IoT meets the property sector to combat rising energy costs and climate change while increasing property value

Ericsson released a Connected Buildings Energy Management report in partnership with leading Nordic property technology company Kiona and Arthur D. Little.

The report explores the business value and climate impact resulting from IoT-enabled digital control of buildings to monitor, control and optimize energy usage – enabling property owners to decrease energy costs and CO2 emissions, while increasing their property value.

Highlighted in this report are the values of connected buildings to key beneficiaries, from property owners and facility managers to the broader environment. By enabling IoT connectivity, the property value of a building can be increased, and the more measurable savings come from a 10% decrease potential in annual energy cost, which stems from adjusting heating system parameters according to the individual local conditions for each building, its energy performance, and the projected heating demand for it. The report comes with a specific energy management value calculator designed to estimate savings and efficiencies based on energy prices and other factors. With 36 percent of CO2 emissions in the EU stemming from the property sector, the impact of decreased energy usage is paramount in helping mitigate the current energy crisis facing Europe, as well as the effects of climate change impacting the globe.

A rapid transformation of traditional buildings into IoT-connected smart buildings is required, due to global urbanization, rising energy prices and an increased need for digital manageability. By enabling cellular connectivity, property managers – through Kiona – can optimize energy use and address potential issues before they become a big expense.

Kiona’s vision is to prevent unnecessary energy usage and CO2 emissions across the 55,000+ commercial, industrial, residential and public facilities in the company’s current property management portfolio. The company helps the property sector achieve their financial and sustainability objectives by digitalizing new and old buildings, with over 5500 buildings using cellular connectivity powered by Ericsson IoT Accelerator.

Delivered as a service through a global partner network of telecom service providers, Ericsson IoT Accelerator provides complete visibility and control for the cellular connectivity of all IoT devices throughout their entire life cycles, no matter where they are located. These capabilities are vital in providing energy management and optimization for smart connected buildings. By providing easy-to-use technology in conjunction with Ericsson’s IoT connectivity solutions, Kiona allows property managers to gather building data through integrated sensors that can be used for informed decisions and control the building without having to be on-site.

Jens Erler, IoT Client Principal, Technology and Emerging Business, Ericsson, says: “The implementation of cellular IoT connectivity across the property sector benefits markets across the world, from reduced energy usage and other operational costs to added property value and increased tenant satisfaction. Although the exact nature of the benefits from connected energy management and optimization varies between countries, reduced energy usage bears financial and environmental advantages to all.”

“We recognize the challenges faced across the property sector related to energy management and increasing property value across Northern Europe and beyond. Through our independent solutions and supporting services, Kiona strives to relieve these pressures and create a unified digital ecosystem by connecting property managers to their buildings on a remote level,” says Viktor Vitell, CMO, Kiona.

Ericsson IoT Accelerator enables enterprises to easily deploy, manage and scale their global IoT business from a single IoT platform. Today it serves over 9,000 enterprises in more than 100 countries and manages more than 90 million connections, including over 20 million eSIMs, making Ericsson a market leader in IoT connectivity management.

CT Bureau