Published:  3.2.2020

Janne Heinonen, CEO of building energy solution provider Enermix, believes that network-connected devices will improve the efficiency of property maintenance, particularly in the case of large buildings. By providing property managers with analysed data from the sensors, building maintenance is better equipped for rapid response to issues such as water damage.

Enermix uses the so-called Internet of Things for smart building meter reading by connecting meters to the network.

“Maintenance services are able to use the collected meter readings to predict upcoming changes in trends. For example, certain signs can reveal if a heat pump is about to fail. This allows for a proactive approach to maintenance,” Heinonen says.

Remote repairs

Smart data networks also make it possible to repair certain issues remotely.

“For example, a building might become overheated if the heating curve is adjusted incorrectly, but remote control allows this to be corrected cost-effectively.”

Heinonen explains that thanks to intelligent solutions, heating systems can also make use of weather forecasts.

“Weather forecasts can be linked to heating systems to allow the system to be notified in advance of warm days and avoid unnecessary heating costs.”

In the case of water meters, remote reading has already been possible. With the use of smart networks, however, this will become more efficient.

“With the latest technology, several meters can be read at once with minimal costs,” Heinonen says.

“Among other applications, we have experimented on meter reading together with water providers. In our technology, we use the IoT or LoRaWAN network by Digita, in which a single device can read up to 40 meters at once. The devices transmit the data by secure message, which we then unencrypt and forward to the utility provider for billing.”

Savings also visible on bills

Heinonen explains that increasingly precise measurements and predictions will help lower energy bills. According to him, the benefits are best visible to owners of large properties, who are able to use intelligent solutions to efficiently collect data from multiples sources and control and predict operations.

“Smarter control of heating systems allows heating costs to be cut by anything between 10 to 30 per cent.”

Heinonen says that the efficient collection and sharing of data also makes it possible to reduce the energy consumption of individual households.

“Studies show that when residents have access to accurate data on their water consumption, they are likely to reduce it based solely on that information.”

Heinonen predicts that developments in digitalisation will improve efficiency in the coming years, particularly in heating systems. In Finland, more than two million people live in buildings with district heating, in which heating needs vary greatly depending on the time of day and season.

“By using new technology to efficiently analyse data, the effects of energy spikes can be lowered already in advance. This benefits both property managers and energy providers. Energy providers can produce heat more evenly, while property managers can provide tenants with indoor heating. Ideally, this will also save in energy and district heating costs,” Heinonen explains.

The term Internet of Things, or IoT, has been around since the 1990s. Still, Heinonen explains that the solutions needed to effectively connect objects to a network have only been developed in recent years.

“Back in the 90s, for example, there were no LoRaWAN networks or other advanced technologies that have since been developed specifically for the Internet of Things. These solutions have just become available recently over the past two or three years. It really feels as though the technology is now ready for the new services to truly pick up speed and explode in popularity,” says Heinonen.