Technology creates new opportunities every single day. In the world of multi-dwelling units (condos, apartment complexes, and the like) a hodgepodge of communication protocols exists, on different levels. We are talking specifically about: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee. These protocols are powerful, invisible, essential. They are separate …
Continue reading “Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee Combination in MDUs”
VRF systems have been used in the United States for about 20 years. However, they’ve been popular elsewhere around the world for many years before that. With VRF technology, multiple indoor units or zones operate on the same system. VRF systems are designed with two components: indoor and outdoor. Multiple indoor units can be controlled …
Continue reading “Six Actions a Room-Level Automation Can Perform With a VRF System”
Some of the markets we serve have taken a hit this year due to the pandemic. Our target markets include university housing, hospitality, MDU’s, and other residential spaces with intermittent occupancy It is yet unclear to what extent university housing will be affected by the pandemic. Or, for that matter, at what point the college …
Renters and homeowners alike have used programmable thermostats for years. In fact, “Time-of-day” thermostats have been around for 20 years or so. These programmable, setback thermostats are a sound investment, with abundant returns. Utility companies aggressively promote them. In spaces with scheduled occupancy, like homes and offices, thermostats can be programmed to heat or cool …
Take advantage of energy management systems in powerful ways, like customizing alerts. We’re noticing a trend in MDU’s in major US cities like in New York City, Boston, and Chicago. They’re increasingly using state-of-the-art energy management systems to collect an immense cache of relevant, granular data. (MDU’s are loosely defined as real estate developments or complexes that …
Some of our customers who manage multi-dwelling units, aka high-density residential properties, recently mentioned how glad they are that they can perform some of their functions remotely, thanks to their energy management systems. Energy management systems usually feature remote “dashboards”. Think of an Energy Management System as a control panel, with your building equipment and …
There are steps you can take to ensure your EMS installation runs smoothly. You can help get the job done on schedule or even ahead of schedule. A little planning and communication with your EMS provider will pay off. Greg Woodliff, Director of Operations at Telkonet, recommends that all departments at the property be made …
Continue reading “Preparing for a Successful EMS Installation”
Occupancy Data Vacant spaces mean wasted energy. This spells real trouble in the current senior living market. Heating and cooling unoccupied living quarters is colossally inefficient. Nationwide, senior living occupancy stood at 88% in the 4th quarter of 2019, according to data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). Unfortunately, we …
Continue reading “EMS Platforms Help Shoulder the Burden in Senior Housing”
In hospitality, the use of Bluetooth and BLE in panic system deployments and mobile key-enabled locks is growing. Because of this, we are seeing increased traffic on Zigbee channels 15 and 26 in some hotels. (We typically recommend using Zigbee channels 15, 20, 25, and 26 for ZigBee-enabled devices.) Our electrical engineers recommend …
Continue reading “Bluetooth, BLE Technology Crowding Out Zigbee Channels”
Student housing occupancy dips during winter, spring, and summer breaks. For those properties with energy management systems, much of what had been a manual process is now automated. Automation includes adjusting thermostats, shutting windows room-by-room, turning off outlets. With an EMS this can all be done remotely using “profiles”, which are pre-defined thermostat settings that …
Continue reading “Student Housing: Managing Extended Breaks”
