proprietary solutions, ProSentry’s all-in-one platform provides water and gas leak detection and mechanical and environmental monitoring utilizing a broad portfolio of standards-based LoRaWAN sensors. Real-time operational insights and instant alerts are accessible any time, from any mobile device via live operator call, text, email, and in-app notifications, helping stakeholders make informed decisions and reduce response times to issues before they escalate.

With new capabilities being added regularly, the ProSentry building monitoring platform supports a variety of wirelessly connected in-building sensors for:

• Water Leaks
• Natural Gas Leaks
• Boiler Temperature
• Exhaust Fans
• Temperature / Humidity
• Elevator Motion
• Roof & Terrace Drain
• Sump Pit Water Levels
• Trash Container Levels
• Water Tank Levels
• Mouse Traps
• Door/Window Ajar
• Automatic/Remote Water Shutoff Valve
• Smoking/Vaping, THC & Tobacco (Coming Soon)
• Water Metering (Coming Soon)

Capable of supporting one building or a complete real estate portfolio, the ProSentry platform aims to reduce insurance premiums and repair costs, and provide proactive risk mitigation, time savings, and improved tenant satisfaction.

“Network connectivity plays a crucial role in smart buildings, and standards-based LoRaWAN networks and sensors are revolutionizing the way building owners can serve their occupants and stakeholders,” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO of Senet.

“With numerous sensors supported and integration with Senet’s cloud managed network platform, ProSentry is able to support virtually any smart building use case making full-scale building, multi-dwelling unit, and campus deployments more accessible than ever before.”

The post ProSentry Selects Senet’s Platform-as-a-Service to Deploy and Manage Private LoRaWAN Networks for Smart Building Solutions appeared first on IoT Business News.

TOTO’s IoT-Enabled Smart Restroom Products Soon to be Available in More Locations Across the U.S.

TOTO, the world’s largest plumbing manufacturer with more than $5.45 billion in annual sales, announced today that it is collaborating with MachineQ, a Comcast Company, to increase its IoT smart restroom products’ installation opportunities in high-traffic public restrooms across the U.S.

“For more than 100 years, TOTO has improved public restrooms with revolutionary products and technologies that provide a consistently clean, comfortable experience for people,” said Hidemi Ishikawa, CEO of TOTO USA. “Utilizing MachineQ’s fully integrated device-to-cloud platform enables TOTO to further increase the value our IoT smart restroom products provide to facilities managers.”

“With MachineQ’s LoRaWAN® network, which interoperates easily with other networks, TOTO’s IoT-enabled products easily integrate with facilities’ smart restroom monitoring systems or building automation systems across the U.S.”

Whether these facilities are airports, stadiums, hotels, or office buildings, MachineQ’s cloud-based IoT connectivity platform will enable TOTO’s smart restroom solutions to help more facility managers solve real-world business issues. With TOTO’s IoT-enabled smart restroom products, facility managers can better supervise their workforce by reducing needless restroom audits, significantly decreasing restroom downtime, and increasing employee efficiency while managing costs. This solution can increase consumers’ satisfaction with their public restroom experience, regardless of where they travel for work or play.

Steve Salata, vice president and general manager of MachineQ adds, “We’re thrilled to work with TOTO. TOTO’s innovative restroom products expand the available offerings within the connected restroom space, benefitting customers seeking modernized, ‘smarter’ buildings. With our robust platform and network management in place, TOTO can focus on further delivering exceptional public restroom experiences.”

TOTO’s Smart Restroom Solutions

TOTO offers an array of IoT-enabled products for smart, fully connected public restrooms, which include:

• IoT-Enabled ECOPOWER® Smart-Sensor Flush Valves for Toilets,
• IoT-Enabled ECOPOWER Smart-Sensor Flush Valves for Urinals,
• IoT-Enabled ECOPOWER Smart-Sensor Faucets, and
• IoT-Enabled Auto Soap Smart-Sensor Dispensers.

TOTO IoT-enabled products are designed to connect seamlessly with GP PRO’s KOLO Smart Monitoring System, a facility’s smart restroom monitoring platform, or building automation system to provide real-time updates on their status to a dashboard that facility managers monitor via phone, tablet, or computer. For example, facility managers and their custodial staff will receive real-time updates or alerts on:

• the number of toilet and faucet activations and their water consumption,
• operational abnormalities such as leaks or product malfunction,
• user safety, alerting staff to check a toilet stall when an occupant has remained in it for more than 30 minutes, and
• consumer traffic to determine optimal periods for cleaning and repairs.

Facility managers can harness this information to dramatically increase consumers’ satisfaction with their public restroom experience and solve real-world business issues to manage their workforce better and manage costs in their restrooms’ operation.

Plumbing Functions’ Independent Operation

TOTO IoT-Enabled Products’ plumbing functions operate independently of their IoT capability. That is, if a facility’s Internet service is lost and WIFI communication is disrupted between a TOTO IoT-enabled plumbing product and the IoT monitoring system, or an IoT hardware issue occurs, the TOTO smart-sensor flush valves, faucets, and soap dispensers continue to function properly as high-performance plumbing products with no loss or disruption in functionality.

ECOPOWER Technology: TOTO’s proven smart-sensor ECOPOWER technology creates its own electricity every time water spins a small internal turbine (no need for hardwiring to a building’s electrical system or for routine disposable battery replacement, which is costly and toxic to the environment). There is no minimum daily usage requirement.

Because TOTO ECOPOWER faucets and flush valves generate their own energy, they continue to operate without interruption if the building loses its electricity. If the building’s internet service goes out, they continue to collect data on their usage to be transmitted when the internet connection is restored.

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Via a robust LoRaWAN® infrastructure, smart meters reduced human error by more than 80% compared to manual reading.

Semtech Corporation announced that Sindcon (Singapore) IoT Technology Pte Ltd, a provider of low power wide area network (LPWAN) Internet of Things (IoT) metering solutions, and IoT Kreasi Indonesia, an end-to-end IoT solution provider, have leveraged Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® standard for its battery-powered smart water and electricity meters.

Use of LoRa devices and LoRaWAN streamline smart utilities operations for smart buildings.

For larger buildings with several tenants, manual metering can be a labor-intensive process and is prone to human error, resulting in unfair billing. Sindcon and IoT Kreasi Indonesia developed its battery-powered smart meters utilizing LoRaWAN to eliminate the manual energy and water meter reading process entirely. The smart meters further benefit from LoRaWAN connectivity for remote control of the water meters to open and close the water valve as needed.

“When designing our smart meters, reliability and constant connectivity where the key factors,” said Deyu Chen, CEO and co-founder of Sindcon.

“The robustness of LoRaWAN helped us to achieve over 90% data success rate. In addition, its low power capabilities extend battery life of up to seven years.”

This deployment of water and electricity meters installed in tall buildings is typical of dense urban environments with over 20,000 habitants per km² proving that LoRaWAN can support high density while ensuring a remaining capacity to add other applications in future.

The success of the smart meters has been seen in the LLOYD apartment complex located in Indonesia that covers a total area of .045 per km² (4.5 Ha) with 27 towers.

“Implementing LoRaWAN for the smart meter solutions was a key factor in the overall success of the LLOYD deployment,” said Aldi Kurniawan, CEO and co-founder of IoT Kreasi Indonesia. “Due to the improved billing transparency, LLOYD tenant satisfaction increased more than 50% and are now empowered to monitor their own utilities usage daily with no surprise bill at the end.”

“LoRaWAN is meeting the needs of the smart building segment,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president and general manager for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“Alongside Semtech’s LoRa devices, the ability to enable efficient and economical use of a building’s resources, while creating a safe and comfortable for its tenants, highlight Semtech’s commitment toward creating a smarter planet.”

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Nordic Propeye’s HVAC solution leverages artificial intelligence to achieve 15-30% energy savings.

Semtech Corporation, announced that Sweden-based Nordic Propeye, an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solutions provider for smart buildings, has integrated Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® standard into its new HVAC optimization solution being launched today in the U.S. marketplace to reduce energy consumption.

Global pressure on energy prices, an increased focus on air quality and efforts to reduce carbon emissions are three factors prompting real estate owners to seek innovative IoT solutions to help manage their properties with building management systems. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates commercial buildings account for 35% of electricity consumed in the U.S. and generate 16% of the country’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Stefan Lindgren, CTO of Nordic Propeye, said:

“Incorporating LoRa devices and connecting our solutions with LoRaWAN has proven extremely successful in achieving 15-30% energy savings for our customers since launching our European OY1210 HVAC optimization solution in 2019.”

“We are excited to have adapted our solution to meet U.S. regulations and look forward to playing a key role making America’s real estate sector more efficient and sustainable.”

The U.S. version, OY1211, leverages LoRa to autonomously manage a facility’s control of HVAC systems using data from wireless sensor devices that continuously monitor CO2 levels, temperature, humidity, and real-time room occupancy. The adaptive reporting functionality of the solution can detect rapid changes in CO2 levels within less than a minute and the solution sends a trigger to the HVAC system every 15 minutes. The solution also leverages weather forecasting data and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to continuously learn and predict the temperatures of HVAC zones. The predictive maintenance feature alerts building operators when system anomalies arise to prevent equipment failures.

“LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN standard are digitally transforming property management with simplified, smart solutions around the globe,” said Marc Pégulu vice president and general manager for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“Nordic Propeye’s unique solution, incorporating AI technology, allows existing properties to be easily converted to smart, sustainable buildings and delivers cost savings to customers and increased safety for occupants.”

The post Semtech’s LoRa® Devices Optimize Building Management Systems in U.S. appeared first on IoT Business News.

