Three Ways IoT (Internet of Things) is Transforming Apartment Buildings...and What’s Coming in Second Generation Solutions

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is changing the way we live, the way we work and the way we manage our lives. IoT refers to a wide range of internet-connected devices that can communicate with other networks and devices that link to the real world. Most of us are already using IoT devices in our daily lives -- we use smart TVs to stream content, connected doorbells to see who is knocking at our doors and smart thermostats to control and automate the temperature of our homes.

And while IoT devices have been slowly creeping into multifamily, senior and student housing with connected thermostats, lighting, door locks, water leak detectors and the like becoming more and more common in both new construction and retrofits, the next wave of technology will connect to more robust networks with software platforms that simplify and automate tasks and deliver extraordinary ROI for property owners, managers, maintenance staff and residents.

So, how is IoT impacting multifamily and, more importantly, what’s to come?

1 - Smarter building systems

Today, nearly early every conceivable building system, including heating, cooling, lighting and security, can be connected to the internet for remote management and automation, making today’s multifamily buildings more efficient to run and manage and more comfortable for residents.

Second generation IoT-enabled buildings will be more predictive and will be able to take advantage of information like weather reporting to anticipate changes in temperature and make automatic adjustments to make buildings even more efficient.

2 - Healthier environments

IoT devices installed in multifamily buildings make it easy to monitor environmental conditions like air quality and proactively address concerns that can cause health issues for residents and workers and avert costly issues with mold in the building itself.

Second generation of IoT-enabled buildings automatically analyze building conditions and alert staff to factors that indicate future problems that can be costly to repair and create unhealthy living conditions for residents.

3 - Improved Response Time from Property Managers and Maintenance Staff

First generation IoT devices like connected thermostats enabled residents to monitor and change the temperature in their units and introduced the concept of smart home to residents, who enjoyed the convenience of adjusting the temperature and unlocking the doors of their individual units from their smartphones.

Second generation systems enable property managers and maintenance staff to take the benefits of smart home one step further by providing information that enables them to manage the building more efficiently and proactively right from their mobile phones or a desktop, and the ability to diagnose critical issues and provide a better understanding of actual building conditions. For residents, this can mean faster response time for issues, and for owners and managers, it means higher efficiency and lower cost of service delivery.

Second generation systems extend the benefits of smart home to multifamily, for truly smart buildings.
Second generation systems provide unprecedented benefits to not only residents, but also to property owners, managers and maintenance staff through whole building networks that integrate with IoT devices placed throughout the building, from sensors on critical building equipment to water leak detectors to moisture and humidity sensors, and, of course, thermostats in units. These second generation systems provide maintenance staff and property managers the information needed to manage, monitor and control critical building functions and environmental conditions from their smartphones or desktop devices, alerting staff to potential building issues that could impact building and resident health and avert costly maintenance, monitor critical building performance and keep up to speed on anomalies that could indicate system issues.

Multifamily is just seeing the beginning of the impact that IoT will have, and second generation solutions will bring significant benefits to property owners, managers and maintenance staff.

Contact Embue to hear more about how our solution can benefit your portfolio.