We all know that sitting at a desk all day and breathing air full of CO2 isn’t good for health. In fact, it can lead to all sorts of problems like back pain, shortness of breath, and even headaches and dizziness. But what if there was a way to make our office spaces more ergonomic and healthier without having to constantly adjust them?

The answer is smart building IoT solutions. With IoT smart building solutions, employees can have their workstations automatically adjust to their needs throughout the day, making a workplace efficient. For instance, if you start to feel too hot or cold, the smart buildings IoT solution will automatically trigger the HVAC system and adjust the environmental conditions to prevent a worsening of air quality.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices not only make our workspace more comfortable, but they can also help to improve employee productiveness.

IoT and smart buildings create an efficient space to work, giving a company useful insight on such things as:

• how many people are present in the office space;
• how to optimize space usage;
• how to reduce costs on security;
• and how to organize a hybrid workplace to achieve boosted productivity.

So, if you’re looking for a way to create a healthier workspace, consider investing in smart building software and connected devices. They may just be the key to improving your productivity and overall health in the modern workplace.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO TRANSFORM OFFICE SPACES?

If you’re looking to transform your office space into a more efficient, productive, and safe environment, there are a few key factors to consider. First, the use of IoT applications in smart buildings can help create a building system that is better able to monitor and manage itself. This can include things like automated lighting and humidity control, which share data by real-time notifications and can help save on energy costs. Additionally, hot-desking – the practice of allowing employees to choose their own workstation each day – can help promote collaboration and creativity in the workplace. Finally, safety is always a key concern in any company workplace, and incorporating features like Internet access control and CCTV can help develop a more secure environment. By considering these factors, you can begin to transform your office space into a more modern, efficient, and safe environment.

MONITORING WATER USAGE

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology can monitor water consumption and waste to prevent costly damage to water pipes and equipment. The average household wastes 10,000 gallons of water per year (EPA WaterSense, 2017¹). In contrast, commercial buildings waste several times more than the indicated amount due to unnoticed leaks. Smart space utilization that incorporates IoT systems and devices is expected to overcome the point of $200 billion. Establishment owners can reduce water waste and increase efficiency by implementing smart water monitoring sensors in their companies.

What is more, with IoT-enabled water monitoring, businesses can ensure their water is clean and safe for their employees. Facility managers typically sample water only once or twice per year, but sampling only provides a snapshot of water quality at that particular moment of testing. By the time major contaminants are detected, they can go months undetected, exposing employees to harmful chemicals. The Internet of Things (IoT) technology can help prevent costly and harmful outbreaks of dangerous contaminants.

Smart water metering enables facility managers to track water usage at different levels in a building, including separate rooms, floors, or office areas. Using data-driven insights from this information, facility managers can make a comprehensive water management plan, keeping track of worker water consumption patterns. By identifying areas of excessive water use and implementing strategies to increase capability, they can improve productiveness in the whole workplace. The result is a healthier workspace, happier employees, and even lower maintenance costs.

Smart water devices can be used to detect leaks and identify faulty appliances. They can alert utility providers and consumers of leaks in real-time. They also contribute to water security by reducing the amount of water wasted due to metering inaccuracies. Smart water sensors are already proving to be a popular solution for these challenges. So, to create a healthy office, it is highly important to establish a water monitoring system.

FIRE ALARMS

One of the most important applications of IoT in the field of worker safety is ensuring safe environmental conditions. Fires can cause massive loss of life and have devastating effects on valuable assets and other physical objects in a company. IoT-powered fire safety sensors could help companies manage risks and improve fire safety in any building, both large and small. They could enable decentralized fire suppression systems, provide on-site fire trends, and even improve facilities’ predictive maintenance.

IoT devices can be connected to each other through WiFi, Bluetooth, and LoRaWAN. Using the right combination of sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT) systems can recognize hazards in the workplace. For instance, the sensors can determine if a certain temperature rise indicates the possibility of a fire or if the power supply is unstable, which can provoke a short circuit. When temperatures start rising in office space, these sensors can alert company managers, allowing them to evacuate employees in time. At the same time, it is critically important to connect all the sensors into one ecosystem, for which you need a gateway accepting data from different sensors, regardless of their manufacturer.

MONITORING AIR QUALITY

One of the most important factors to consider when transforming offices is the quality of the air. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), as it can have a significant impact on worker wellbeing and productiveness. Poor IAQ can lead to a variety of problems, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, and respiratory problems. Additionally, it has been linked to a decrease in cognitive function and productiveness.

There are a variety of factors that can impact IAQ. Especially, the problem of air quality becomes critical in meeting rooms, which are usually full of people and, as a result, have high levels of carbon dioxide. The Internet of Things technology can help monitor these factors and provide data that can be used to improve IAQ. For instance, office sensors can be used to measure things when temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels exceed the norm, so managers can adjust accordingly. Additionally, automated ventilation systems can be used to provide fresh air and remove contaminants from the air. By considering IAQ when transforming office spaces, you can make a much better working environment for employees.

The IoT-powered solutions are already transforming workplace safety. By detecting and analyzing workplace accidents, they help facility managers apply appropriate room safety solutions. Ultimately, IoT technology improves work conditions and eliminates costs associated with possible worker injuries. These solutions also help increase employee satisfaction.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SMART OFFICES?

There are many benefits of incorporating IoT technology into office areas. Smart building IoT use cases go far beyond simply automating tasks or collecting data. Currently, IoT technology can be applied in assets monitoring systems, room tracking, data analytics, and others. The use of IoT technology is becoming more popular in the workplace, with numerous benefits ranging from increased security and productiveness to a more comfortable and healthier environment. By leveraging the latest technology, companies can create a more comfortable environment for their employees, while also reducing unnecessary expenses. Some of the most notable benefits of the connected building, in turn, include:

• Improved employee productivity
• Improved energy efficiency
• Reduced COVID-19 risk
• Improved communication and collaboration

IMPROVED EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY

Smart buildings can provide a variety of features that can help improve employee productivity. For example, smart meeting rooms that are able to adjust brightness and temperature based on worker schedules can improve productiveness and boost the level of comfort. Smart scheduling systems can help make better use of space, while smart lighting systems can also increase security and reduce energy consumption. Besides, automated lighting systems can help reduce eye strain and fatigue, while also providing the right amount of light for each task giving a rise to the productiveness of an employee. Access to natural light in the room has been linked to increased productivity and using smart systems, it is possible to organize a workplace in such a way that workers have access to the natural light during daylight hours. By providing employees with an environment that is optimized for their needs, you can help them be more productive.

The IoT can provide real-time data on office processes, rooms, and workers. With data gathered from IoT sensors, managers can easily pinpoint where colleagues are sitting, and make sure they have the right workspace even if they prefer remote work over stationary one. A Gallup study found that 63 percent of employees are disengaged with their jobs (Harter, n.d.²). The data gained from IoT devices, in turn, allows managers to change policies to make them better align with established patterns and workers’ preferences.

IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY

One of the biggest benefits of smart buildings is the ability to improve energy efficiency. Heating and cooling account for a large portion of energy use in office buildings, so the use of smart technology can have a significant impact on both costs and the world environment. There are a variety of ways to improve energy efficiency in office buildings with the use of IoT applications. A great option is to use low-power devices or have a system that can optimize power consumption. When companies finally establish software for power monitoring and managing, they will be able to achieve optimal energy usage.

REDUCED COVID-19 RISK

In a new “COVID reality”, when we talk about a healthy office environment, we should consider social distancing necessities, and room requirements that can ensure sufficient ventilation. Smart room sensors, in turn, can reduce the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks through data collection and analysis. For instance, there are some sensors, which can give valuable insights into air quality and its characteristics (temperature, humidity, light, barometric air pressure, CO2 concentration) while the World Health Organization has an interactive map that can help managers identify outbreaks of COVID-19. By tracking this virus and implementing data-driven asset management strategies, IoT can help manage risk from COVID-19 outbreaks. Moreover, IoT can help managers identify opportunities to automate tasks, such as asset management, asset valuation, and risk management.

Besides, by providing information about the health conditions of employees, smart sensors can alert the business when physical distancing limits are close. Asset management tools and IoT sensors make it easier to monitor and clean specific parts of a building. For instance, with the help of wearable devices, you can track when employees are sick and where they are located to ensure proper hygiene protocols and contract tracing. The IoT for smart buildings can be a principal weapon against a pandemic in the workplace. And as we continue to learn more about the capabilities of IoT, we will see its impact in the nearest future.

IMPROVED COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION

By integrating smart technologies, office workers can communicate and collaborate more effectively. For example, video conferencing and instant messaging tools can help facilitate remote meetings and team projects. Additionally, smart whiteboards can be used to capture meeting notes and ideas for better services. By integrating smart technology, companies gain the ability to connect the team and improve the understanding among the employees. It is a very important point since, without good relationships within a team, it is impossible to have a healthy work environment.

There are many benefits to smart buildings, which is why more and more office areas are incorporating smart technologies. By doing so, offices can improve worker productiveness, reduce energy costs, and make the workplace safer. If you’re looking to transform your office space, smart technologies should be at the top of your list.

The post How To Create A Healthy Workspace Using IoT? appeared first on IoT Business News.

Solution boosts efficiency and reduces building management operation costs by 10%.

Semtech Corporation, announced that Intent Technologies, a leading service platform for smart properties, and Nexity Group, a leading French real estate services provider, has integrated Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® standard into its IntentPlatform to optimize performance, improve quality of service and reduce the carbon footprint in residential and commercial properties.

The IntentPlatform smart building solution has already achieved 10% savings in overall building operational costs for Nexity Group. Successfully deployed throughout the French territory, the system’s footprint spans over 1.2 million residential units as well as over 6 million square meters of office space. Providing 360-degree facility views, this LoRa-enabled smart properties solution enables real estate professionals to improve the operating performance of a building by exchanging data with more than 180 service suppliers and digital software vendors through a comprehensive dashboard with alerts on a single, Cloud platform.

“Ease of deployment and data collection quality made LoRa devices the clear choice to develop the use of data from sensors and equipment by real estate property managers on our platform,” said Benjamin Ulrich, CEO and founder of Intent Technologies.

“With LoRa devices and LoRaWAN connectivity, the technology simplifies the way to deploy, maintain and utilize sensors on existing building infrastructures. Not only does it reduce time spent on installations, but with its low level of power consumption, the technology significantly decreases the cost and labor required for battery replacements during the life cycle of the sensors.”

The smart buildings market is forecasted to reach $141.71B USD in 2028 due to the rise in adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. LoRa is the wireless platform of choice for the Internet of Things (IoT), with more than 5 million gateways and 270 million end nodes with LoRa devices deployed worldwide and growing. The IntentPlatform is positioned to easily connect sensors to monitor air quality, temperature, energy and water usage, and automatically provide alerts to property management and service providers when anomalies are detected, such as possible water or gas leaks, for quick response and resolution.

“Intent and Nexity’s product development and deployments showcase the value of IoT and the digital transformation in building management that is delivering efficiency, operational cost savings and occupant safety,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president and general manager for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “Smart buildings give added control for how consumers and communities utilize energy in a responsible manner. Semtech and the LoRaWAN ecosystem are committed to protecting our earth’s resources and enhancing the quality of human life.”

The post Semtech Announces Intent Technologies and Nexity Group to Leverage LoRaWAN® for New Smart Building Platform appeared first on IoT Business News.

Multi-Purpose Networks and Easy to Install Sensors Provide Granular Visibility Smart Buildings, Smart Cities and Critical Infrastructure.

Senet, Inc., and Iota Communications, Inc. (“IotaComm”) a low power, wide area network (LPWAN) wireless communication and data analytics software company, today announced a partnership to deliver LoRaWAN® through both 915 MHz unlicensed spectrum and through IotaComm’s unique 800 MHz FCC-licensed spectrum network connectivity.

The initial use cases will be focused on Smart Building, Smart City, and Critical Infrastructure applications. With this collaboration, and in addition to its use of the Senet platform for application and device management, IotaComm has also become a Senet Radio Access Network (RAN) operator and Senet LPWAN Virtual Network (LVN) participant, adding coverage to one of the fastest growing LoRaWAN network in North America.

Through a combination of sensors, meters, and its Delphi360 wireless connectivity and data analytics platform, IotaComm provides an end-to-end smart building and smart city solution used by building managers, industrial site managers, and city planners to better manage the health, safety, and sustainability goals of their organizations and facilities. In addition, IotaComm uniquely combines its FCC-licensed spectrum within the LoRaWAN standard to enable carrier-grade, low power wide area connectivity for critical infrastructure applications, such as smart metering and predictive maintenance.

To support growing customer demand for power efficient, battery operated indoor and outdoor smart building sensors, IotaComm operates more than 140 tower sites nationwide and plans to deploy 150 LoRaWAN gateways by 2023. For customers preferring added levels of network and application performance, Senet and IotaComm are collaborating to create a new LoRaWAN service using the 800 MHz licensed spectrum. IotaComm already owns enough 800 MHz spectrum to cover about 90 percent of the US and plans to deploy multi-access gateways to deliver a premium smart building connectivity offering. IotaComm will use Senet’s cloud-based platform to manage both its public LoRaWAN network and private on-premises networks and application deployments using the 800 MHz FCC-licensed spectrum.

“We’re honored to be working alongside of Senet in the quest to provide the wireless connectivity efficiency and flexibility that industries are requiring,” said Terrence DeFranco, CEO, President of IotaComm. “This partnership fully supports our goals of building the largest national, carrier-grade LPWAN dedicated to the IoT. Together with Senet’s network architecture expertise, we’ll deliver real-time data that results in high-value and actionable insights while filling an existing connectivity gap.”

By opening their LoRaWAN gateways to data traffic from all solution providers connecting to the Senet Low Power Wide Area Virtual Network (LVN), IotaComm is contributing to the rapid expansion of public carrier-grade LoRaWAN networks across the US, and generating new IoT services revenue streams. Unique to the Senet LVN are innovative business models designed to deliver unified LoRaWAN connectivity without the need for roaming contracts and the opportunity for participants, like IotaComm, to share in the revenue generated by all end devices connecting to the gateways they’ve deployed regardless of end customer origin.

“Innovation has always been at Senet’s core and our partnership with Iota Communications is another example of Senet leading the market through innovative technology and unique business models that allow users to improve operations and address sustainability goals,” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO at Senet.

“Iota Communications brings significant value and differentiation to our portfolio of RAN Provider and LVN partners, and we look forward to collaborating to deliver groundbreaking network solutions to the commercial building energy management and facility operation markets.”

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Harnessing Microshare’s Sensing Network data to address labor shortages and sustainability.

A powerful new app that links Smart Building data and Digital Twins with practical business operations debuts today at the LoRaWAN World Expo in Paris, launched by Philadelphia-based Microshare, a leading Smart Building technology and sustainable data firm.

The new app, dubbed React-M, pushes recommendations, alerts and scoring data directly to relevant teams and professionals, allowing for prompt and targeted reactions and providing an important link between the Internet of Things (IoT) data that Microshare’s solutions produce and Business Process Management (BPM) programs.

The app enables large gains in productivity per head among operational staff and third-party contractors, driving cost savings, mitigating risks, and improving service and customer satisfaction. From office environments to multifamily buildings to complex environments such as manufacturing and transportation hubs, the data produced by Microshare’s EverSmart suite of solutions now drive behavioral change and bring forward the response time to IoT insights.

“There’s been a lot of money spent on IoT projects, but the business fails to capture their full value because their staff fails to react to the data,” says Tim Panagos, Microshare Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder.

“React-M receives recommended actions triggered by IoT events interpreted by AI on the Microshare cloud. These recommended tasks are displayed as app notifications on the user’s phone or tablet, making it easy for staff to remediate problems before they get out of hand. Our experience tells us that behavioral change is the elusive last mile that determines the success or failure of most IoT projects.”

React-M guides the user step-by-step from alert to resolution, recording the time taken at each step. Process reporting allows management to see how their organization is handling challenges across even the largest, global portfolios. It is an ideal fusion of IoT, AI and BPM technologies because it takes the guesswork out of getting the most important things done.

Microshare’s EverSmart suite of IoT solutions create data on aspects of building management like occupancy, air quality, energy and water use and other performance and ESG issues. This data, often nonexistent before a Microshare deployment, will help global clients by

• helping operational teams make the most of tight labor resources
• supporting sustainability and ESG reporting efforts
• providing new insights into the safety and responsiveness of indoor spaces to reassure occupants
• helping portfolio managers and CIOs “right-size” real estate footprints in line with new remote and hybrid work practices

The post Microshare launches React-M app to aid BPM and behavioral change appeared first on IoT Business News.

Tele2 IoT and Haltian have launched a partnering program that will support B2B and IoT customers in digitalizing their offices.

Haltian’s smart hardware solutions for smart buildings enable large corporations to manage their offices and workspaces more efficiently and in a sustainable way through, among other things, energy optimization and perceptive building usage.

Tele2 IoT is expanding its partnering program with Haltian, the global IoT and product development company based in Finland. Through the partnering program, Tele2 IoT can offer the IoT market an ecosystem that gives customers access to best-in-class solutions and services in all verticals. Haltian’s platform and sensors will enable Tele2 IoT clients to optimize workspaces by tracking people’s movements in order to identify underused workspaces.

“Haltian is a respected actor within IoT and a strong complement in the Tele2 IoT partner universe. They will support our ambitions to be more instrumental in the sustainable evolution of our customers”, says Cyril Deschanel, Managing Director IoT at Tele2.

Tele2 IoT’s partnership with Haltian runs for an initial two years, with possible further future collaboration.

Pasi Leipälä, CEO of Haltian, says:

“This partnership is a great match for us. Together we make the future of buildings available for all companies.”

The post Tele2 in Partnership with Haltian Services, Supporting Smart Buildings appeared first on IoT Business News.

Kerlink and Partners Deploy Internet of Things Project That Demonstrates How Building Owners Can Help Limit Covid-19 Transmission & Future Outbreaks of Viruses.

Combining off-the-shelf IoT technologies and equipment with new mathematical models that simulated the propagation of Covid-19, a pilot solution at a leading Paris university hospital center has demonstrated how building managers in the future can limit the spread of viruses such as Covid-19.

The eight-month trial in 2021 included nearly 200 students and about 20 staff volunteers who wore Bluetooth-enabled badges during their classes, labs and shifts at the Faculty of Medicine (medical school) at Kremlin-Bicêtre AP-HP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris).

In addition to continuous monitoring of building air-quality, the system monitored occupants’ movements and whereabouts using dedicated mathematical models developed by two Paris-Saclay University scientists. These models simulated the propagation of Covid-19 in the student population, based on contact-tracing matrices.

“This made it possible to investigate the importance of actual contacts between individuals in the transmission process, and more generally to estimate the role of the population’s actions, such as gathering in ill-ventilated rooms and the length and type of communication – casual short conversation or longer collaboration – between individuals in the overall spread of the epidemic,” said Bertrand Maury, who along with colleague Sylvain Faure, created the algorithms.

“This evaluation clearly showed this IoT-based solution can help building managers in the future to limit the spread of viruses such as Covid-19.”

The contact-tracing application in the buildings was paired with air-quality monitoring that included:

• CO2 levels in the premises in relation to occupancy rates and hours, and ventilation adjustments,
• Malfunctions in the ventilation or required maintenance of ventilation equipment, and
• Hourly renewal rate (HRR), or complete renewal of the air in a room, which is a key performance indicator (KPI) monitored by building managers in their day-to-day operations.

The contact-tracing matrices were inspired by an algorithm developed by France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Paris-Saclay University that defines epidemiological models for virus transmission. It also provides a first assessment of the influence of CO2 concentration as an indicator of poor air quality that may accelerate viral transmission, e.g. a CO2 level indicating insufficient indoor air renewal.

The pilot project at Kremlin-Bicêtre AP-HP has been validated by the clinical research unit of the Paris-Saclay Faculty of Medicine, while the protection of private data and the identities of the pilot-project participants fully complied with GDPR law.

Prof. Olivier Lambotte, vice dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Kremlin-Bicêtre AP-HP, said Covid-19 virus transmission and the desire to develop an “improved-alerting” tool based on epidemiologic models were the initial triggers for this demonstrator project and they have been successfully completed with air-quality monitoring through CO2-level analysis.

“After these initial results, the Faculty of Medicine will be able to refine its systems for combatting the spread of epidemics thanks to a better knowledge of the interactions between students and thanks to a mastery of air quality,” he said. “Mathematical modeling of air renewal in a classroom or amphitheater allows us to estimate in advance the maximum number of people who can be present to maintain a CO2 level below a set threshold.”

The system used technology jointly developed by Kerlink, a specialist in solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), Microshare, a provider of a leading data-management solutions for the IoT era, and Enless Wireless, a major manufacturer of intelligent self-powered sensors, communicating in radio mode and dedicated to energy performance & comfort applications in buildings.

The LoRaWAN-based system used Kerlink Wanesy Wave, a multi-purpose powered anchor – combining Wi-Fi, BLE and LoRaWAN®, for contact-tracing data collection from Bluetooth badges – and a Kerlink Wirnet iFemtoCell indoor gateway to transmit the data to Microshare’s Universal Contact Tracing® application, which ensures end-to-end security, privacy and reliability for the delivery of critical information where it’s needed. The data it produces is GDPR-compliant and delivered through Microshare’s patent-pending rules and sharing engine to only appropriate, designated people in the organization at the right time. Enless Wireless provided the pilot project with easy-to-install and connect indoor air-quality transmitters with embedded CO2 sensors and high-performance D-type batteries.

The post LoRaWAN-Based Air-Quality Monitoring & Contact Tracing In Public Buildings Shows Promise for Controlling Viruses’ Spread appeared first on IoT Business News.

Smarter buildings are about more than comfort

Having been in the building industry for over 30 years, I can tell you that it’s one of the slowest industries to see change. For decades, heating and cooling have been some of the greatest innovations that have allowed us to conquer environments that are difficult to live in around the globe. Even now, 99% of buildings are still controlled by using only one element of human comfort – temperature. We really need to ask ourselves, how can a building be smart when there is only one point of data in which to control them?

If we think about the modern car, it has a backup camera, proximity sensors, cooling by seating location, heated seats/steering wheel, whilst also having air based heating and cooling. Smart screens and sensors inside and outside of most cars will one day, probably not too far away, allow them to be completely self driving. With a slowness to adapt, commercial and residential buildings are like driving a car from the 1970s. There is just the speedometer to tell you how fast you are going, but not much else in the way of information or control. There isn’t even an engine light. We can equate modern buildings to old cars, because IoT is only just now slowly making its way into buildings.

Internet of things devices that use indoor air quality data have the greatest potential impact on our lives in buildings. Imagine a building that can be controlled by how many people are in spaces (therefore saving energy), by using CO2. By monitoring indoor air quality, one can also respond to chemicals in the air, dust from inside and outside and with sound, light and humidity sensors to improve your comfort, safety and wellbeing.

A building that uses indoor air quality to set controls goes so much further than a building that only uses a thermostat. By using this data monitoring, you can control for occupancy, reduce risk, and really start getting more efficient.

Dynamic ventilation (sometimes called demand control ventilation) is one of those easy to do things that can save between 10-40% of a building’s energy use. Most commonly this is done using CO2 which can tell you how many people are in a space. Because people breathe CO2 at a constant rate you can use it to tell how many people are in a space. That means you can now heat and ventilate without guessing. But you can also do this monitoring using chemicals and dust in industrial applications. In many instances, fans and filters will just run constantly in a facility to address both chemicals and dust. Being able to sense what is in the air and saving fan energy by responding to what can’t be seen, goes a long way toward both energy savings and human health.

IoT sensors also allow a facilities team to be able to know where to focus their day. We’ve seen many times where someone will use a piece of paper against a vent to tell whether air is coming out of it (the paper moves if air is flowing). A sensor can do this job much more efficiently and with far greater accuracy, because not only can it tell you whether the air is blowing, but also what is in the air. They can tell you how much dust is in the air and whether or not the filters are doing their job. Rather than filter maintenance being on a set schedule, filter maintenance can be done based on demand with dust sensor information.

Over the next few years, existing buildings are going to have to focus heavily on attracting people back into them. The only way to do this is through transparency, by showing people what is happening. And the best way to save time and money is through information from IoT driven data that allows you to plan and optimize all your spaces for comfort, health and efficiency.

The post How demand control ventilation could make better indoor air and increase energy savings in buildings appeared first on IoT Business News.

IoT Analytics released the Smart Building Adoption Report 2022 researching the most adopted use cases, leading vendors, supporting technologies, best practices and lessons learned of companies that have adopted smart building use cases.

Key insights:

• Data centers are the smartest types of commercial buildings today, according to the latest IoT Analytics research on smart building adoption.
• Incentives and regulations focused on sustainability are pushing smart building initiatives forward with investments for smart building use cases expected to increase across the board.
• Vendor transparency and availability are key pain points for adopters of smart building technology.

Key quotes:

• Knud Lasse Lueth, CEO at IoT Analytics, says:
  

  “The fact that almost a third of global emissions are a result of building operations shines a light on the importance of more efficient, smarter buildings for our future. Sustainability is a real catalyst for this industry, and with that, we may have reached the tipping point for Smart Building initiatives”.

• Dimitris Paraskevopoulos, analyst at IoT Analytics, adds: “The sustainability push of recent years is changing the equation for both vendors and end users of smart building technology. Adopters in this market reported often feeling “lost in translation.” Vendors should provide better education for them.”

This article focuses on five noteworthy aspects of the smart buildings market.

Could smart buildings be the next digitization frontier?

The average American spends 87% of their time inside buildings, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, core building technologies have not kept pace with advancements in other technologies (e.g., smartphones, cars, or TVs). Smart buildings thus might represent the next frontier for making people’s lives more efficient, productive, joyful, and sustainable.

| Smart building definition: “Smart buildings are those buildings that use technology to interact with the people, systems, and external elements around them. They adapt to the needs of people and businesses within them by increasing comfort, efficiency, resiliency, [and] safety.”

Here are five things to know about the smart building market according to our latest Smart Building Adoption Report 2022:

1. The reality of smart buildings is not represented in the press

The smartest of the smart buildings, such as The Edge in Amsterdam or cube in Berlin, make headlines. And while they are magnificent examples of the future of smart buildings, they do not represent the majority of buildings or what is feasible for the average building in the coming years. Of the commercial/large-scale residential buildings in our data set, 58% have the underlying technological infrastructure for further digitization (i.e., they have a building automation system in place). Among that 58%, almost two-thirds (or 36% of the total) are further advanced in their digitization (they have a building management system in place and have digitized several parts of the building, such as building access and security systems). In the next two years, respondents expect this number to jump from 36% to 48%.

Data centers are the smartest type of buildings today. The advanced digitization classification applies to 65% of their gross floor area. Hotels (46%) and educational facilities (41%) complete the list of top three smartest buildings. Within the next two years, however, this ranking is expected to change. According to our research, offices will be the second-smartest building type globally in two years (with an expected 52% of gross floor area classified as advanced digitization), while data centers will remain at the top (71%), and hotels (51.5%) will be third. Warehouses are expected to have the largest increase in digitization (from 27% to 49%). According to the research, the building types that are least smart today are expected to catch up the fastest (excluding historical buildings).

2. Connected HVAC has been the single most deployed smart building use case, but others are catching up

According to IoT Analytics’ research, more than half (52%) of the total area across all smart buildings uses some form of connected heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).

HVAC systems have been in use for more than a century following their invention by Willis Carrier in 1931. Today’s state-of-the-art HVAC systems look very different though: They enable building managers to modify settings centrally (e.g., from their smartphones) or allow to set up usage based on pre-defined rules. In some cases artificial intelligence (AI) is used to learn from past behavior. Other data points (such as room occupancy or outside temperature) are also used for optimization. The equipment itself uses algorithms to predict failures before it is too late and thereby allows for reduced maintenance costs and increased uptime (i.e no cold buildings in the winter or hot buildings in the summer).

Other use cases with high adoption rates include air quality monitoring (48%) and sensor-based intrusion and alarm systems (47%). The former is seeing one of the biggest demand influxes of all 26 analyzed use cases as a follow-up effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on our survey, the average investment in a use case is expected to increase by 13% within the next two years.

3. Regulations and government incentives are the main forces behind smart building initiatives

Sticks and carrots seem to be equally important for smart building initiatives. Incentives (carrots) motivate building owners/managers to start the digitization process. Among our interviewees, 89% reported that incentives had at least some influence on their decision to digitize their buildings. Regulations (sticks) also have a noticeable influence on the progress of smart building initiatives. For 45% of respondents, regulations were a “significant factor that pushed their smart building implementation forward.” Decreasing costs, increasing user satisfaction, and increasing the sustainability footprint also impact adopters’ internal decision processes.

4. Smart buildings are crucial to achieving global sustainability goals

More than one-fourth (28%) of global energy-related CO2 emissions are attributed to the operation of buildings, according to a 2021 UN-led report. It is therefore crucial that buildings become more energy efficient to reach climate-related sustainability goals, and digitization is a key enabler. Fraunhofer, a Germany-based research institute, claims that connected HVAC combined with connected blinds/windows can save up to 10% of the total energy used to heat and cool a building. For this reason, many regulations and incentives focus on sustainability in place and aim to motivate non-adopters to transform their current buildings into more energy-efficient ones. Examples of such incentives include Germany’s Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings scheme or San Francisco’s Green Building Program.

Our interview data show that smart building use cases that have a direct effect on sustainability result in higher ROI than other use cases (93% of them show a positive ROI). These use cases are also expected to be adopted more quickly in the coming years (Investments into sustainability-focused use cases are expected to increase 15% in the next two years vs. an average increase of 13%).

5. Many building owners and operators are unsure how start a smart building initiative

When shopping for a smartphone, hundreds of reviews and opinions are available. When shopping for a smart building solution, however, it is often unclear where to begin. In our research, 52% of respondents claimed it was difficult to find the right vendor, and only 10% believed it was easy to find one. Respondents mentioned that a lack of knowledge about potential vendors was a key challenge during their smart building initiatives. At the same time, “finding an appropriate vendor” was the second most mentioned success factor, with the first being “proper planning” before the project commences.

Conclusion and Outlook

Smart building adoption is increasing, with sustainability moving into the center of digitization efforts.

Based on the research the following could be action items considered by stakeholders in the ecosystems (analyst opinion):

• Smart building vendors clearly need to do a better job at educating the market as finding the right vendors is a huge problem for many building managers today. Even finding relevant Smart Building project references on the internet is not easy. Don’t scare adopters off by showcasing new, flashy high-value buildings only. Present real-world average building examples that have the possibility to offer surprisingly positive results (i.e., older buildings with retrofitted solutions). Keep in mind that the average U.S. commercial building is 53 years old).
• Smart building vendors should also consider to “combine use cases” into one solution. Take the example of air quality monitoring. Vendors of connected HVAC system, connected lights, or connected security systems could easily integrate air quality monitoring into their hardware, thereby addressing more than one use case with their solution.
• Building owners and facility managers need to keep an eye out on the current local and national incentives and regulations. These are key to making Smart Building projects financially successful. According to our research and feedback from research participants, financial incentives are available in many regions in the world.
• Governments, on the other hand, need to embrace the power of these incentives, because they work. If governments want to be serious about reaching climate goals, smart building incentives and related regulations should be top of their agenda.

The post 5 things to know about the smart buildings market appeared first on IoT Business News.

Kerlink, a specialist in solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), and Sensgreen, an IoT company that focuses on indoor air-quality monitoring and smart-building solutions, today announced their partnership to help building owners ensure offices, schools, hotels, malls and other facilities have clean air in comfortable indoor settings.

Targeting the IoT’s smart-building sector, their offer combines Sensgreen’s SensNode air-quality sensor that monitors temperature, humidity, dew point, CO2, particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and other key air-quality parameters with Kerlink’s Wirnet iFemtoCell and Wirnet iFemtoCell-evolution indoor gateways and Wanesy Management Center in customized wireless LoRaWAN® networks.

Air-quality data collected by SensNode is transferred to the cloud via Kerlink gateways. This allows building operators and workplace managers to see the measurements and calculations of parameters on a dashboard developed by Sensgreen. Using real-time and historical data, they can then adjust their HVAC systems to maintain their desired air-quality conditions and ensure building energy-efficiency goals are met.

“Kerlink is a well-known company in the IoT and network-equipment market, and we see them as a strategic partner to reach our growth objectives and our mission,” said Tolga Candan, chief business officer of Sensgreen.

“Building owners who implement the Sensgreen and Kerlink LoRa® solution, whether in offices or public facilities, will be able to assure visitors of clean air, especially as countries reopen after pandemic-caused closures.”

“By monitoring key indoor air-quality parameters, owners can continuously monitor air quality and pinpoint the issues that need correcting and take targeted actions to make the air occupants are breathing safe.”

“Kerlink is committed to supporting Sensgreen’s goal of reaching its growth objectives and providing performant and robust solutions that will meet the air-quality requirements of its customers and markets,” said Yannick Delibie, president & CEO of Kerlink Inc.

“It has the ambition, vision and capability to be a major factor in the smart-building sector in the regions it serves across the Middle East and Asia, where Kerlink has a great deal of experience deploying industrial-grade LoRaWAN networks.”

The post Kerlink & Sensgreen Deliver LoRaWAN® and Healthy-Building Solution To Middle East and Asian Markets appeared first on IoT Business News.

This fall, Paessler AG, a leading provider of monitoring software for complex IT and IoT infrastructure, will release a brand new solution for facility managers and building owners: the new software as a service (SaaS), “Paessler Building Monitor”, provides around-the-clock digital monitoring of building conditions.

The monitoring is based on building data that the system collects remotely via LPWAN technology. Wireless IoT sensors are installed locally in the buildings and provide the measurement data that is used to determine the conditions. This eliminates the need for analog, on-site data acquisition and time-consuming appointments. Paessler Building Monitor displays all the conditions in an intuitive dashboard and converts the data into valuable information for the user.

Paessler Building Monitor allows for the prompt detection and elimination of dangers such as gas leaks, fires, and mold, thereby significantly reducing costs and preventing losses in income. Moreover, continuous building monitoring makes it possible to identify potential cost savings and optimizations through improved energy consumption. With Paessler Building Monitor, Paessler AG has developed its very first IoT monitoring solution to accompany its extensive line of monitoring products..

Helmut Binder, CEO of Paessler AG:

“Paessler Building Monitor is a real milestone, not only for us but for everyone involved in building management, in particular the management of existing buildings. The software collects data continuously, making it possible to significantly minimize the consumption of resources and thereby reduce operating costs in the long term.”

Paessler Building Monitor facilitates compliance with government regulations such as the EED (EU Energy Efficiency Directive), and in some cases can even reduce insurance premiums and ultimately maintain or increase the value of buildings.

Straightforward monitoring – no special skills required

Paessler Building Monitor is a remote monitoring solution that is easy to set up and use without any programming knowledge whatsoever. An intuitive wizard connects the IoT devices in the building to the monitoring software. Templates for relevant use cases allow users to immediately get started with their monitoring. The software also comes with an alarm feature that automatically notifies the building manager whenever a threshold value for a condition is exceeded. If necessary, monitoring data can also be exported for further processing.

Thanks to Paessler Building Monitor, resellers can offer a customized solution to building managers and allow customers to quickly get started with the digitization of their buildings. The software couldn’t come at a better time, as the building sector currently contributes (directly and indirectly) to one-third of all global CO2 emissions. With the industry increasingly subject to legal regulations, the owners and operators of existing buildings are now looking to digitization to help conserve resources.

Steven Feurer, CTO of Paessler AG: “Paessler Building Monitor is the result of our decades of monitoring experience and our commitment to actively support companies in their efforts to become more sustainable. We are therefore currently in search of potential partners who can help us achieve these sustainability goals and build a strong network for our new cloud-native platform.” – These partners not only include network providers, but also system integrators.

The post Paessler presents Paessler Building Monitor, an IoT monitoring solution for the sustainable management of buildings appeared first on IoT Business News.

Sensors integrated with LoRa® devices benefit building owners by monitoring air quality in real time.

Semtech Corporation announced its collaboration with IQnexus, provider of Internet of Things (IoT) end to end solutions and integration into building automation, for its Indoor Air (IAQ) & Environment Quality (IEQ) sensors integrated with Semtech’s LoRa® devices that run via the LoRaWAN® standard for building automation systems.

The IAQ sensors from IQnexus feature no ongoing Cloud fees, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and are compliant with the WELL and RESET® standards — key benchmark standards for building owners. The use and integration of LoRa and LoRaWAN into the IAQ sensors seamlessly integrate the sensors into existing building infrastructures due to its easy to deploy and cost-effectiveness capabilities.

“When developing the new IAQ sensors, we decided to take on a completely different approach to how IoT can improve a building’s air quality,” said Michael Welzel, chief technology officer, IQnexus.

“For an easy, on-premise solution we chose to implement Semtech’s LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN standard into the indoor sensor for building owners to accurately monitor their building’s indoor air quality all in real time.”

“The growth of this market has been massive and collaborating with Semtech was the ideal choice to better improve air quality for all our customers in many countries.”

Through the use and connectivity of LoRaWAN, the IAQ sensor is able to communicate through standard protocols like BACnet and ModBus to any building automation/energy management system, and even supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.

According to IQnexus, a typical installation of the IAQ sensors features one IoT platform, installed on an on premise NBNANOs Server, about 20-30 gateways, and 700-1000 sensors for a 30-50 floor building. The sensors cover IAQ and IEQ, as well as provide a higher comfort by measuring single HVAC zones.

“IQnexus’ implementation of our IoT solutions highlights how flexible and easy to deploy our LoRa solutions are in helping to maintain air quality for all within a building,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “Improving the quality of life for humankind and the environment showcases Semtech’s ongoing commitment to create a smarter and greener world through IoT technology.”

The post IQnexus and Semtech Enhance Building Automation With New Indoor Air & Environment Quality Sensors appeared first on IoT Business News.

Ideal for smart buildings, peel and stick sensors benefit from LoRaWAN® integration for low power use.

Semtech Corporation announced its collaboration with DIC Corp. for its new line of HatteTotte sensors which operate via the LoRaWAN® standard and can measure temperature, humidity and the amount of light in a space.

Its integration with LoRaWAN allows for low power consumption and long-distance communication, making the sensors ideal for smart building application in malls, workspaces, homes/apartments, and more.

“DIC Group strives to help create a society that adds rich ‘Color & Comfort’ to people’s lives. Simplicity and design that blends into the space were top of mind when the HatteTotte sensor was in development,” said Hidefumi Nishi, manager, technology and marketing supervisor (device), DIC Corp.

“The sleek design of the sensor and flexibility of installation to nearly anywhere within a building not only offers cost-saving benefits to building managers, but also potential life-saving ones to those most susceptible to dangerous fluxes of temperature. The unique, resilient and soft housing minimizes the risk in drops. HatteTotte sensors are able to adapt to all uses and provide peace of mind for building owners to ensure all occupants are safe at all times.”

The ease of installation of the HatteTotte sensors comes from the thin, peel and stick design of the sensor, allowing the sensor to be installed nearly anywhere in a smart building setting. Once the sensor is installed, deployment is simple with easy set up via a personal computer where the end user is able to monitor the temperature, humidity and light inside a space and automate accordingly for comfort. HatteTotte sensors are thin, available in a normal or waterproof versions, easy to install with its peel and stick feature, and last up to 5 years with a built-in battery.

“As we move post-pandemic, monitoring the environment within an area is important to create a safe and healthy space for all,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president, IoT product marketing and strategy in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“DIC’s utilization of LoRaWAN for its HatteTotte sensors showcases the remarkable ease of use and deployment of Internet of Things solutions to create a smarter planet for its customers.”

The post Semtech and DIC Corp. Provide Critical IoT Data in Commercial Facilities appeared first on IoT Business News.

Battery based system effectively protects commercial property from costly fire damage.

Semtech Corporation announced that LDT, a South Korea based solutions provider to display and Internet of Things (IoT) industries, has integrated Semtech’s LoRa® devices into its smart fire prevention system that utilizes sensors and a network camera to detect any flames, smoke, passive infrared, and alarming changes in temperature within a commercial property in real time.

As a result of LoRa integration, the LDT smart fire prevention system is able to provide real-time analytics, sensing, connectivity, and geolocation to measure fire levels, protecting commercial facilities, such as shopping malls and local markets, from fire damage and safeguard human life.

Jeong-Hoon Hwang, team leader, Smart Sensor Network business unit at LDT, said:

“When a fire hazard occurs, the time between detection and reaction is critical to prevent human injury and property damage. This is why we chose to leverage Semtech’s LoRa devices for the LDT smart fire prevention system to immediately notify the building manager of the fire emergency and respond immediately.”

“We hope to assist more building owners with the preservation of their property through the use of this potential lifesaving and cost-effective technology.”

To implement the LDT smart fire prevention system, a gateway is installed on the ceiling of each floor of a building and sensors are installed in all rooms. Once a sensor detects a fire threat, the real-time fire data is sent to a gateway that uses LoRa that is connected to the smart fire prevention system via a local area network (LAN). From there, an automatic response can be triggered depending on the conditions in the building. The response is sent to emergency personnel and the property manager via mobile device or computer allowing them time to respond effectively.

“The ability to prevent and respond to hazardous situations in record time demonstrates Semtech’s dedication to creating a safer and smarter planet through the use of its proven LoRa devices,” said Marc Pegulu, vice president, IoT product marketing and strategy in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “This collaboration with LDT for its smart fire prevention system is a perfect example of how LoRa capabilities – long range and low power – are solving a real-world challenge for building owners today.”

The post LDT Smart Fire Prevention System Offers Real-Time Fire Detection With LoRa® appeared first on IoT Business News.

It happened: 2020 came to an end. Now, midway through 2021, with the world’s population being vaccinated at varying speeds and degrees, there is, at last, some light at the end of the tunnel. However, the physical workplace and our attitudes towards it have changed for good.

For many employers, it is a long road ahead to bring workplaces up to date and alleviate employees’ anxieties as they return to work. Significant energy and efforts will need to go towards health and safety measures. The good news is that smart technology is making this more manageable and cost-effective.

It’s normal to be nervous

As many employees as possible have been working at home for months on end. Despite the vaccine rollout, many remain anxious about returning to the workplace.

Data from employee experience company Limeade found that 100%—of 4,553 full-time employees surveyed in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States—are anxious about returning to the workplace:

• 77% cited being exposed to COVID-19 as their top source of anxiety
• 71% are concerned about less flexibility
• 58% are anxious about commuting to work

So, what can employers do to ease this anxiety? One answer is to make social distancing guidelines easy to follow and monitor. In this article, I’ll outline how smart occupancy monitoring can help employers and employees re-engage with physical workspaces in the future.

Accelerated adoption of IoT technology

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role that the IoT has come to play in our lives. According to data and analytics company GlobalData, the global internet of things (IoT) market by revenue will be worth $1.1 trillion by 2024, up from $622 billion in 2020 and $586 billion in 2019.

Several IoT use cases saw growing adoption during the pandemic, including sensors for monitoring office occupancy levels. Although occupancy monitoring has always been a valuable tool in the pocket of the building manager, the regulations and obligations around the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing have made it a necessity.

Here’s how it works:

A series of wireless sensors are placed at strategic points around the building. The sensors collect real-time occupancy data that is sent to a cloud-based management system.
Occupancy sensors can accurately track key factors such as:

• Real-time people count
• Density in a given area
• Distance between occupants
• Movement between zones

Real-time alerts according to predefined parameters can then be used to manage the flow of people, avoiding overcrowding and potential transmission.

There are several use cases for the tech, depending on the needs of the organisation:

Access control

Sensors can collect entrance and exit data, counting the number of people and displaying whether or not it’s safe to enter an area based on its occupancy limits. This technology can be implemented in high-traffic areas such as receptions, canteens, break rooms and bathrooms.

By imposing limits on the number of people allowed into an area, employees can be protected from potential person-to-person transmissions.

Crowd control

At a glance, anyone from visitors to employees and building managers can see real-time occupancy data that indicate which areas of the building are busiest, and whether it’s safe to enter an area at all.

All of this occupancy data can be leveraged to help employees identify the best way to use the space:

• The best floor to work from
• Where to hold a meeting or take a call
• Whether or not they should work remotely that day

Optimise cleaning schedules

Knowing which rooms are at their busiest helps building managers to schedule optimal cleaning times. Not only does this enhance hygiene and health, it also helps cleaning teams make more efficient use of their time. Understanding the areas that have been used the most and least can ensure that cleaning is more focused and effective. For example, rather than cleaning a bathroom on a set schedule, the area can be attended to once a specific number of people have used it.

Data-driven decision making

There’s more to smart occupancy than understanding how many people are in an office space; access to real-time and historic data that enables building managers to understand where employees are and how they use a specific space.

Taking a longer-term view than immediate social distancing needs, access to accurate occupancy data helps companies make informed decisions about how much space is really required. This has become particularly important during the times of the pandemic when many companies are implementing a staggered employee schedule and assigning alternate work hours to limit the number of people in the office at any given time. With historic occupancy data on average utilisation levels, companies can create time-based allotments accordingly as well as informed decisions about re-allocating space or downsizing to save costs.

Cost-saving and employee confidence converge with smart occupancy monitoring

With Smarter Technologies’ building monitoring system installed throughout your building, the smart sensors cand real-time occupancy data can help you optimise your workspace with employee safety at the forefront.

The post IoT Sensors and Occupancy Data: The Key to Re-Engaging Employees appeared first on IoT Business News.

Integrates Honeywell security and building management systems with IDEMIA’s biometric-based access control systems to create a more seamless experience for buildings of the future.

Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, and IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, today announced a strategic alliance to create and cultivate an intelligent building ecosystem that provides a more seamless and enhanced experience for operators and occupants alike.

The alliance will integrate Honeywell’s security and building management systems with IDEMIA’s biometric-based access control systems to create frictionless, safer and more efficient buildings.

The Honeywell and IDEMIA alliance is intended to design solutions that will allow occupants to easily and securely have contactless engagement with a building – from vehicle recognition at the car park and automatic elevator calls to biometric-based access and personalized conference room settings. With a focus on security and data privacy, these next-generation solutions will provide occupants with a safer, more efficient and more enjoyable experience that will help building owners attract tenants.

“We recognize that our customers need to deliver business outcomes like managing complex security requirements and providing healthier, more productive environments,” said Manish Sharma, vice president, chief technology and chief product officer for Honeywell Building Technologies.

“By working with IDEMIA we will create an intelligent building ecosystem that better addresses our customers’ key challenges and drives their desired outcomes. Whether it’s a commercial office building, a hospital or an airport, we have the ability to change the way people experience and interact with buildings for the better.”

“We look forward to expanding our long-standing relationship with Honeywell to bring greater value to our customers with more integrated solutions that make for a more seamless building experience,” said Matt Cole, CEO, Secure Enterprise Transactions Division, IDEMIA. “The ability for our technology to easily integrate with Honeywell safety and security systems will provide building owners and operators more insight and control into creating more efficient buildings, while putting the occupant experience first.”

IDEMIA’s field-proven AI-based products and solutions — like MorphoWave, a contactless fingerprint device that scans four fingerprints in less than one second; VisionPass, the most advanced facial recognition terminal; or Augmented Vision, a biometric video analytics platform — integrate with Honeywell security and building management systems. Honeywell’s systems include Pro-Watch Integrated Security Suite, MAXPRO Cloud and Enterprise Buildings Integrator.

Honeywell and IDEMIA will work together to deliver more powerful integrations through aligned product creation and joint product roadmaps. The integrated offerings will allow building operators to respond rapidly and effectively to alarms or incidents by providing an incident workflow package that allows Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be configured, reducing compliance exceptions, security risks and response times.

IDEMIA products also support Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions that help building owners improve building environments, operate more cleanly and safely and encourage sustained compliance with changing building standards, safety guidelines, government-issued regulations and a company’s risk management policies. Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions provide a holistic view of a building’s health based on key factors such as indoor air quality, occupant flow, personal protection equipment (PPE) analytics, contactless access, thermal screening, social distancing and sanitation efficacy.

The post Honeywell and IDEMIA Announce Strategic Alliance to Develop Intelligent Building Offering appeared first on IoT Business News.

Hitachi, Ltd. announced that it has developed an IoT platform that brings to buildings the high added value required for the new normal, including high efficiency of building management and improved comfort for building users.

Hitachi will launch the IoT platform in 2020 as a new Lumada(1) solution in the field of buildings, in Japan.

Hitachi’s IoT platform for buildings was developed using Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Dynamics 365, two cloud platforms of Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.. Moving forward, Hitachi will deepen its Collaborative Creation with Microsoft Japan under its newly commenced partnership system, the Lumada Alliance Program(2) to develop solutions in the field of buildings and accelerate the overseas expansion of these solutions.

In recent years, continuous supplies of large office buildings in urban areas cause intensification of competition for gaining tenants. In addition to this, workstyle reform has progressed due to the spread of COVID-19 infection. These changes surrounding buildings have accelerated the moves to improve the high added value of buildings and realize smart buildings by leveraging digital technologies to achieve the increased efficiency and sophistication of operations in buildings and to provide greater comfort to office workers and other building users.

Based on this background, in April 2020 Hitachi and Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd. systematized touchless solutions that enable building users to move and live without touching in buildings and have been gradually expanding these lineup(3). Hitachi has also developed a service platform for developers, which provides office workers the new experience of working and living using a smartphone app(4). With these and other moves, Hitachi has continued to enhance its digital solutions in the field of buildings, to meet the needs of the new normal.

Hitachi and Microsoft are strengthening their cooperation in many industrial fields. For example, in June 2020 the companies formed a strategic alliance related to next-generation digital solutions for manufacturing and logistics(5). Moreover, Microsoft endorsed the Lumada Alliance Program, Hitachi’s partnership system newly commenced on November 4, 2020. This time, in the field of buildings, Hitachi has developed the IoT platform for buildings as the new Lumada solution, by utilizing Azure, Dynamics 365, and other technologies.

The IoT platform for buildings is a solution for developers that enables comprehensive remote monitoring and analysis of the operating status of building equipment, including elevators, escalators, and air-conditioning systems. Intended mainly for large buildings, it also enables users to simultaneously monitor and analyze multiple buildings. In addition, it combines and analyzes data about building equipment and the flow of people, including the crowdedness of each area of a building. Thus, it improves building management efficiency and building users’ comfort, and it maintains and improves the quality of building operations.

Shinya Mitsudomi, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Building Systems Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd., and President of Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd., said:

“The newly developed IoT platform for buildings is a next-generation solution for buildings that realize new and efficient operation managements for building equipment, and comfortable life in the buildings. I believe this platform contributes significantly to the customers that progress development of smart buildings and smart cities utilizing digital technologies.”

“Hitachi developed this platform through the Collaborative Creation with Microsoft Japan. From now on Hitachi will strengthen Lumada solutions in the field of buildings by proceeding Collaborative Creation with its partners under the Lumada Alliance Program and provide new value for ‘people, building systems, and society.”

“We heartily welcome Hitachi’s provision of its IoT platform for buildings, which utilizes Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Dynamics 365, to the Japanese market as part of our strategic alliance,” said Hitoshi Yoshida, President of Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.

“Microsoft Azure provides AI and IoT technologies that drive the digital transformation of customers, and it continues to grow as a global platform. Hitachi is actively developing smart building solutions for the new normal. We have high expectations that this platform will accelerate digital transformation in the building facility maintenance field. We for our part will also conduct sales promotion support activities for this solution on Microsoft AppSource. Moving forward, we will continue to grow our partnership with Hitachi, including expanding collaboration for overseas markets, and to work closely with our customers and drive digital transformation that leads to positive social change.”

Overview of the IoT Platform for Buildings

1. Improving Building Management Efficiency

The platform makes it possible to comprehensively monitor the various equipment of multiple buildings remotely and visualize the status of use of the buildings. This enables efficient janitorial and security work reflecting their status of use and the formulation of a maintenance plan based on building equipment conditions, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of building management.

2. Improving Building Users’ Comfort

The platform cooperates with control systems of building equipment, such as elevators, escalators and air-conditioning systems, based on data on the flow of people, including the crowdedness of each area of a building. Thus, it enables building managers to ease congestion, change temperature settings according to the crowdedness of each area, and otherwise create comfortable a building environment. It also provides information about the status of use and crowdedness of toilets, meeting spaces, and other areas, supporting building users to achieve workstyles and lifestyles that meet the needs of the new normal, including ensuring the efficient use of facilities and social distancing.

3. Maintaining and Improving the Quality of Building Operations

The platform maintains and improves the quality of the operations of multiple buildings by enabling users to benchmark the number of alerts activated, energy consumption, and other conditions within each building, to identify issues faced in operations, and consider improvement measures.

4. Enabling to Expand Services Easily by Open API(6)

By incorporating standardized open API, the platform easily enables to add new app by partner companies. Therefore it flexibly expands services.

The post Hitachi Develops IoT Platform for the High Value-added Buildings Required for the New Normal appeared first on IoT Business News.

According to a new research report from IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the installed base of connected building automation systems in Europe and North America reached an estimated 20.5 million systems in 2019.

This include building systems that are connected to the Internet and can send data to a backoffice platform. Around 3.2 million connected building systems were shipped in the two regions in 2019. Berg Insight estimates that the installed base will grow at a CAGR of 11.0 percent in these two regions to reach 34.4 million connected building automation systems in 2024.

The building automation market in Europe and North America generated at the same time revenues of close to € 29.5 billion in 2019. The market will grow at a CAGR of 10.4 percent to € 48.4 billion in 2024.

Building automation systems include a wide range of solutions for controlling, monitoring and automating functions in buildings such as commercial office spaces, retail stores, hotels, schools, hospitals and industrial buildings. In this report, building automation systems are grouped into six primary categories: HVAC and energy management; lighting and window control; fire safety, security and access control; elevator and escalator management; audio, video and entertainment; and water management.

The building automation market is served by a range of different actors, spanning from small start-ups to major corporations that operate globally in various industry sectors.

The leading Building Management System (BMS) providers include large companies such as ABB, Honeywell, Siemens, Johnson Controls and Schneider Electric. These players are also the leading actors in one or several of the segments in this report. Leading providers of HVAC control products include Delta Controls, Distech Controls, KMC Controls and Danfoss. Major lighting and window control solution providers include Signify, Acuity Brands, Lutron and Somfy. The markets for fire safety, security and access control are led by Assa Abloy, Axis, Carrier and Tyco. The elevator and escalator management market is dominated by KONE, Otis, Schindler and ThyssenKrupp while the audio, video and entertainment segment is served by AMX/Harman, Crestron, Elan Home Systems and Extron. Water management is a smaller segment and includes market players such as Apana and Banyan Water.

Building automation has been around for many decades but there is a new urgency due to factors such as energy conservation as well as mandates for green construction. IoT, cloud computing, data analytics, deep learning, artificial intelligence and other new technologies allow building owners to easily measure and conserve energy. These technologies also help reduce operational expenditures, meet stringent global regulations and sustainability standards as well as increase occupancy comfort.

Martin Backman, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight, says:

“New sensor-based solutions that provide real-time data on indoor climate, workplace occupancy and space utilization have really gained traction during the past few years.”

Building automation systems can help boost workplace productivity and optimize office space, which in turn cut costs and increase revenues for companies. Data generated from these solutions can also be used to reduce the spread of viruses and other diseases inside buildings, something that is ever so important since the outbreak of COVID-19.

“Providers of occupancy and space utilization applications now market their services as a tool to help workers return to work safely”, concludes Mr. Backman.

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Asset Tracking and Smart Building Kits integrated with AWS provide accelerated solutions for Systems Integrators and Enterprises.

Semtech Corporation announced it is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and TensorIoT to simplify Internet of Things (IoT) solution development by offering Asset Tracking and Smart Building Kits that integrate Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® protocol with AWS IoT services.

Systems Integrators and Enterprises are now able to use AWS IoT services to accelerate the pilot-to-production lifecycle for their digital transformation applications, while leveraging key AWS native services, such as AWS IoT Core, Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, Amazon CloudFront, Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon DynamoDB.

The new Asset Tracking and Smart Building Kits are the first vertical product offerings based on the LoRaWAN protocol built using AWS IoT Core and a serverless architecture. In combination, these offerings pave the way for other industry verticals such as utilities, smart home, smart community, and smart healthcare to provide similar solutions that benefit from long range, low power IoT capabilities that LoRaWAN provides.

“LPWAN technologies represent a rapidly growing frontier of connectivity choices for IoT. Hundreds of millions of constrained devices are being connected to solve real world challenges in every vertical. These devices need to be able to communicate through multiple levels of concrete for smart structures or over miles of distance in remote telemetry cases while running on tiny batteries that last 10+ years,” said Michael MacKenzie, General Manager, IoT Connect and Control, Amazon Web Services, Inc.

“With companies like Semtech, AWS IoT Core customers are delivering LPWAN solutions using LoRa without sacrificing scalability, availability or security.”

In addition to the hardware, the kits provide out-of-the-box Cloud dashboard capabilities to quickly demonstrate the value of IoT solutions in the asset tracking and smart building industries. In many industries such as construction, it is critical to be able to monitor and track fleet equipment to ensure maximum utilization. In other industries such as shipping and logistics, regulatory compliance for “just in time” shipping is driving the need to be able to provide precise information and traceability of inventory from source to destination.

The Asset Tracking Kit allows users to locate outdoor assets around a specific location, including performing a regular automated inventory of assets that are available on site. With the data generated by the GPS industrial trackers included with the kit easily viewable on a Cloud dashboard, customers can evaluate the possible benefits of tracking their assets with an out-of-the-box kit.

Market research has shown a strong interest from commercial real estate owners to have more insights into building occupant wellbeing and productivity as well as maximizing space utilization. The Smart Building Kit addresses some of these needs by allowing users to monitor doors and windows, desk and room presence, environmental conditions, and detect water intrusion in near-real time accessible via the Cloud from anywhere. The solution can be used, for example, in the event of a fire, chemical spill or other hazard to determine the number of employees in that area and ensure they are evacuated quickly and safely. The portable nature of the Smart Building Kit allows users to move sensor locations to assess completeness of network coverage.

“Customer safety is paramount for us at our dine-in restaurant and the Smart Building Kit is going to help us achieve that goal,” said Naga Kolli of Saravanaa Bhavan. “With a solution built on LoRa, AWS IoT Core and other serverless technologies from AWS, we are able to provide confidence to our customers that their safety is our priority.”

For large-scale IoT deployments, scalability is essential, and these kits take advantage of the highly available and scalable infrastructure AWS provides. These kits are built entirely upon the AWS IoT stack, and the Cloud dashboards are designed to be largely serverless from the ground up, relying on native AWS offerings, such as AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Core Rules Engine, AWS IoT Gateway, AWS Lambda, and AWS IoT Device Shadow. TensorIoT, helping customers accelerate the integration of IoT and machine learning (ML) in products and processes across the business, created the Cloud applications to connect the sensors to the AWS Services, providing a complete out-of-the-box experience for the kits.

“The Asset Tracking and the Smart Building Kits are a perfect example of how TensorIoT is working with AWS and Semtech to provide best-in-class IoT solutions leveraging highly scalable AWS Services like AWS IoT Core and Semtech’s LoRa devices,” said Ravi Raghunathan, CEO of TensorIoT.

“We are extremely delighted that our customers are able to go from proof-of-concept to production on these solutions rapidly due to the scalable nature of the implementation on AWS.”

The Kits include:

• The functional capabilities of devices based on the LoRaWAN protocol (long battery life, enhanced distance/coverage and a proven protocol), coupled with the power of AWS underneath
• Dashboards built on AWS are open-sourced and can be completely customized
• Functionality allowing easy scalability, from taking the Cloud dashboard “as-is” from proof-of-concept, to pilot-to-production as the underlying infrastructure is “outsourced” to AWS

“Semtech’s LoRa is a proven IoT solution that has been implemented in a variety of industries ranging from smart home and community to asset tracking and smart buildings. Our collaboration with AWS shows that LoRa devices are connected everywhere and LoRa is the de facto platform for IoT LPWAN applications,” said Alistair Fulton, General Manager of Semtech’s Wireless & Sensing Products Group.

The post Semtech Collaborates with AWS and TensorIoT to Simplify IoT Solution Development appeared first on IoT Business News.

Wireless IoT connectivity solution from BehrTech selected by QuadReal Property Group to enable new smart building IoT solutions.

BehrTech, a disruptive enabler of wireless connectivity for IoT, has announced that Andorix, an expert in smart building readiness and infrastructure solutions, has leveraged MYTHINGS to enable multiple IoT solutions in commercial buildings managed by QuadReal Property Group, a global real estate investment, operating and development company.

The smart buildings will be enabled with occupancy detection, indoor environmental monitoring and leak detection applications.

Purpose-built for complex industrial and commercial IoT sensor networks, MYTHINGS provides a robust, scalable and integrable wireless connectivity solution for critical IoT applications.

“MYTHINGS has been fundamental to scaling IoT technologies across our portfolio that enable valuable and strategic use-cases,” says Thano Lambrinos, VP of Digital Innovation and Smart Buildings at QuadReal. “The data generated from the various IoT devices empowers us to better understand how our buildings are being interacted with and operated.”

“As our IoT ecosystem continues to expand, the requirement for a robust connectivity infrastructure is critical. MYTHINGS ensures the secure and reliable delivery of intelligent data across all asset classes,” says John Chung, VP of Portfolio Technology at QuadReal.

BehrTech’s smart building initiatives include the deployment of MYTHINGS-enabled presence detection sensors that monitor the traffic flow of people through each door and traffic density of common areas in multiple high-rise commercial buildings. MYTHINGS-enabled environmental sensors will also be deployed to collect temperature, lighting and air quality. These real-time insights will help pinpoint underutilized spaces, optimize HVAC systems, and improve tenant comfort and productivity. Leak-detection sensors will also be placed throughout each floor and alert management of leaks within minutes to minimize potential damage, enable predictive maintenance, and improve sustainability.

“With IoT bringing new levels of visibility and efficiency to property management, we expect to see a significant increase in the adoption of smart building applications in 2020,” says Albert Behr, CEO at BehrTech. “However, with structurally complex and geographically dispersed buildings, finding the right network infrastructure can be a challenge. MYTHINGS provides the best balance between interference immunity, scalability and range to enable these critical IoT applications in large commercial buildings.”

“Full visibility and control over building management systems is critical for property owners to reduce overall costs,” says Wayne Kim, CEO at Andorix.

“MYTHINGS provides the last mile connectivity needed to build a digital hub that is capable of reducing energy consumption, optimizing control systems and providing a 360-degree view of building performance and tenant behaviour.”

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What if you could mine data from every electrical device in your lab, school, or building just by plugging it in?

WattIQ today announces the commercial availability of the first scalable, enterprise-grade IoT solution for asset utilization and condition monitoring built around smart plugs.

Now, enterprises can monitor device utilization, health, and location of assets simply by plugging into WattIQ’s network of connected smart plugs.

Formerly known as Ibis Networks, WattIQ applies machine learning to power consumption at the device level, analyzing assets like centrifuges, incubators, HPLCs, vending machines, freezers, and other electrical office equipment as soon as they connect to the smart plugs.

WattIQ’s low-touch solution gets assets connected to the network in just minutes. Within 60 seconds of being connected, power data for the asset is visible, and actionable insights are available within 24 hours. It is also possible to pilot or fully deploy the technology without the need to invite WattIQ onsite.

The WattIQ system is both manufacturer- and device type-agnostic and can scale from tens to thousands of assets within a building or across multiple sites. The centralized dashboard enables easy management of the smart plugs, as well as insights from an individual asset to an aggregated asset class or department view.

WattIQ’s insights into asset utilization and the true cost of ownership makes it possible to optimize CapEx and OpEx by redeploying under-utilized assets, moving to usage-based maintenance and asset sharing. The added benefit of proactive asset health monitoring prevents unplanned failures, protecting the enterprise’s science and products.

Since its founding, WattIQ has been an established partner in helping life sciences, higher education, and commercial real estate facilities improve sustainability through energy management. Now, its expanded smart plug-based IoT solution is mining and transforming the value of energy data to give organizations unparalleled insight into their asset utilization at low cost and with minimal disruption.

Priya Vijayakumar, CEO, WattIQ:
“We are building on our roots in energy management at the device level to enable an even bigger sustainability impact by eliminating the waste from severe underutilization of billions of assets. By addressing the pervasive blind spots that still exist in many industries – how often are all our assets being used and when? Are we paying for maintenance on equipment that is rarely used? Which manufacturer has the optimal cost of ownership vs utilization? Could I monitor the health of my devices in a cost-effective way? WattIQ is today enabling customers in the life sciences, higher education and commercial real estate businesses to reimagine their asset sharing, procurement, maintenance and monitoring.”

Luis Rodriguez, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, RENOVO SOLUTIONS:
“Partnering with WattIQ removes some of the blind spots we’ve had with regard to asset utilization data. Now, we are able to help our customers lower the total cost of ownership of their equipment and make smarter capital equipment purchasing decisions. We work with every make, model, and type of equipment on the market, so the fact WattIQ’s asset utilization solution is device and vendor-neutral adds a whole other layer of value to our partnership, something that also benefits our customers tremendously.”

Lab Operations at a WattIQ customer:
“The implementation happened during Shelter in Place (SIP). WattIQ was able to remotely build and set up our very detailed floor plan and ship the gateways and plugs with detailed instructions on how to install successfully. Internally, we experienced delays in IT support, due to SIP, and activated some of our ethernet jacks. WattIQ quickly deployed the mobile hotspots to get us up and running while we awaited IT support to provide us with several weeks of baseline data.”

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